NEWS

Michael Slavin

Until some degree of autonomy is restored to the Irish Horse Board within Horse Sport Ireland, it appears that breeder disquiet will continue.

Further evidence of this was given during the past week in the Viewpoint section of the Irish Farmers Journal by County Longford vet Brian Gormley. He is both a former national chair of the Show Jumping Association and a founder member of the Irish Horse Board. So, he is very familiar with both the breeding and the sport aspects of Irish equestrianism.

The issue all began with an EGM of the Irish Horse Board back in 2008 when that body acquiesced to amalgamation within the new umbrella organisation called Horse Sport Ireland. At that time it was promised that the breeding sector would see a review in four years’ time. That did not happen and the result is a sense of disquiet among breeders that their voice and their funding has gotten lost within the larger “unified” body.

Mr Gormley’s letter states: “What has evolved after eight years of Horse Sport Ireland is a disaster for Irish Sport Horse breeders, who have been stripped of funding, strategy and any meaningful currency. There is less synthesis between Irish Sport Horse breeders and equestrian sport now than there was eight years ago when HSI was formed and there is no indication that internal reformation is forthcoming. When the IHB enthusiastically supported the HSI concept there was a condition that the partnership would be ‘reviewed within four years’, but this never happened.

“It is now time for the IHB Co-operative shareholders to review their position within HSI in the certainty that the vast pool of experience, which exists within and among Irish Sport Horse breeders, is not being currently tapped or utilised to advantage. Tough decisions must be made and time is not a luxury that we can no longer afford to waste.”

EGM CALL

Since it all began at that EGM back in 2008, it appears logical that another EGM (emergency general meeting) of Irish Horse Co-operative members should now be held to let the views of breeders be fully aired. This should be a structured event that would be well prepared in consultation with ICOS leading to a unified proposal for a way forward.

The greatest enemy of Irish equestrianism in general is fragmentation of opinion. As the equestrianism now seeks to reform and look for greater funding, it is imperative that the breeding sector not only gets greater autonomy, but also presents a unified voice.

Barry O’Connor, who has been to the forefront of the effort to increase government backing of the equestrian sector, notes “our argument is weakened when only differing viewpoints are being heard”.

The next two months are going to be crucial for Irish equestrianism as reports are published not only by Indecon but also by UCD and by economist Jim Power. A unified presentation from the breeding sector derived through a well-organised EGM of the Irish Horse Co-operative should be fed into those reports. And in the end if the disquiet is to be dissipated, the monies from the government intended for breeding should go to breeding and the monies for sport should go to sport – full stop!

Meanwhile, an advert for a new CEO of Horse Sport Ireland to replace Damian McDonald has been placed. Closing date for entries is March 24 with Lansdowne Executive Search. So there is time for the breeding sector to have its voice heard before that appointment is made.