Without horses, there would be no equestrian – an obvious fact. Hence it is right that breeding awards should be included in the programme for this year’s Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) coaching conference at Cavan Equestrian Centre. In previous years they had been given at the Irish Horse Board AGM. But this time, just before lunch of the day-long conference scheduled on 3 December, a slot has been allocated for honouring the people who bred the Irish Stud Book’s best performers during 2019. These include medal winners along with those that hold the highest world ranking in both eventing and show jumping.

Medal winners

Another extraordinary medal haul at the World Young Horse Breeding Championships in both Lanaken, Belgium and Le Leon d’Angers, France will be duly noted.

The breeders who helped deliver two show jumping gold plus a silver and bronze in eventing will receive their well-deserved trophies.

Also to be honoured are those who bred the top three horses in the World Breeding Federation’s 2019 rankings for both show jumping and eventing.

In another change from previous years, monetary prizes totalling some €6,000 will be shared among the six breeders receiving these awards. The three eventing league winners will also be honoured.

Honouring the mares

Our best mares are key to our future success in the very competitive world of sport horse breeding. Thus the breeders of this season’s top sport horse showing and Irish Draught mares will also receive awards.

And in another innovation, two ponies out of the new Irish Pony Stud Book will also be awarded trophies for their performances as part of the Irish international under 16 show jumping and eventing squads.

Outstanding contribution

As is traditional at these events, special recognition is given to someone who has made a significant contribution to the Irish sport horse breeding industry. Down the years this trophy has gone to some very knowledgeable and indeed innovative people.

Surely, WERE HE STILL ALIVE, Harold McGahern of Longford would have joined them. Rightly enough, at the recent Cavan International he got good mention for breeding Kenneth Graham’s Grand Prix and HSI €10,000 Challenge winner Beir Bua. He produced this nine-year-old mare by Lancelot out of the good Army mare Rincoola Abu that he also bred.

Premature ending to the Pessoa era

Meanwhile, faced with a choice between Ireland and Brazil, our show jumping chef d’equipe for the past three years Rodrigo Pessoa, not surprisingly, opted for his home country.

Both he and his father Nelson have brought glory to their native land through their artistry with the horse. Rodrigo now hopes he can add another Olympic medal to the individual gold already to his credit from six Olympic appearances.

Both men have had happy moments in Ireland. Nelson helped launch the first Kerrygold-sponsored Dublin Horse show in 1989. He went on to win the Grand Prix there and then in an emotional presentation in the main arena he retired the great Irish-bred Belvue back to Iris Kellett.

There must now be an open and transparent selection process to name a new chef d’equipe. He or she should then be free to choose their own backroom team to help bring together a squad that can take home a medal from the Tokyo Olympics.