Ireland’s High-Performance Dressage Director Johann Hinnemann believes new HSI National Training Centre offers real advantages to the industry

Horse Sport Ireland High-Performance Dressage Director, Johann Hinnemann, has spoken about how he believes the upcoming move by HSI to a new headquarters and National Training Centre at Greenogue in Dublin will be of huge benefit to Ireland’s High Performance programmes.

The National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport in Ireland, Horse Sport Ireland recently announced that it will centre its programmes in the fantastic newly-built facility at Greenogue from March 2021 for all equestrian sports, in a move that does not require any upfront capital funding from HSI or the state.

Hinnemann (pictured) cites his experience over the past decade of a similar system in Germany and how having a centralised base offers huge advantages.

“I myself gave clinics in the German Centre of Excellence for 12 years for the senior squad as well as development squad athletes. There was a huge advantage in having the athletes, coaches, vets and psychologists, all in one location with independent checks on their performance and health – it is a big advantage,” commented Hinnemann who is one of the best-known and most sought-after dressage trainers in the world.

“It gives the athletes great possibilities to develop and to get familiar to being closely monitored which will stand to them in competitions. I believe, and saw it with the German squads, that whoever is allowed to train at the centre, it fills them with a sense of pride and people work harder to achieve that goal and to stay part of the squad.”

“With regards to Breeding, in Germany they have the “Bundes Championate” for young horses for all disciplines at the centre for Excellence which is watched by the whole equestrian world. Something similar in Ireland would be a great way to promote Irish horses and I believe that a central location, with breeding and sport under one roof, is important for the future of the Irish Sport horse,” Hinnemann concluded.

It is planned that the HSI National Training Centre at Greenogue will house a breeding education and research centre, a world class performance environment for each of the equestrian disciplines, an equestrian training academy for all levels of equestrian activity and a permanent headquarters for HSI and its affiliates.

For more information on Horse Sport Ireland’s exciting move to Greenogue, visit our Q&A page HERE