Osborne hopes umbrella body will be set up by next year
Asked if Horse Sport Ireland (the umbrella body's notional title) would come into being in 2006, or, even sooner, he said: "I see no reason why not. We are reaching a critical stage, having spent the past four years doing nothing. Now, there is movement, we must keep the show going.
"There is huge goodwill out there, including from the Government.
Everyone I have talked to wants progress. I have not met anybody who is negative," said Mr Osborne, rejecting that his aspirations were overly-optimistic in the light of the inaction of recent years.
He made his comments in the wake of the appointment of Michael Dowling as chairman of the implementation group to devise the structure for Horse Sport Ireland.
Mr Osborne who was involved in the setting up Horse Racing Ireland said the umbrella body for equestrianism would require a minimum operating budget of 2m in its first year to "do a meaningful job".
He conceded more would be needed in the long-term and outlined the following areas where such finance would be spent: production, performance, planning, promotion of the Irish horse, administration (with centralised governance), finance (sponsorship, State funding, corporate funding, etc), education (particularly the introduction of a professional programme for breeders, using Teagasc on a county basis), medicine, veterinary (with animal welfare top of the agenda).
Attempts to create an umbrella body had been stalled, as the Equestrian Federation of Ireland (EFI) questioned the independence of Government nominee Dowling, a former secretary of the Department of Agriculture.
However, a meeting called by Osborne last month of equestrian bodies, along with a withholding by the Irish Sports Council of EFI funding and greater involvement by the Department of Sport, precipitated a rethink on the part of the EFI. The result being Dowling's appointment as implementation group chairman.
Dowling would not be drawn yesterday on a timeframe for the setting up of the umbrella body, but said he was aiming to hold the implementation group's first meeting in early
August.
The group will be composed of: a chairman, one representative from each of the Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Sport, three representatives from each of the EFI and the IHB, along with Irish Sports Council Chief Executive John Treacy.
Dowling said it was all systems go, adding that he will meet Department of Sport officials next week and "kick on from there".
Osborne, meanwhile, said a second meeting of equestrian bodies, scheduled for July 30, had been deferred
indefinitely in the wake of Dowling's appointment.
FRANCIS CONNORS claimed victory in the Bannow and Rathangan grand prix in Wexford yesterday, as Shane Breen failed in his attempt to close the gap IJM TimberFrame League leader Cian O'Connor.
Riding Auto Cruz, seven-times national champion Connors produced the only double clear before a large crowd to take the top prize. Runner-up was junior rider Benedict Kuehnle (Roulette Z) with the fastest four faults.
While Breen, fresh from a brace of wins last weekend, made the seven-horse jump-off, two down with Old Town Katie ensured he did not augment his points tally.
Accordingly, he remains in third place on 36 points, one adrift of second-placed Sarah Kate Quinlivan. Cian O'Connor, on international duty, continues to hold a 48-point advantage on 85 points.
Eddie Moloney was the only mover on the league leaderboard yesterday, his third on Cantos B elevating him to fourth place on 35 points.
