Troubled Olympic sport risks losing millions in funds as Sandpapergate investigator brought in

3 weeks ago 11

The Australian Sports Commission has threatened to pull its $6 million backing of Equestrian Australia over a proposed change to the constitution of the troubled Olympic sporting federation.

The sport has lurched from one crisis to another since last year’s Paris Olympics, and the federal government agency warned it could take the extraordinary step of stripping Equestrian Australia of its status as a national sporting organisation.

Equestrian Australia oversees the three Olympic horse riding disciplines – eventing, dressage and jumping.

In a letter, Australian Sports Commission executive Richard McInnes said a proposal to make Equestrian Australia effectively a branch of itself, alongside state member associations, was “not an appropriate governance arrangement for an NSO”.

“We are therefore providing notice that, if the EA constitution is amended to give effect to [the resolution], EA would no longer meet the standards to be recognised as an NSO,” McInnes wrote to Equestrian Australia interim chief executive Ben Houston.

Such recognition is tied to funding from the agency, which distributes $250 million a year in high-performance and participation grants to sports.

The warning came as it emerged that former Cricket Australia head of integrity Iain Roy – who interviewed players after the infamous sandpaper incident in Cape Town in 2018 – has been conducting an independent review into the state of affairs in Olympic horse riding.

The mooted constitutional change that raised alarm in Canberra was outlined in resolutions listed by Equestrian Australia for voting at a special general meeting next Wednesday.

They were put forward by a group of the sport’s 20,000 members including former Equestrian Australia chair Christie Freeman and two-time Olympian George Sanna. Other signatories included Maverick Miles, the brother of outgoing Equestrian Australia chairman and Hunters Hill mayor Zac Miles, and Amber Fuller, a member of the Australian show jumping squad for the Paris Games last year.

A special majority of 75 per cent of members, plus the approval of at least five states, would be required for them to pass, but McInnes advised Equestrian Australia to let members know what is at stake.

“In the interests of transparency we shared the ASC letter with our members ahead of the SGM attached to the agenda for the meeting,” a spokesperson for Equestrian Australia said.

Roy, who parted ways with Cricket Australia only two months after the swift ball-tampering investigation in South Africa, was engaged by the Australian Sports Commission in July to examine Equestrian Australia’s governance and integrity practices.

His report is expected to be delivered by the end of the year.

Among the integrity issues gripping the organisation has been a scoring feud centred on last year’s Australian Dressage Championships in Sydney.

Victorian owner Vivien Lipshut alleged her horse and its rider were wrongly denied the prestigious grand champion title and alleged she faced intimidation from Equestrian Australia’s then-integrity complaints manager Paul Williams.

Equestrian Australia rejected her claims that the scoring system was changed and resisted her efforts to have the dispute resolved by the National Sports Tribunal.

However, the government-established sports umpire decided to hear the matter, which is due to begin next week.

Equestrian Australia has also featured in a sexual harassment case brought by a young rider against a showjumping coach which concluded in the Federal Court in Adelaide last month.

Kate Crauford was awarded $21,000 in general and aggravated damages from Anthony Thomas after a judge found he had sexually harassed her with a series of Facebook messages in 2020. They included messages in which he told her he described her to his friend as being “the hottest chick at the show” and as having “legs to die for”, and in which he called her “the hot bar chick all the lads chat up”.

She was 19 at the time, and he was 45.

It was revealed in the Federal Court that Equestrian Australia and Equestrian South Australia had entered into a deed of settlement with Crauford and her mother Sophie in 2023.

They were paid an undisclosed sum by the equestrian bodies in relation to the “alleged action, or inaction, of Equestrian SA and Equestrian Australia in response to the conduct of Mr Thomas”, according to the judgment.

Crauford and her mother had made various complaints to Equestrian Australia about Thomas, as well as to the Australian Human Rights Commission, before going to court.

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