HSI aims to help industry maximise private-sector funding

HORSE SPORT IRELAND is “conscious 2009 will be a difficult year for the industry and it will be doing its best to provide support” as the global economic downturn hits home.

According to chief executive Damian McDonald, no area will escape.

“Life will be difficult across the sector, particularly in terms of maintaining the number of horse owners and attracting sponsorship for fixtures,” he said yesterday prior to a strategy meeting with HSI chairman Joe Walsh.

As such, McDonald said HSI was continuing to look at ways of helping those in the industry to maximise private-sector funding.

“Anecdotally, it is already proving more difficult for shows to source sponsorship, but we are planning to look at ways of building relationships with companies and building awareness among equestrian people of commercial opportunities. We also have plans to get in a dedicated person to drive ownership,” said McDonald.

He also noted that the expense associated with equestrian sport meant there would be a knock-on effect for riding centres in terms of customers, while the fall-off in the number of owners is “bound to permeate down to breeders”.

The downturn has already had a visible affect, with Ballygraffan International Horse Trials a victim, while Tattersalls is battling hard to maintain its World Cup show.

A meeting at Tattersalls is scheduled for next Tuesday, but McDonald is confident the flagship event can be saved.

“After the Dublin Horse Show, it is the most important international equestrian event in Ireland. It gives Irish riders the opportunity to compete on home turf with the best in the world and, as such, we are working closely with Tattersalls to make sure it will go ahead.”

McDonald, however, said there was no chance the World Cup class could be transferred, as there was “no other venue available in 2009”.

He said HSI, too, will be the subject of budgetary cutbacks.

“We are going to face a reduction in the region of 10% from both the Irish Sports Council (ISC) and the Department of Agriculture.

“In saying that, we hope that we can achieve savings through consolidating our resources, as this will be first year the Irish Horse Board and what previously constituted the Equestrian Federation of Ireland will be together under the auspices of HSI from the start of the year. As a result, we should be able to see some gain in terms of efficiencies and, hopefully, any cuts can be made with as little impact as possible on our activities,” said McDonald, who said it would be February before it had a good idea of its funding allocations from the ISC and the Department of Agriculture.

* A COURSE entitled Introduction to Performance Horse Management begins this month aimed at people wishing to pursue a career as a competition groom or those interested in increasing their knowledge of horse care and management.

The HSI-organised one-day course will be given in a number of venues across the country and will cover such areas as feeding, grooming, mucking out, tack, loading and unloading.

For dates and venues see the HSI website: www.horsesportireland.ie

For application forms, contact Avril O’Byrne at: 045-854521 or email [e-mail]

Also, Equestrian Skillnet are launching a computer literacy training programme — CLIPED — designed for people involved with horses. This five-to-six-day course will take participants through basic to more advanced computer skills and will focus on tasks familiar to those involved with horses.

The course starts on January 27 and will run in four locations at a cost of €295.

For more information, contact Cathy Cooper on: 045/854514.

* A LARGE contingent of Irish riders will be bidding to pocket some of the $5.5 million in prizemoney on offer at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Florida, which began Wednesday.

Already, Shane Sweetnam has had a number of placings and yesterday he said he was hopeful of some more good results.

“I will certainly be competitive. I have enough horses, 10, so that should allow me to put in a good show,” said the Florida-based Kanturk rider.

Also at the event in the $10m revamped Wellington venue are US-based Sligo rider Darragh Kerins, Richie Moloney (based with Sweetnam), Kevin Babington, Jonathan McCrea and Conor Regan.

Sweetnam and Kerins will be the focus of some attention, having acquired the rides on top horses Rolette and Carlsson vom Dach, respectively, last year.

The three-month show features a nations cup in February.

Meanwhile, German-based Cameron Hanley competes at the two-star show in Neustadt Dosse this weekend.

* JESSICA KÜRTEN has slipped two places to seventh in the first Rolex World Rankings of the year.

Denis Lynch improved his standing by three and is up to 23rd place, while Cian O’Connor’s bid to make the top 30 — and access to the Global Champions Tour — is on track, the Meath-based rider rising one place to 40.

Corkman Billy Twomey made a dramatic leap, moving from 205 to 137.