RDS Breeders’ Talk returns

THE RDS Breeders’ Talk will return to the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show on Saturday, August 8th, bringing together breeders, riders and industry professionals for an evening with leading figures in the sport horse industry. Now in its fifth year, the event will be hosted by Michael Doherty and will feature live interviews exploring sport horse breeding, breeder supports and the demands of top-level show jumping.

New for 2026 is title sponsor Next Gen Professionals, a mission-driven fund supporting the next generation of emerging professionals in the equestrian world. “The future of our sport depends on supporting not only the next generation of riders, but also the horses - and the breeders - who make it possible,” said Andrew Welles, Managing Director of Next Gen Professionals.

Attendance is free, but limited and advance registration is essential. Register via Eventbrite by searching “RDS Breeders’ Talk 2026”. The full speaker line-up will be announced in the coming weeks.

Treo Eile Summer Sale

APPLICATIONS are now open for the Treo Eile Summer Sale, an online sale of retrained thoroughbreds, which will be held on July 27th and 28th, alongside the Tattersalls Ireland July Show. Minimum eligibility requirements for horses apply. Further details of the eligibility requirements, bonus conditions and online entry forms for the sale can be found on the Treo Eile website.

New jacket supplier

HORSE Sport Ireland has announced Equieire as official competition jacket supplier to the Irish High Performance Programme.

Under the new partnership, Equieire will supply the iconic Irish ‘Green Jacket’ to Ireland’s High Performance athletes competing across its international programmes with the new jackets making their championship debut this summer at the FEI Youth European Championships. The partnership represents another important investment in Horse Sport Ireland’s High Performance Programme and reflects a shared commitment to excellence, innovation and supporting Irish talent.

Connemara Breeders’ AGM

AT its recent AGM, the Connemara Pony Breeders’ Society elected a new executive committee as follows: President - Kevin Bolger; Vice President - John F Brady; HR Officer - Erin Fergus; Finance Officer - Lorraine Loddick; Company Secretary - Ann Marie Conroy. The other directors of the society include Roger Brady, Noel Brett, Patrick Collins, Patrick Costigan, Gearoid Curran, Cathal Gavaghan, Pearce Gibbons, Kathleen Keaney Conroy, Claire Lacy, Noel Mahon, Sacha Maxwell, Fr. Christy McCormack, Andrew O’Donoghue, Peter O’Malley, Eamon Spain and Sharon Walsh.

New president Kevin Bolger said: “As I begin my term as President, I look forward to working with our members, our affiliated societies, our partners and the equestrian media in promoting and protecting the Connemara Pony. The role of the Society is to safeguard the integrity of this unique native breed, while supporting responsible breeding, encouraging participation and ensuring the Connemara Pony continues to thrive both at home and internationally.

“I believe by working together with openness, respect and a shared commitment to the breed, we can build on the Society’s strong foundations and ensure a positive future for the Connemara Pony for generations to come.”

RDS addresses entry complaint

A COMPLAINT has been made to the RDS by the winner of the racehorse to riding horse class at Flavours of Fingal, after it emerged she missed the deadline for entry to the Dublin Horse Show.

Sharon Carolan wrote to both The Irish Field and the RDS outlining her situation. “I qualified according to the published criteria, but I was never sent an invitation or any communication explaining the next steps,” she said. “Since no invitation was ever sent, I was not given the opportunity to complete my entry, through no fault of my own. I should not be disadvantaged because of an administrative or communication issue. I feel ‘invitation’ is misleading and badly worded. I tried for three years and finally got it, so it’s a kick in the teeth.”

In response, Fiona Sheridan, Director of the Show said: “Winning a Racehorse to Riding Horse ‘invitational event’ grants eligibility to enter the class at the Show and ensures that the competitor cannot be balloted out if the class is oversubscribed; we only permit 18 entries in the class. However, as with all competitions at the Show, it remains the responsibility of each eligible competitor to submit their entry by the published closing date, which was Monday, July 6th at 5pm.

“This deadline applied uniformly across all classes and competitions for the Show. We appreciate the commitment shown by competitors throughout the qualifying season, but the RDS must apply the same entry deadlines consistently to ensure fairness and the smooth administration of the Show.”