was an honour to hold the position. I had the pleasure
of meeting many great people across a wide range
of equestrian activities and associated businesses.
The enthusiasm, commitment and passion of all
stakeholders augurs well for the future of the sport
horse industry in Ireland.
and horses during the past year: from lead-rein pony
riders to European Championship stars; from leisure
and pleasure riders to our national and international
eventing and show jumping riders; and from breeders of
children's ponies to a diverse range of horses. The horse
truly has a unique place in the Irish psyche and brings
people together from all walks of life and creates many
new friendships and alliances. I compliment the work
of the many volunteers without whom equestrian sport
at all levels in Ireland could not function. The centres
and shows did Trojan work to provide opportunities for
enjoyment, to nurture young talent and to showcase the
best we have to offer.
achievement of winning at whatever level of
competition, are sufficient rewards for many. For others
there has to be an economic return for their efforts
and at this time, for too many, the figures do not add
up. There seems to be a disconnect between both
the demands of the marketplace and the competition
arenas and some of our breeding and production
endeavours. Therefore, no matter what category of
animal or section of the sport we are interested in, we
need to focus on the market requirements and trends if
we expect monetary return.
and horse breeding and producing country, we should
be able to supply a horse for all levels of rider and
a wide range of sporting disciplines and hobbies.
Everyone who aspires to be in the business end of the
industry needs to try and be the very best at what they
are doing and be driven by the demands of the global
market. Quality will win out and, if we have the ponies
and horses for the different market segments, the
buyers will come. Second-rate and inferiorly bred and
produced stock are nigh impossible to sell and are bad
ambassadors for Ireland.
Government agencies and bodies, both North and
South, for their support during 2013. It is important
that we continue to collaborate and build on our
achievements to date.
and producing horses is unrivalled. People who come
to Ireland to attend our international competitions,
have equestrian-related holidays or to look for horses,
experience a very special welcome and this experience
and enjoyment makes Ireland unique globally. Our
international riders are excelling in the global arenas,
keeping our sport and our nation up in lights, and we
have a continuous stream of fantastically talented
young riders coming through the ranks. If we could
produce as many four-legged champions on the
international scene as we do two-legged ones, we
would be in an even better place. We must nurture and
encourage our young people and provide them with the
horsepower, then our industry will have a very exciting
future.
for our colleagues in the disparate disciplines and
equestrian activities, all aspects of the sport will grow
and prosper and we will have an industry that we can all
be very proud to be a part of.
Chairman, Horse Sport Ireland
5 Chairman's Introduction
6 Chief Executive's Report
8 Board of Directors Meeting Attendance
9 Breeding Sub Board Meeting Attendance
10 Sport Sub Board Meeting Attendance
12 Some Key Highlights
14 High Performance Programme Underage Teams
19 Team Ireland Equestrian Sponsorship
20 High Performance Programme Senior Teams
25 Senior Nations' Cups Results
28 Owners' Reception
30 Foal Registrations and IHR Horse Registration Statistics
32 Mare and Stallion Inspections
36 Lanaken and Le Lion d'Angers
42 Financial Supports
47 ISH Young Breeders' Programme
48 HSI Breeder Awards
50 New Initiatives
52 Registrations and Entries
54 Coaching Programme
56 Affiliate Organisations
58 National Anti-Doping Programme
59 Income and Expenditure
60 Auditor's Report
74 Allocation of Funds
75 Breeding Projects and Operations Expenditure
76 Sport Programmes, HP, SNI and Operations Expenditure
77 High Performance Investment Allocations