It’s almost 20 years since Horse Sport Ireland was created in December 2006 with a goal of unifying the industry under one umbrella. On August 24th it came tumbling down, in a manner of speaking, when seeking examinership. This was and is unchartered territory.

What have we learned since, and what is going to happen next?

Sadly, HSI has gone from crisis to crisis in recent years. Going back a little bit; in 2022, almost the entire Board of directors resigned when they felt they could not carry out their duties due to a perceived lack of financial transparency, among other issues.

In October 2025, the Irish Independent revealed that a protected disclosure was sent to the Minister for Sport from a solicitor who has represented at least four former HSI staff who had made allegations that they were bullied or mistreated by HSI managers.

It is understood that former members of the Board, including Ministerial appointees, again wrote to the Ministers at this time and received no response.

Late 2025 saw riders and owners revolting over the selection processes to appoint High Performance managers; there was an accusation of bias against the CEO Denis Duggan by former show jumping chef d’equipe Michael Blake; and then, in December, outcry following the introduction of a €60 High Performance levy which was later reduced to €45.

June this year saw further resignations – the Irish Equine Veterinary Association (IEVA) withdrew its representation from Horse Sport Ireland following what they said was “ongoing governance concerns that have made continued representation untenable at this time”. IEVA had a representative on three of HSI’s four industry forums and Dr Siobhan McAuliffe was a board member.

Entering unchartered territory

Dr Seán Ó Conaill, Vice Dean at the School of Law at UCC, explains the examinership process for readers here and describes the decision to enter examinership as “one of the most significant governance developments seen in Irish sport”.

During the examinership, Horse Sport Ireland is protected from creditors and it is expected that debts may be restructured, liabilities reduced and new investment secured.

However, we do know that DAFM schemes continue to be paid out. One reader recently shared they had received €1,500 from Horse Sport Ireland for the Schooling Scheme.

One of the biggest questions is whether Horse Sport Ireland will retain the contract for National Breeding Services from the Department of Agriculture. We know, as stated in the High Court petition on August 24th, that HSI was notified on July 31st 2026 that its renewal tender had been accepted, subject to a standstill period of 14 days. We also know that no contracts have been signed and the Department of Agriculture has repeatedly said the process is ongoing.

The majority of the 47 staff at Horse Sport Ireland made an appeal to the Minister to go ahead and award the tender as they believe the viability of the company hinges on that contract. HSI was looking for 10 staff members to go forward for voluntary redundancy and it is understood that seven took up that offer and will end their time at the national governing body in early November. That leaves around 40 staff fearing for what the outcome of this process will bring.

Last week, Senator Joe Flaherty, who often takes swipes at HSI, raised the issue of the tender’s validity in a Seanad discussion. You can read that story here.

The Department is facing tough decisions. I understand this is one of the ‘trickiest’ situations Minister Heydon has been faced with during his tenure. The lack of any meaningful response, however, to queries from the sector's leading media organisation from the responsible department is really disappointing. This is an industry heavily funded by the taxpayer, despite HSI being a company limited by guarantee.

So, what will happen next? Horse Sport Ireland was publicly looking for investors. Could it become a commercial entity?

I understand there is a proposal forward from the four Olympic affiliates – Showjumping Ireland, Eventing Ireland, Dressage Ireland and Para Equestrian Ireland – however the details remain confidential due to a non-disclosure agreement. The affiliates were due to have a meeting with the examiner last Friday. There is also, I believe, a second proposal with the examiner.

The case is back in court on Friday. We will bring you the latest update online this Friday and in print on Saturday.