Irish horses stay the pace in gruelling sport of eventing
Irish horse breeders and producers deserve commendation for their continued success in the sport of eventing.
Once well known as the source for cavalry horses for armies across Europe, Ireland is still the top source for horses in eventing, the Olympic sport that evolved from the training and selection of cavalry horses.
This gruelling sport combines dressage, show jumping and cross-country competitions.
Ireland has a significant track record in breeding the world’s best event horses, we have won the World Breeding Federation’s studbook rankings for 22 of the past 24 years.
It is part of our sport horse sector which accounted for expenditure of €816m, and supported over 14,000 full-time job equivalents in 2016, according to the recently launched report entitled The Contribution of the Sport Horse Industry to the Irish Economy.
Within days of this report being published, it was confirmed the Irish Sport Horse Studbook has topped the event horses studbook rankings again in 2017.
And a few days later, three Irish Sport Horses finished in the top 10 of the six-year-old division at the FEI World Breeding Championships for Young Eventing Horses in France.
It is promising for the future that Ireland has done so well in this competition which attracts the cream of young eventing horses.
The Irish sport horse, I Spye, bred by Thomas Ryan from Co Tipperary, finished fourth, just ahead of the Irish Sport Horse DSL The Entertainer, bred by Caroline Bjoerk from Co Kildare.
John The Bull (ISH), bred by James Byrne from Co Westmeath, finished ninth.
Youve got the Lux (ISH), bred in Co Kilkenny by Jane Darragh, finished tenth.
In the seven-year-old competition, two Irish sport horses finished in the top eight.
Direct Cassino (ISH), bred in Co Cork by Mary McCarthy, took the silver medal, and SRS Kan Do (ISH), bred in Co Westmeath by Michael Donner, finished eighth.
The Irish Sport Horse Studbook were crowned champions ahead of the Selle Francais (SF) studbook in second, and the Dutch Sport Horse Studbook (DSP) in third.
Their achievements copper-fasten the sport horse industry’s standing as a significant contributor to the economy in terms of direct expenditure and employment, and an agricultural area that has huge potential for growth.
The breeding sector is of course the bedrock on which the production, competition and leisure sectors are based, and over 60% of breeders are located in the west and south-western counties, bringing employment to areas where it is most needed.
Their success is reflected in increasing exports since 2012, reaching an estimated €48m last year.
And the estimated 286,500 spectators per year at Irish horse shows includes 5% from overseas, a welcome addition to the tourism industry.
