Under the National Breeding Services, funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), and delivered by Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), a number of breeding events and grant-funded events are facilitated. These events take place throughout the year and focus on the production of young horses and the rewarding of breeding decisions through prize money at various breeding and production shows & events.
Focus Areas
- Foal Championship
- 3 & 4YO Filly Loose Jumping Competition
- DAFM Studbook Show jumping Series
- DAFM Studbook Series – Eventing
- DAFM Development Series
- Breeding grant
- DAFM Pony Studbook and Development Series
DAFM Studbook Show Jumping Series
Background
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) has launched the 2025 DAFM Studbook Series for Show Jumping taking place in regions nationwide from March to July. This series is funded by DAFM under National Breeding Services and delivered by HSI. The 2025 series is open to all DAFM-approved studbooks and has a total prize fund of €90,000*.
All riders/breeders and producers must familiarise themselves with terms, conditions, and eligibility of the DAFM Studbook Series HERE.
Classes for 5-year-old, 6-year-old and 7-year-old horses will be held at selected venues throughout Ireland listed below.
| Leg | Venue | Date |
| 1 | Tipperary Equestrian Centre | March 29th |
| 2 | Mullingar Equestrian Centre | April 12th & 13th |
| 3 | The Meadows | April 27th |
| 4 | Galway Equestrian Centre | May 5th |
| 5 | Barnadown Showjumping | May 10th & 11th |
| 6 | Maryville Stables | July 5th & 6th |
| FINAL | National Balmoral | July 19th & 20th |
| *Dates in the Republic of Ireland are subject to derogation approval. | ||
In this series riders, breeders and owners will be rewarded for the breeding and production decisions through several class and league-based prizes. There will be a total prize fund of €90,000* for the series. Breeders’ and grooms’ prizes will be awarded for leading performance in each class and overall league results. The recognition and support for leading young riders remains in place following its success in 2023 and 2024.
This series is funded under National Breeding Services by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
DAFM Studbook Series – Eventing
Background
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is delighted to launch the DAFM Studbook Series for Eventing in a new league format. The league will cover all age/height appropriate Eventing Ireland affiliated events nationwide from June 22nd to September 21st. The DAFM Studbook Series League is generously supported with a total prize fund over €40,000 by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under National Breeding Services.
The 2025 series will be open to all young horses provided they are studbook registered with a breed recorded. Horses with/without a recorded pedigree but with the breed listed ‘UNK’ are not eligible to participate or be in receipt of any prize funds. Please see DAFM Eventing Studbook Series Rules for more information.
This league represents an opportune production series for young horses targeted toward a career in eventing, and participation for Irish studbooks in the World Breeding Federations for Sport Horses (WBFSH) young horse jumping Championships at Le Lion d’Angers.
In this series riders, breeders, owners and grooms will be rewarded for breeding and production decisions through several league-based prizes. There will be a prize fund of over €40,000 available at the culmination of the league. Breeder and groom prizes will be awarded for leading performance in each category in the league results. There will also be a prize for the breeder of the top mare and recognition and support for leading young riders in the form of league prizes.
Please see DAFM Eventing Studbook Series League terms and conditions for more information on league eligibility, terms and conditions.
Horse Sport Ireland manage the league applications which are available HERE.
Entry to the specific event and class are taken through Eventing Ireland as normal.
This series is funded under National Breeding Services by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
DAFM Development Series
Background
Horse Sport Ireland is delighted to present the 2025 DAFM Development Series. The series includes several young horse and pony classes in show jumping, eventing and dressage disciplines. The series provides a production opportunity for young horses in the autumn season, particularly aimed at those horses who are later developing. This series provides recognition for breeders and producers with specific breeders’ prizes in each discipline.
Eventing
- September 15th: Lisgarvan House, Ballon, Co. Carlow.
- October 12th/13th: Milchem EC, Tynagh, Co. Galway.
- October 19th / 20th: Coilog EC, Kilmeague, Co. Kildare.
- October 26th: Wexford EC, Tomhaggard, Co. Wexford.
- November 3rd: Meadows EC, Lurgan, Co. Armagh.
Dressage
- September 22nd: Horses only: Marlton Stud, Wicklow, Co. Wicklow
- Weekend of October 5th: Horses & Ponies: Ballindenisk, Watergrasshill, Co. Cork.
- Weekend of October 11th – 13th: Horses only: Meadows EC, Lurgan, Co. Armagh.
- Weekend of Weekend of October 25th – 27th: Horses & Ponies: Danescroft, Lisburn, Co. Antrim.
- November 3rd: Horses & Ponies: Coilog Equestrian, Kilmeague, Co. Kildare.
Showjumping
- Weekend of September 6th – 8th: Mullingar Equestrian Centre, Co. Westmeath.
- Weekend of September 20th – 22nd: JAG, Co. Kildare.
- Weekend of October 4th – 6th: Warrington Top-Flight Equestrian Centre, Co. Kilkenny.
- October 19th: Banner Equestrian Centre, Co. Clare.
- Weekend of November 2nd – 3rd: Tubberbride Stables, Co. Sligo.
