Horsing groups seeking common ground

Chairman of the Traditional Irish Horse Association (TIHA) Hugh Leonard will adopt a collegiate approach when a delegation from the association meets Horse Sport Ireland representatives today.

In doing so, he is distancing himself from a hard-hitting letter sent by one of TIHA’s founding members, John Watson, to Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney on Jan 25, which was critical of the HSI/Teagasc/RDS strategic report to be published by the minister next Tuesday.

The letter took issue with a perceived diminution of the importance of the traditional Irish horse (TIH) in favour of a concentration on the production of high-class show jumping and eventing horses, saying: “It is especially feared by TIH breeders that the [strategic] plan will reduce the status and perception (not to mention value) of the TIH from being the high-performance breed it actually is, to being an animal simply hobby-bred for leisure use alone.”

While the letter was blunt, it did encapsulate the fears of a section of the industry fearful at a loss of focus on the unique elements of the Irish horse due to a concentration on producing an elite show jumping animal in a bid to halt the Irish studbook’s decline.

However, Watson was more upbeat yesterday and said his correspondence had “opened doors and we are receiving a more receptive ear”.

“Since the letter was sent and since we saw a draft of the strategic report in the Irish Examiner last week, there have been some minor changes. Definitely, things are better.”

Leonard confessed that the letter was “not very well received by HSI nor the minister”, but he said all were now on the same side.

“I do not want warfare and both sides [TIHA and HSI] are on the hymn sheet of common sense. We would like to think that what we are proposing represents common sense. The traditional horse needs support and needs to be expanded. In the past, thoroughbred sires would have been used on up to 30% of mares, but now it’s down to 12%. The thoroughbred has much to offer. A good thoroughbred horse is hard to beat, it injects speed, stamina and jump.”

The letter said the report “relegates to insignificance potentially 80% or more of the breeders, producers and customers for the Irish sport horse. What little we know to date suggests that a traditionally-bred Irish horse would be relegated to be an unspecified and catch-all remnant for leisure or amateur use of apparently minimal significance”.

The letter said it is “essential” that the report as launched on Tuesday should be in the form of a Green Paper (ie a discussion document to which comment is invited) and not the more definitive White Paper (ie setting Government policy).

“Our first concern is that no opportunity has been or will be provided for any broader group than the drafting committee to consider the proposed plan in full until it is too late.”

It added that TIHA’s “purposeful breeders are entitled to the same sporting directions and performance goals as are available to all other ISH breeders”.

It says the plan “fails to address the growing view that horses of Continental genes, purpose-bred for high-performance, do not suit the numerically-greater leisure market”.

“The goals as apparently formulated, will be unacceptably divisive. The TIHA stresses our preference for unity within the umbrella of Irish Sport Horse Register, while providing for the ring-fenced genetic management of the [traditional Irish horse].”

Watson said yesterday: “We did not set out to rock the boat, but if you are heading towards rocks, you have to do something. The letter is about ensuring the opportunity for further consultation. If you argue our interpretation of the plan was wrong, then obviously more consultation is required.

“TIHA still has concerns that the leisure market requires more resources and research. We do not know how big the market is, but in terms of volume it is significant. The sale of top show jumpers or eventer would number only about 100 a year.

“I will be at the meeting on Friday, and it is an opportunity for consultation, so we are happy going into it and positive and taking a constructive approach, but whether we will be happy coming out is another matter.”

Having seen the draft copy of the strategic report in the Irish Examiner, Leonard welcomed its general thrust.

“It is a start and there have been various attempts in the past. But this is the most comprehensive attempt at bringing all strands together for the betterment of the industry.

“I don’t think it was the intention of the report to reduce the importance of the traditional Irish horse. It was interpreted extremely.

“I am quite happy to see the report published next Tuesday. In time, the areas that prove to be good can be kept and the areas that are bad can be let fall by the wayside.

“I am looking forward to a fruitful meeting on Friday, with everybody pulling together.”

Darragh Kenny and Kevin Babington, two members of Ireland’s recent winning nations cup team at the HITS show in Ocala, Florida, feature in today’s nations cup at the state’s rival Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.

With manager Robert Splaine on a scoping exercise, Offaly native Kenny swaps Picolo for Imothep, while Tipperary veteran Babington again saddles up Shorapur, that mare that also carried him to second place in the $150,000 Ocala Grand Prix. Cork’s Shane Sweetnam is aboard Chaqui, while Olympic bronze medallist Cian O’Connor rides Quidam Cherie.

Splaine said: “This team has only one horse from the winning Ocala nations cup team, as the objective is to view all options over here before our European campaign begins in April.

“This is the last of two opportunities I have to do that Stateside. We certainly won’t be favourites, but, as we showed in Ocala, when the Irish line out, anything is possible when national pride is at stake.”

West Cork man PJ Hegarty, owner and breeder of Fenyas Elegance, said success at Badminton will be a target this year.

Unsurprisingly, the mare was on a nine-strong high-performance squad named this week by Ireland manager Nick Turner, given her best-of-the-Irish performance with Aoife Clark last year at WEG and Bramham victory.

The squad sees Cork’s Austin O’Connor and Down rider Joseph Murphy feature with three mounts. The former has Ringwood Mississippi, Kilpatrick Knight and Balham Houdini, while Murphy made the list with Westwinds Hercules, Electric Cruise and Sportsfield Othello.

WEG team members Sarah Ennis (Horseware Stellor Rebound) and Sam Watson (Horseware Lukeswell) also make Turner’s list, along with Clare Abbott (Euro Prince), Fraser Duffy (Fernhill Revelation), Ciaran Glynn (Killossery Jupiter Rising), and Mark Kyle (Jemilla). Tenor Ronan Tynan is the breeder of two mounts, Fernhill Revelation and Balham Houdini.