Horse Sport Ireland draft report offers plenty of food for thought

Horse Sport Ireland last week inadvertently put up on its website a draft copy of the much-anticipated sport horse industry strategy, titled Reaching New Heights.

The draft report — compiled by HSI, Teagasc and the RDS following an initial meeting in November 2013 — is with the Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, who is to put his stamp on it before formally publishing the strategy on March 3.

Yesterday, HSI conceded that the document appeared due to a “clerical error”.

On the website currently are a list of recommendations, with none of the detailed analysis contained in the initial draft copy. You won’t, for example, see that:

* “As a means to encourage registration with pedigree, all equestrian affiliates should limit their competitions to horses and ponies registered in a studbook with verified pedigree for foals born after January 1 2015.”

* “It is strongly suggested that DNA should be a requirement for registration of all equines in Ireland for all passport issuing authorities.”

* Regarding loose lunging competitions “a new format to assess the potential of three-year-old horses and ponies, endorsed by all competition providers, with an emphasis on pedigree and long-term development of the horses, should be devised”.

* “Rates on riding schools must be addressed.” They “are placing a huge inequitable burden”.

* Regarding private sales transactions, it says “an annual targeted survey of those horses that have been documented to have changed ownership could be a useful means of collating information.” It notes the importance of welfare checks at ports, along with engaging the Central Statistics Office in collating data.

* “A target of 1,000 breeders by 2016 is aimed to be engaged with equine discussion groups.”

* “Long-term, it is aspired to create a certification system for all competitors of all equestrian sports at all levels. Minimum standards under such a system must be met before progressing to higher levels of competition. Riders would complete and pass assessments that include, at a minimum, ridden assessment, health of horse, and turnout of the rider and horse before they can compete at shows.” This would ensure “horses would not be abused and spectators at shows competitions would not be exposed to poor practice”.

* Regarding HSI funding, “the distribution of existing financial resources should be reviewed and that additional resources should be channelled to fulfil the key breeding goals of the strategy”. It notes that “significant additional resources will be required from Government”.

* Given the challenge of funding and maintaining a recommended “centre of excellence”, it recommends that the RDS, HSI, Teagasc, and the universities should establish a network of excellence, pooling resources to maximise impact”. In this regard, it also recommends “greater utilisation of existing regional equestrian centres” in terms of education and training, with experts from the Continent invited to training events.

* Support for facilities for private, business or competition use should be supported under future TAMS (Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme).

* Regarding the establishment of producer groups for breeders and producers, “a requirement” would be that members “abide by rules” in relation to sharing information, particularly in relation to breeding pedigree and sales prices, as well as “providing information on costs to be used anonymously for market research analysis”.

* A suggestion that “the concept of a conservative levy on all entry fees, sales returns, registrations etc, should be applied” with funds to be exclusively reinvested in the industry.

“To facilitate on-going planning and monitoring of the strategy... it is suggested that a high-level implementation committee will be established by the Minister of Agriculture”, with the committee developing an annual business plan.

The strategy envisions the Irish Sport Horse studbook in the “top division of the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses stud book rankings for show jumping within 15 years”. It placed 12th in 2014, making up just 2.5% of the top 200 horses in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) world rankings. More realistic is the goal to maintain Ireland’s position at the top of the eventing studbook rankings, though it stresses that it is due in some ways to luck that Irish eventing horses have been No1 in the rankings for 19 of the last 21 years.

It is recommended that a Government-sponsored independent review is undertaken of the structure of HSI and where relevant, other organisations, to fulfil the ambitions set out in this plan.

It states that Irish-bred restrictions at the Dublin Horse Show should be reviewed by the RDS, saying that this “protectionist practice... may have arrested the development of the sport and production component of the industry by limiting that section of the industry to competing only Irish-bred horses”.

Another idea is the introduction of a single registration fee, or a discounted bundle package, for participation across all affiliate bodies of HSI.

* The Cork/Kerry Branch of Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association is to hold its AGM tonight at 8.30pm at the Riverside Hotel, Macroom, Co Cork.

All Irish draught owners are encouraged to attend. The branch annual draw will form part of the proceedings. Contact: 086-1681675