Thursday 11 February could turn out to be a D-day of sorts for the Irish Sport Horse sector as the 14-member Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) breeding sub-board meets for its first gathering of the new season.

Surely high on the agenda will be the bitter controversy that has arisen over the surprise announcement just before Christmas that HSI would be scrapping its stallion inspections.

Just about every sector of the Irish Sport Horse scene has come out in opposition to the decision. With the move now up for review, some 150 submissions have flooded in from organisations and individuals eager of have their say.

The breeding sub-board is an elected body and has responsibility for breeding policy decisions.

Have they got it wrong this time? We may get an answer to that after next week’s crucial meeting, which gets under way on Thursday morning.

The 14 board members are: Jim Beecher (chair), Elizabeth Dean, Alex Deon, Jack Murphy, Helen Kelly, David McCann, Barbara Hatton, Pat McCarthy, Paul Duffy, Neil Henry, John A Coogan, Joanne Jardan, Michael Grace and Tom MacLoughlin.

Buchanan named SJI chair

Antrim’s Ray Buchanan will succeed Cork’s Tony Hurley as the new chair of Show Jumping Ireland following last week’s election. Buchanan had served as SJI vice-chair for the past four years and said: “I’m looking forward to the new role which is always a challenging one. I am honoured to have been elected.”

Mayo’s Charles Hanley is the new SJI vice-chair.

SJI points system

Show Jumping Ireland is to consider a proposal at an upcoming committee meeting to change the way points are recorded on all registered horses and ponies. The proposed changes, favoured by some riders and well-known dealers and traders, could mean only clear rounds will be shown on the animal’s SJI record or in the top six in a competition.

It’s also believed that changes could be made to the video recording of individual rounds whereby riders could basically opt out of having certain rounds available for public viewing.

The present SJI system is regarded as a useful and reliable tool for checking the performance record of registered horses and ponies. Chair of the SJI national committee, Eamon Rice, said: “Nothing has been decided yet. It will need careful discussion as these changes will affect a lot of people if they are introduced.”

First sales of 2016

Goresbridge Horse Sales will host its first sale of 2016 on Friday 5 February at its Kilkenny auction house with a one-day sale of sport horses. This will be followed by the monthly horse and pony sale on Saturday 6 February, starting at 11am.

Smullen nominated

Champion jockey Pat Smullen (38) has been nominated as Offaly Person of the Year for 2015. Rhode native Smullen, who was champion flat jockey for the eighth time last October, has been nominated on previous occasions for the award.

Smullen has had a very successful career having previously won of the Budweiser Irish Derby and the Irish St Leger, which saw him honoured as Texaco Sport Star of the Year for racing in 2004.

He rode his first winner in 1993 and in 2010 won the Ascot Gold Cup and the Irish 1000 Guineas. The winner will be announced at a gala function in the Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore on Saturday 12 March.