HSI ‘is going to succeed’

IT should come as no surprise that Joe Walsh refuses to countenance any suggestion the new umbrella body for equestrianism will not succeed.

The former agriculture minister smiles as he vouchsafes the success of Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), perhaps surprised at the audacity of suggestion that a man with his political nous would ever consider failure ... or admit to it.

However, the Corkman would never be so naive as to think he has an easy task. Coercing and cajoling the disparate interests that make up the equestrian sector to travel down the road of unity, fearful of a dilution of their autonomy, will be difficult, but not impossible.

“It is going to succeed, no question about it,” he says. “We have a tremendous resource: there are about 110,000 sport horses in Ireland. We are one of the most densely equine populated countries in the world. They range from leisure horses, sport horses, trekking, hunting. We have the resource and, in some case we have two organisations for one area and, having spent a decade mulling over a unified structure, we had the launch of Horse Sport Ireland.”

Walsh was named chairman of HSI’s interim board with the setting up recently by Sports Minister John O’Donoghue of the long-awaited body. He readily admits that the mindset of the board is crucial and he said sectoral interests would have to be put aside and a broader view taken.

“Overall, the objective was to get the various interests into the one paddock. The representation, you could not do anything about it, it is democratic,” he says, aspiring to more forward-looking people, “but you take the hand you are dealt and play with it ...

“The willingness of the separate organisations to take a more focussed view as to where they want to get to, rather than being introspective, is critical. The fractious nature of the industry is not doing any good. I will be saying to the board, you must leave your organisation’s hat outside the door and say this is an opportunity to take the industry to a different plane.”

Walsh was outlining his vision ahead of the first meeting of the interim board last Tuesday and, based on his subsequent comments, the gathering was marked by a willingness to embrace the policy of all for one and one for all. In a statement, he said: “I am very impressed by the constructive and positive attitude displayed by the members of the board. All are determined to ensure that the organisation should quickly establish its credentials and that no time is wasted in putting effective strategies and programmes in place to ensure that all sectors of the industry work to their full potential. There was strong agreement that there was much benefit to be gained from an integrated approach.

“The (prospect of) increased Exchequer support created a new dynamic for the industry and I am totally convinced that all parties wanted to take full advantage of the new opportunity.”

He would have needed little convincing of the parties’ desire to take full advantage. It is the promise of State largess that has the relevant interests champing at the bit. Walsh is correct in saying the sport horse industry is a tremendous resource and all involved sing as one that its potential as a sport and one to provide Olympic and championship success has not been capitalised on.

Even as Mr O’Donoghue announced the setting up of HSI, he promised that State funding for equestrian activities would be increased by €1.75 million next year to €4m to kick-start the new body. This, however, is just a taster, the main course will come with the formulation of a strategic plan.

“There is a need for substantial Exchequer support into the long term,” says Walsh, who will have former Department of Agriculture secretary general John Malone at his side to help him get HSI up and running. “Next year’s money and that provided under the National Development Plan is only for the interim arrangement. The secure funding will be predicated on the strategic plan and we will say: ‘here is our business plan and here is what we need’,” says Walsh, who envisages a five-year plan that, ideally, will be in place by next summer.

Explaining that “there is a conservative figure of €400m in spending by the sport horse industry to the economy”, Walsh adds: “In funding HSI, you are not talking about giving money to a community hall, you are talking about giving money to a resource that is well distributed geographically. There is hardly a parish in the whole of Ireland that there isn’t horses, who provide tremendous therapy for young people.”

He also warns that the money will not be doled out arbitrarily.

“I believe funding has the greatest effect when it supportive of own streams of revenue. People will come to the HSI and say, for example: ‘We are running a gymkhana, a three-day event and it will cost €100,000.’ I would be far happier saying you come up with €50,000 and we’ll come with the rest,” says Walsh, who is part of the Clonakilty Racing Club, owners of Il De Boitron, ridden to fourth in the cross-country race at Cheltenham this year.

With five of HSI’s 17-member board derived from the Horse Board, breeding policy will be to the forefront. In show jumping, it is acknowledged that Ireland has some of the best riders, with a dearth of horses to match their talent. By comparison, in eventing, the Irish-bred horse has topped the world rankings for 12 straight years. Similar to show jumping, though, most are in foreign hands.

But what constitutes an Irish horse and what success has the Horse Board — Walsh is the chairman — had in encouraging breeders to produce the right product? When reminded that almost 36% of horses foaled in 2005 were by stallions not approved by the Horse Board, he says: “That is unacceptable.”

Is it an indication that IHB methods are wrong?

“The IHB can only cajole people to do something, but it is down to mare owners and, in many cases, it is a case of going to the stallion up the road.”

Thus, he did not accord with the notion that there should be incentives to encourage breeders to go to approved stallions, opting instead for a need for greater education, something he stresses is essential in all areas.

“What educational training exists for those with only one or two mares? There should be short, three-day courses for breeders.

“Also, the Horse Board initiated a study about a year-and-a-half a go to determine a position, ie where we are in the breeding industry. It will be finalised in the new year ... that work will be helpful in drawing up the strategic plan. We will have a better idea of what state the industry is in,” says the TD, who is opting out of politics in 2007, having fought his first election in 1974.

As for the increasing popularity of warmblood stallions, he says: “Breeders have to breed for the market. Show jumping has changed, with different types of courses and we have to produce a type of horse that is evolving with the changes.

“But, if you take the Irish sport horse that is Irish draught based, the genetic pool is getting very narrow. They are talking of the need for greater genetic diversity and bringing back some of the Irish draught that went abroad in the last 10-15 years and broadening that genetic base. The people in competition are very wary of this, because they feel the old Irish draught is not athletic enough, but what the geneticists are saying is that we need the bone for the stability, allowing horses to jump until they are 18. You need that core and then cross that with your athletic thoroughbred. Others say, we need to move more quickly and say let’s get some warmblood into the system, but you lose out on temperament then,” he says, adding that: “I would be the traditionalist with the Irish draught cross thoroughbred as the way to go.”

He also believes a retention scheme should be put in place to encourage owners to resist big money offers from abroad, but that talent spotting should run in tandem with it, while also noting that big pay days in the sporting arena were limited.

As for the HSI structure, he says a decision will be taken as to whether it will be a limited company, a statutory body like its counterpart in the thoroughbred sector Horse Racing Ireland, or, a co-op like the Irish Horse Board, but there is no doubt the flexibility of the first option is attractive for Walsh.

Marketing is another key area and Walsh concedes that the general public associate equestrianism — and show jumping in particular — as much with the activities of a minority outside the arena as what happens inside.

“Ask anyone to consider our famous athletes, and you get the names Ronnie Delany, Eamon Coghlan, John Treacy, for example, but ask them of Dermott Lennon (world show jumping champion from 2002-2006) and 95% of people would not know of him,” he says.

But for all the formulation of policy, sourcing a chief executive to put it into practice is critical.

“We will a agree a job description to go into the equestrian papers by the end of January and, hopefully, have that person in place by Easter.

“Knowledge of the industry will be desirable, but we must get someone who will run the organisation professionally and pay them accordingly,” says Walsh, who would not discount going abroad for the right person.

As the interview draws to a close, Walsh issues a reminder: “We will succeed ... and we may surprise ourselves.”