The Mission Statement in Horse Sport Ireland’s (HSI) Strategic Plan 2019–2024 published last year read:

• To unite the sector behind a shared vision for the equestrian community.

• Support and promote the growth and quality of breeding of Irish horses.

• Ireland to be recognised as a top nation in breeding and production of sport horses.

And here is the main heading for the horse industry act that passed the Dáil in 1970 for the creation of the semi-state Irish Horse Board (IHB) or Bord na gCapall. It reads:“To advise the Minister for Agriculture and perform certain other functions in relation to the breeding sale and export of horses and associated activities.”

Not much difference there between the stated goals of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) and the old Bord na gCapall, except that the latter was created as a semi–state body while HSI is just an incorporated company.

This in essence means that the Government, regardless of how generous it might be in its financial support, has no legal obligation to do so. This is why the Irish sport horse industry differs so much from the racing or greyhound industries in terms of annual grants from the exchequer. While both racing and greyhounds have the benefit of being semi–state bodies, the sport horse industry is not constituted as such.

Producer and Consumer

It all comes down to that word sport. Even back in 1970 I can remember criticisms being levelled at the idea of giving money people who did not need it.

But that notion is to confuse the consumer with the producer. In terms of the sport horse industry, we have riders all around the world as consumers and we have the farmers and breeders who produce an Irish product which they need.

At the 2012 London Olympics I saw teams of riders from no less than 40 nations taking part. These riders were just the top of the tree in their respective countries since below them were millions of people, young and old, as customers for the kind of horses and ponies that we in Ireland can produce. So why not look upon Irish sport horse breeding and production as an industry. The sport end of it is simply the consumer market which is growing year-on-year both at home and abroad.

In short, let’s make our sport horse industry a semi-state body which does not have to plead for support when each annual Budget comes around.