HORSE Sport Ireland’s announcement of the 15 horses selected to travel to the Lanaken world championships before the Irish Sport Horse Studbook league final last weekend caused consternation among owners who believed their horses were still in the running to be selected.

Several owners were unaware that Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) had altered its selection criteria for the 2016 WBFSH world championships in June to remove the emphasis on the ISH Studbook league as a selection opportunity.

The owners say they spent time and money pursuing a league which they believed would help their horses meet selection criteria and catch the eye of sole selector and Lanaken chef d’equipe, Comdt John Ledingham.

Joanne Curran, owner of the six-year-old Intis, ridden by Tom Aherne, told The Irish Field: “We followed the HSI league up and down the country this year with hope of being selected for Lanaken, only to be very surprised on Sunday when the selected combinations were announced before the final of the six-year-olds. My six-year-old mare was always within the top four in the league, only for me to find out later in the day that the criteria had been changed from that of last year.”

She added: “I could not find the 2016 selection criteria on the website and contacted HSI, who forwarded me a link published June 3rd, after the league was well started. And [the link] was in the breeding part of the website - nothing with HSI league page as previous years, where the 2015 criteria is still available.”

Mary McShane, who finished joint fifth in the seven-year-old league with MMS Camilla, also reacted.

“I was in shock when they announced the team before the final was over at the Meadows, so obviously it didn’t matter how you finished up in the league. MMS Camilla has been consistently placed in the aged classes in Dublin Horse Show, Cavan and in the Studbook series and other horses that finished behind her are going to Lanaken.

“At the start of the series I was aware of the criteria as it stood in 2015 and I was not aware that in June that there was any change in criteria. This was not brought to our attention until the team was announced and we began to ask questions.”

Tom Moloney expressed his disappointment that his horse not been chosen. Zilko finished in third place in the five-year-old Irish Sport Horse Studbook Showjumping Series 2016 and third in the final.

Co-owned and competed by Tom’s wife Linda, Zilko finished just three points behind the league winner. The combination also qualified and competed in the Dublin Horse Show this year but retired due to an over-reach.

“Horses that finished further down the line in the series have got a place ahead of us,” said Moloney. “Our business is producing horses, that is how we make our living. We have travelled to shows around the country in a bid to get selected for Lanaken. Surely taking into account how you finished in the final should be a factor.”

He continued: “We were told by a HSI representative that the team was picked the Wednesday before the final took place. This means that, in essence, no matter how you finished in the final it did not count. There is no transparency in the selection process and it is disappointing to know that others that finished down the line got to take their place.”

The 2015 Lanaken selection criteria for the Irish Sport Horse Studbook stated that the top three horses in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook Showjumping Series leagues and the top horse from the RDS Dublin five-year-old class and six-year-old class, providing they finished in the top four placings. One other horse was also to be selected by the chef d’equipe.

On June 3rd this year, following three rounds of the studbook league, the criteria for the 15 horses to represent the Irish WBFSH Studbooks was published, which read: “The following criteria shall be used for selection in the five-year-old and six-year-old age categories:

- The top two horses from the RDS Dublin five-year-old class and six-year-old class;

- The remaining horses will be selected by the selector based on performances in all FEI competitions, all SJI competitions and all relevant competitions approved by other National Federations.”

The committee responsible for setting the criteria has been confirmed by Horse Sport Ireland as Harold McGahern (chairman), Tom Reed, John Ledingham, Michael Blake and Paul Duffy.

Alison Corbally, Horse Sport Ireland’s breeding director said: “The Lanaken selection criteria has been reviewed as it is reviewed each year. The Lanaken committee reviews the criteria based on feedback from the riders/owners and breeders each year. The team was announced early at The Meadows because the sole selector and chef d’equipe was in Rio and with the closing date for Lanaken was looming and we wanted to give competitors time to get ready to travel.

Comdt Ledingham said: “My selection is made under the criteria guidelines. I am satisfied that we have a competitive group of horses going to Lanaken.”