- December 6th & 7th: Cavan Equestrian Centre, Co. Cavan
CLICK HERE for term and conditions of the eventing development series
CLICK HERE for term and conditions of the dressage development series
CLICK HERE for term and conditions of the showjumping development series
Funded under National Breeding Services by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
3 & 4YO Filly Loose Jumping Competition
Background
Horse Sport Ireland will host the annual 3 and 4-year-old filly, horse and pony loose jumping competition this August and September (2025). These competitions are for three and four-year-old fillies and aim to identify young performance fillies that may be suitable for the breeding herd. There will be three qualifiers for horses with separate categories for 3yo and 4yo fillies. There will be a separate stand-alone competition for 3yo and 4yo filly ponies. The top three highest scoring fillies from the HORSE 3yo and 4yo categories will be selected for the FINAL at each qualifier. A prize fund of €7,500 including breeder prizes will be on offer at the final for qualified entries.
The filly horse competitions are open to any three or four-year-old horse that is studbook registered with a breed recorded (this can include main or supplementary section studbook animals). The filly pony competition is open to any three and four-year-old pony that is studbook registered with a breed recorded (this can include main or supplementary section studbook animals).
The top ranked Traditional Irish Horse (TIH) filly will be awarded a prize in the 3- & 4-year-old horse loose jumping sections
Filly loose jumping is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine under National Breeding Services and delivered by Horse Sport Ireland.
| Pony Loose Jumping | Venue | Closing Date |
| September 2nd | Creagh Equestrian Centre | August 29th |
| Horse Loose Jumping | ||
| August 14th | JAG EC | August 12th |
| August 21st | Kernans EC | August 19th |
| August 26th | Tubberbride EC | August 22nd |
| October 2nd | Loose Jumping FINAL Emerald EC | |
CLICK HERE for term and conditions.
CLICK HERE to apply online.
Funded under National Breeding Services by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Foal Championship
Background
Horse Sport Ireland; the National Federation, are delighted to be running the Foal Championships for 2025. The Foal Championship has a very generous prize fund of €28,650 funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and will aim to identify, evaluate, and reward breeders who have bred a foal that has the potential to be competitive at the highest level in the disciplines of showjumping or eventing.
This year there will be five qualifiers held in August & September with separate categories for horses and ponies, and separate sections for potential showjumping foals and potential eventing foals.
At each of the qualifiers the winning foal of each class will be selected for the Final in October: the best show jumping type and the best eventing type.
| Venue | Date |
| JAG* | 14th August |
| Kernans* | 21st August |
| Tubberbride* | 25th August |
| Wexford | 3rd September |
| Banner | 11th September |
- *3 & 4 year old filly loose jumping will also take place on these dates after the Foal Championships.
Breeding Grant
Background
This Initiative supports funding for breeding and production initiatives for young horse classes and production events. The Breeding Grant Initiative is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine through National Breeding Services.
Applications will be considered based on the following criteria:
- Compatibility with the recommendations in Reaching New Heights
- Number of entries, level/history of event and show facilities
- Breeder prizes and breeder recognition
- Geographical, native breed and discipline spread
- Overall contribution to the development of the industry and sport horse breeding nationwide
- Suitability of date
- Matching funds – % request versus overall prizemoney
- Equine Welfare provisions (access to shade, water, inspection provision etc.)
- Insurance and Safeguarding policies in place for the show (affiliated safeguarding is not sufficient)
- Adherence to previous Breeding Grant Terms and Conditions*
Applications will be accepted via the online form ONLY.
Please find the full application online, HERE.
Please find detail of scoring criteria, and Applicant Terms and Conditions HERE.
Applications must be submitted by 5pm Tuesday 7th January 2025. If you have any questions, please email [email protected]
Allocation of funding is subject to the approval of the Breeding Grant Initiative from the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine. This fund cannot support Grand Prix Show Jumping events and sport (non-breed/production) focused classes.
*Where an applicant has not previously received funding under the Breeding Grant Initiative, adherence will be scored the full allocation based on the assumption that the applicant intends to comply fully with the Breeding Grant funding terms and conditions.
Funded under National Breeding Services by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
DAFM Pony Studbook and Development Series
Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) is delighted to launch the 2025 DAFM Pony Studbook/Development Series for Show Jumping taking place nationwide in the months of July, September and October.
This Series is delivered by Horse Sport Ireland, and funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under National Breeding Services.
The 2025 series is open to all Studbook registered animals with classes for 128cms, 138cms and 148cms ponies in the 5-Year-Old and 6-&7-Year-Old age categories.
The 2025 DAFM Pony Studbook/Development Series will be run as a series of four standalone shows with no league table in operation.
All riders/breeders and producers must familiarise themselves with terms, conditions, and eligibility of the DAFM Pony Studbook/Development Series HERE.
Classes for 5-year-old, 6-year-old and 7-year-old ponies will be held at selected venues throughout Ireland listed below.
| Venue | Date |
| Glenamaddy | 25th July |
| CoilÓg | 2nd August |
| Killossery | 27th September |
| Wexford | 18th October |
The 2025 DAFM Pony Studbook/Development Series is funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food, and the Marine (DAFM) under National Breeding Services.
