When it was founded back in 1993, the Irish Horse Board (IHB) was really the only game in town. Now some 27 years on it is struggling to retain its relevance within Ireland’s evolving equestrian scene.

By early 1994 the IHB had Government funding, control of the Irish horse stud books and a paid up Irish horse co-op membership of 6,000, who democratically elected its 10 member board from five regions. Over the intervening years like a bird heading for Christmas it has been plucked of its functions and has had its funding turned around so that it now begs at the very sport horse tables it used to finance.

By 2008, Minister for Agriculture Joe Walsh, who was the driving force behind setting up IHB in the first place, was also keen on finding a way to bring all of the disparate sections of Irish equestrianism together within one unified body.

He had been successful in doing this within the thoroughbred world and prior to his retirement his aim was to do the same for the sport horse sector. Thus in 2008 Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) came into being. The IHB, while still remaining a co–op and a separate entity, became an affiliate of HSI.

Government funding was transferred to the new body and so was stud book and registration control along with marketing and promotion. Perhaps as a consolation, the IHB did get some five seats on the newly created 19-member HSI board.

Indecon report

Then in 2017 came the Indecon Report on the workings of HSI. It recommended that HSI’s board be slashed from 19 down to just nine. Consequently the IHB lost its position on what is now the most powerful voice within Irish equestrianism.

Once again there was some consolation offered to IHB in the form of eight seats from its elected board on the 13 member Breeding and Production Advisory Council (BPAC) of HSI.

It oversees the breeding budget and advises HSI on activities within that sector.

However, it has recently emerged that this too is about to change. It now appears that instead of the IHB nominating eight of its elected members to fill these places on BPAC, it is proposed that paid up individuals within the current 4,000 Irish horse co-op membership can bypass their own board and put themselves forward for a seat on the advisory council.

The IHB is currently seeking nominations for candidates to contest elections in two of its five regions. But even as they do so, it has to be asked – is the old IHB still relevant?