THE search for a new High Performance (HP) service provider for eventing continues to cause ripples with both riders and owners expressing frustration with Horse Sport Ireland again this week.

A spokesman for the owners said that: “I can confirm that following last week’s article published in The Irish Field regarding the owners of event horses feeling that, as funders of HP riders, we are treated in a ‘pay up and shut up’ manner by HSI, we have received no return correspondence, despite a request, from either HSI or Sport Ireland and find this most disrespectful.

“We expected HSI leadership, having read our letter, would have picked up the phone and had a conversation to gain a deeper understanding of the gripes of its key stakeholders or customers and listen to what the solutions are to be proposed to resolve.

“It’s clear that HSI have, in soccer or rugby terminology, lost the dressing room. Not only have they lost the players (riders) but also the funders of the riders. They may not wish to accept or acknowledge it, but that is how we perceive it to be.

“We, as owners (and especially those based in the UK), have choices where and to whom we place our horses. I rue the day if or when we exercise that choice as it will be laid fairly and squarely at the door of the HSI leadership.

“All we are asking for is that the process of selection for the chef d’equipe is revised and for funds to be made available for squad improvement.

“HSI continues to celebrate Irish success at events as evidenced by results at Boekelo and Blenheim. They have no right to do this - if they had funded, even in a small way, the achievement of those results then they would have earned the right to share in the celebrations. The ball is in the HSI court.”

Rider query

Ireland’s top event riders also corresponded with HSI this week seeking answers to their request for the HP selection panel to be expanded to seven members.

A letter from HSI CEO Denis Duggan to them said: “As we did in last year’s open process, Eventing Ireland will again be invited to nominate a representative to sit on the selection panel, which ensured the inclusion of eventing-specific expertise. For this process, the panel will include myself and Avalon Everett (HSI COO), together with the EI nominee. We are also looking at including a former international athlete or chef from overseas to bring an independent technical perspective.”

Response

To this, the riders responded by asking again for an answer to whether the panel would be expanded to seven people as per their earlier request. A response to that question, sent on Tuesday, had not been received at time of print on Friday.

It is, however, understood that HSI intends to arrange a meeting with athletes and owners to discuss the tender process in the near future.

In response to questions from interested parties about the tender, HSI has added an FAQ section to its website addresing aspects of the role, such as what costs applicants must include in their tender, who covers the cost of veterinary care, and the fact that human and equine athlete costs do not form part of the tender.

These details can be found at hsi.ie/tenders. The closing date for applications was Friday, October 24th.