NEWS:THE SPORT horse industry is operating on a shoestring and is a very poor relation to the thoroughbred racing industry, Horse Sport Ireland chairman Joe Walsh said at the RDS yesterday. His organisation represents sports such as showjumping, dressage, eventing, endurance riding and hunting.
The former minister for agriculture said this was a very successful time for sport horses, with recent victories including Cian O’Connor’s Olympic bronze medal and a gold medal for our junior showjumpers in the European Championships.
However, they were struggling for funding when compared with the thoroughbred racing industry.
“There’s a big, big difference in the amount that goes on, for example, the thoroughbred racing industry and the sport horse industry,” Mr Walsh said.
“We are the very poor relation. And the other quadrupeds, the dogs, are doing incredibly well as well.”
He said the thoroughbred racing industry had been in receipt of almost €1 billion in the past 10 years.
“We have been getting a few crumbs – I’d say not more than €6 million or €7 million in that decade. So there’s an imbalance there.
“We wish our thoroughbreds well. In fact, I enjoy a little bit of racing myself, but we would like to get some extra resources.”
Mr Walsh said his organisation would guarantee that any extra funding would go directly to the competitors. “We wouldn’t swallow or use up any of it in administration or in red tape.”
If the sport horse industry was the poor relation, then dressage was definitely the Cinderella of the industry.
“We need it [funding] in particular in dressage,” he said. “We are very weak in that discipline and we need better coaching and better training.”
He pointed to a UCD study which put the value of the sport horse industry at €400 million a year.
Mr Walsh also welcomed the news that the RDS was considering a revival of the Spring Show. “It was a pity in many ways that it went off the calendar,” he said. “It’s a unique event and location and I hope that the Spring Show returns.”
Arriving at the RDS to watch the Nations Cup yesterday, President Michael D Higgins paid tribute to the performance of the Irish showjumpers and the rest of Team Ireland at the Olympics.
“Sheer qualification for the Games at that level was an incredible performance in itself,” he said.
Boxer Katie Taylor had put herself into the history books and was “a great source of inspiration” for men and women.
Mr Higgins is planning to host a reception for Team Ireland at Áras an Uachtaráin.
