Samsung new sponsors of Dublin Horse Show
The announcement yesterday by the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) ends 14 years of title sponsorship by the Irish Dairy Board under the brand name Kerrygold. Over that period, the dairy board invested approximately €8m, culminating in an input of up to €500,000 in this year’s show.
The dairy board’s sponsorship was arguably the longest of a major event in recent Irish sporting history.
While Samsung will be the main sponsor in 2003, the annual extravaganza will be known simply as the Dublin Horse Show and will be “supported by the Irish Tourist Board” according to the RDS.
The ending of the dairy board’s involvement was on the cards after the announcement that Samsung was to sponsor the new FEI show jumping super league. Dublin will be one of the eight international events to form part of the elite competition and, naturally, the name Samsung will feature heavily in any TV coverage.
It was always going to be difficult to reconcile Samsung’s involvement with the super league and the dairy board’s title sponsorship of the show through its brand name Kerrygold.
In a statement yesterday, the dairy board said: “The RDS and Samsung have reached agreement on inclusion of the nations cup in the new Samsung Super League in 2003. The conditions attaching to this agreement in relation to TV rights would lead to a significant diminution of the Kerrygold brand exposure in international television broadcasts and would, therefore, be incompatible with the Irish Dairy Board’s sponsorship objectives.”
This year, the Dublin Horse Show had a total of 52 hours of TV coverage worldwide, reaching a potential audience of more than 200,000,000 consumers.
Dairy board chief executive Noel Cawley said yesterday: “There is no value to Kerrygold if its name is not given to the nations cup and grand prix.” He added, however, that there were no bad feelings between the board and the RDS, viewing the development as “a commercial decision” by the parties involved.
“The dairy board got good value for their input and I have nothing but good memories of the show,” said Mr Cawley, who is also on the RDS management board.
RDS chief executive Shane Cleary was unavailable for comment yesterday.
EFFORTS to raise finance to syndicate top event horse Don’t Step Back are continuing. At present, the woman behind the drive to keep the horse with its rider Patricia Donegan has received commitments from three interested parties of 50,000 each.
Yesterday, Naomi James said further discussion were to take place with owner Joe Savage over the next few weeks.
The Corkman recently said he was giving consideration to selling the horse, after firm interest was shown by a top American and Australian rider. He has confirmed that he is scheduled to renew contact with the American “around Christmas time”.
Yesterday, Ms James said that, in tandem with the fundraising drive, certain details had to be confirmed to map out the path to be taken by the proposed syndicate.
“We are establishing a number of factors relating to the sale of a horse of this calibre,” said the Eventing Ireland Munster Region committee member. “Aside from the three parties who have committed to the cause, I have identified a number of others who are waiting to see how the land lies before coming on board,” added the Cork-based New Zealander.
The Eventing Ireland executive decided at a meeting last week that the sale/syndication of the grey gelding was a matter solely for the parties involved.
However, vice-chairman Ben Jellet was praiseworthy of James’ efforts and wished her luck in her endeavours.
Donegan, meanwhile, has returned the brilliant Step Together gelding to training, confirming this week that she hoped to compete in Badminton next May.
THE Show Jumping Association of Ireland has opted to vacate its Anglesea Road headquarters by next August. The decision comes following a court case on Thursday of last week taken by the SJAI’s landlords, the RDS, who had attempted to impose a large increase in the annual rent paid by the SJAI. The judge decided that the RDS argument had merit and ruled that the current annual rent of 12,000 paid by the SJAI did not reflect that prevailing in the Ballsbridge area. Accordingly, it was increased to 40,000 per annum, with a caveat that the SJAI be given a 10-year lease.
Subsequently, the two parties agreed that the SJAI would quit the premises by the end of July, 2003.
It could be argued that the court case merely expedites a move that was already on the cards. It has long been envisaged that, when/if the new governing body for equestrianism is set up, that a cenralised office would form part of the structure for all the bodies involved.
SJAI Management and Finance committee member Pat Duggan confirmed the matter had been discussed at a meeting this week.
“Dublin 4 was not a suitable place for us. We will have to move to a venue with a more tolerable rent for an organisation of our size.
“There is no good reason to stay in Dublin and, regardless, we could not afford the capital investment required to purchase a place in the capital.
“Myself and Tommy Dixon (fellow committee member) have been charged with finding alternative accommodation and we are predisposed a place that we can purchase as distinct from renting.
“We hope that these premises will accommodate our own full range of meetings and possess modern telecommunication facilities.
“We hope that we will be in a position to offer tenancy to other equestrian bodies, he said, adding that “unification of thinking and accommodation is the way forward.”
DERMOTT LENNON notched up a number of top-10 placings in La Coruna, Spain, last weekend.
Returning to the saddle after being lauded at a ceremony hosted by the Equestrian Federation of Ireland, Show Jumping Association of Ireland and the Irish Horse Board on Tuesday, the world champion finished ninth in the show’s feature class on Sunday with Liscalgot.
The previous day, he finished sixth of 59 starters on Athem, jumping a double clear, but coming home two seconds of the pace in the jump-off.
Garronturn Lady also finished faultless to see the Co Down rider place eighth in a speed and handiness class.
In Maastricht, Trevor Coyle finished fifth riding Fleur and sixth with Portofino in a 1.40m and 1.50m contest, respectively.
At the same show, Denis Lynch and Luigy 3 also finished fifth, having four faulted in a 1.50m jump-off that produced only two double clears.
This weekend, Lennon joins Jessica Kurten and Denis Lynch at the CSI-A in Frankfurt, Germany.
Peter Charles is pencilled in for the world cup show in Geneva. The Hampshire-based rider has recovered from an injury to his arm, sustained in a fall while schooling at home.
Conor Swail, Edy Dermody and Robert Splaine come up against each other in the CSI-A in Milan, Italy.
THE following were elected to the SJAI national executive at the AGM of the Munster Region in Cahir, Co Tipperary, last Monday: Pat Duggan, John Hannon, Finbar Harrington, Peter Leonard and Norman Wheeler. The representatives to the following subcommittees are as follows: business and finance, Pat Duggan; international affairs, Peter Leonard; national competitions, Tony Hurley; amateurs Derrick Burke; course builders, Ted Gibney; judges, Norman Wheeler; pony committee, Finbar Harrington; young riders, Mary Carey; training, John Hannan.
The respective branch representatives on the Munster committee are: Cork/Kerry: Michael Costelloe, Pat Duggan,Ted Gibney. John Hannan, Kate Horgan, Tony Hurley, James Tarrant; Limerick/Clare: Derrick Burke, Mary Carey, Peter Leonard, Gretta Malone, Eleanor O'Dea, Norman Wheeler, Liz Wheeler.and Waterford /Tipperary are Michael Condon, Francis Connors, Finbar Harrington, Joan Keane, Roberta Malcomson, Tom Meagher, and Noel Phelan.
The out-going chairperson, Joan Keane, out-going secretary, Roberta Malcomson and out going treasurer Liz Wheeler were re-elected unopposed.
