A Co Tipperary company has withdrawn its High Court action aimed at having its horse compete at next month's Dublin Horse Show at the RDS.
Heritage Bloodstock Ltd, with an address in Cahir, Co Tipperary, had claimed Indigo VDL, another horse due to compete in the five-year-olds’ competition at the Dublin Horse Show, should not be allowed to take part. It was alleged Indigo VDL was ineligible on grounds including it is not Irish bred and was not included in a Department of Agriculture approved breeding list for 2018.
Allowing Indigo VDL take part would breach the RDS’ rules, it was claimed.
Last week, Heritage Bloodstock secured permission to serve short notice of the proceedings against the RDS; the Showjumping Association of Ireland, trading as Showjumping Ireland; and Ivor Broderick, from Loughrea, Co Galway, the owner of Indigo VDL.
In those proceedings, it was seeking injunctions permitting its horse, Heritage Vittorio, to compete at the five-year-olds’ competition and to have Mr Broderick’s horse removed from the competition.
Action withdrawn
On Wednesday, when the matter returned before Ms Justice Caroline Costello, Cliodhna Breen BL, for Heritage Bloodstock, said the action has been withdrawn. Harriet Meagher BL, for the RDS, said it was seeking its costs from the applicant.
The matter was adjourned to later this week when the judge will consider the costs application.
Previously, the court heard Heritage Vittorio failed to qualify for the five-year-olds’ competition at the Horse Show after finishing 12th in a qualifier held last May. Indigo VDL finished third in the qualifier. The top nine horses at that event qualified to jump at the Dublin Horse Show.
The horses that finished 10th and 11th in the qualifiers subsequently secured places at the event, leaving Heritage Vittorio next in line to participate in the competition if Indigo VDL was not allowed compete.