HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) will be holding Irish Sport Horse (ISH), Irish Sport Pony and Irish Draught (ID) Horse studbook mare inspections throughout the country in March and April 2021. The closing date for receipt of applications is March 5th 2021. To download an application form, visit horsesportireland.ie/hsi-spring-mare-selections-2021.

Please see the accompanying table for a list of dates and venues, please note that venues and dates are provisional, dependent on sufficient entries and may be subject to change. All mares are expected to be presented at show standard and must be sufficiently trained and fit to take part in all aspects of the selection.

Benefits of inspection

Studbook Classification: Following inspection, each mare will be classified in the applicable studbook. The mare classifications will be published online on HSI’s Irish Horse Register. Breeders looking to upgrade to a particular bloodline can determine from the mare’s classification that a particular mare has met the inspection requirements and as such those mares will return increased value to their owners.

Linear Profiling: The mare inspections provide owners and breeders with a detailed linear profile description of their mares. A linear profile is of significant benefit to breeders as it details the strengths and weaknesses of each mare and therefore, allows for more informed decision making when choosing the most suitable stallion for a mare.

Merit/Star Rating: Where performance Merits and Star Ratings have been awarded, they will also be published on Irish Horse Register for the public to see.