New RUAS president elected

DAVID Cunningham was elected 38th President of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society on Friday, March 6th. He has become the Society’s first third-generation president, following in the footsteps of his late father Roly Cunningham and grandfather Lt Col James G Cunningham OBE VL.

Cunningham’s active involvement with the charity dates back over 50 years, to when he joined RUAS as a life member in 1963. He first began volunteering as a steward at Balmoral Show in 1977, going on to adopt the role of chief steward in 2002. Cunningham has served on many of the charity’s committees over the years, including the Horse Committee and the Show Jumping Sub-committee, and has been Deputy President to John Henning for the last two years.

Speaking after his appointment, Cunningham said: “It is a great honour and privilege to be elected President of RUAS. While I miss the Main Arena, I am excited to meet many friends and colleagues, and many new faces, at the 157th Balmoral Show at the Eikon Exhibition Centre this May.”

South Munster to run Regional Finals

DRESSAGE Ireland’s inaugural Inter Regional Final will take place at Ballindenisk on April 18th, by kind permission of the Fell family, and will be organised by the South Munster region. The show will be open to all and will feature the usual tests, but to be eligible for the Final classes, combinations must be registered with DI and must have gained 62% in one of the qualifiers, as well as attending another DI show at the same level. Each region has hosted at least one of these qualifiers, and there are more to come before entries for the Final close.

The South Munster committee aims to create an “international feel” at the show, which runs the week before Ballindenisk’s first international event of 2026, and says there will be food, music and laughter thrown in with the competition. Chair of the committee (and Star of the Month nominee), Ana Maria Hughes praised her team and commented that “we are excited to be the guinea pigs in hosting this show, and we are up for the challenge!”

HSI to host information evening

HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) will host an information evening focussing on farm grants, taxation measures and succession planning within the equine sector on Monday, March 23rd at the Horse and Jockey Hotel in Thurles, Co Tipperary. The evening will begin at 4pm, and registration in advance of the event is essential to reserve a place. Reservation forms can be found on the HSI website.

Attendees will hear about DAFM supports available to equestrian enterprises, including Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS) and the Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS), which is a capital grants programme for stable and farm improvements. Stephen Finn from IFAC Accountants will provide insight into taxation measures relevant to breeders and equine business owners, Clare O’Keeffe from Succession Ireland will provide advice, and Dr Sonja Egan will give an overview of HSI’s direct funding schemes, which support breeding and young horse production. The evening is supported by DAFM via National Breeding Services.

New Shergar documentary to air

A NEW, two-part docu-series about the famous racehorse Shergar and his disappearance will air on Wednesday, March 18th at 9pm on Virgin Media One, and again at the same time the following week. Produced by Peninsula Television for Virgin Media and Channel 4, ‘Shergar: The Racehorse and the IRA’ will tell the story of the stallion’s career, including his 1981 Epsom Derby victory, and his subsequent kidnapping from Ballymanly Stud in Co Kildare. Featuring insight from racing commentators Donn McClean and Derek Thompson, the latter who was directly involved in attempts to secure Shergar’s release, the series considers how the theft of a racehorse had repercussions far beyond the horse world.

Cassells elected to selection panel

HORSE Sport Ireland has appointed Ian Cassells as Technical Selector to the Youth Eventing Selection Panel, working alongside Youth Eventing Team Manager Debbie Byrne and panel Chair Michael McNally in selecting Irish teams for upcoming international youth championships. The international rider enjoyed a standout season in 2025, which included silver and bronze medals at the FEI WBFSH Eventing World Breeding Championships for Young Horses in Le Lion d’Angers. Cassells was also part of the Irish team that secured silver at the FEI European Eventing Championships in Blenheim.

As Chair, McNally will oversee the selection process and help ensure strong engagement with the eventing community across the country. Working closely, the panel will review performances and identify combinations best placed to represent Ireland at youth European Championships and other key international events. The Athlete Selection Policy can be found on the athlete notices section of the HSI website.