AFTER two weeks’ annual leave, I returned to lots happening in the sport horse industry. Firstly, huge congratulations to Alan Wade, who has been given the great honour - which he well and truly earned - of jumping course designer at the 2028 LA Olympic Games.

Alan is consistently praised by athletes at the highest level as one of the very best course designers in the world and he is also renowned for designing beautiful fences, which he takes great pride in. He spoke to us from the USA this week where his work in preparation for three years’ time will soon get underway and we wish him well - the Irish industry can be very proud of his representation at the highest level.

Meanwhile, there is a growing disquiet with show jumping and eventing riders around the procedures in place to appoint the next High Performance managers for the senior disciplines, while the eventing owners rowed in this week with yet another letter, signed by a list of owners with horses at the top level, expressing their disappointment in what they perceive to be a lack of support for and lack of efficiency in the programme. You can read that story elsewhere on this page.

Tenders

The closing date for ‘The provision of Studbook Services’ tenders passed on October 10th and now we wait and see if there are any changes to the current situation whereby Horse Sport Ireland hold the contract which they were awarded in 2022.

The DAFM are seeking to award contract(s) to operate the studbooks for the Irish Sport Horse and the Irish Sport Pony, the Irish Draught, the Irish Cob and the Irish Part-bred Cob. While HSI never confirmed it was tendering, it is understood the governing body is keen to hold on to the studbooks. The Irish Horse Board, which won the marketing services tender in 2022 confirmed at their AGM that they would tender for the studbooks, while I am sure there were a number of other PIOs throwing their hat in the ring for one or more of the studbooks.