THE event horse owners who give Ireland’s top riders the horse power and financial backing to compete at the highest level have taken their concerns about Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) to Sport Ireland.

A letter, sighted by The Irish Field, was sent on Friday to both entities claiming the HSI High Performance programme was ‘no longer fit for purpose’.

It follows a letter sent last week by Ireland’s top event riders seeking an overhaul of the High Performance (HP) programme and the current tender for a new HP manager. That letter was preceded by a similar letter sent by a group of 44 of Ireland’s top show jumpers who also requested changes to the HP programme and the selection panel for their next manager.

The event horse owners wrote that: “Input from the key stakeholders has been slowly dismantled under the leadership of the current executive and is, in our opinion, no longer fit for purpose.

“It is now clear, under your leadership and by the proposal to select a new chef d’equipe, that this situation is set to continue and has led us to conclude that now is the time to say enough is enough. As a collective, we require you to review and rethink the selection process.”

Transparency

The owners went on to request that the selection panel for the new manager be a seven person panel, to include “expertise in modern day eventing and what it takes to podium at major championships”. They also requested “transparency and visibility in both the selection process and the funding to support the HP programme.”

“We fully support our riders in their request that HSI commits to an immediate collaborative review of the HP chef d’equipe recruitment process,” they said.

“We, as owners of horses for Team Ireland eventing, want success. We want to see the green, white and orange flag flying at major championships. We want a say in how our sport, and the riders we have chosen to support, is administered and supported.

“We accept the role of HSI as the governing body of our sport. However, be in no doubt that as far as we are concerned the days of accepting what we perceive as the prevailing attitude of the HSI executive towards owners as one of ‘pay up and shut up’ are over.

“As the governing body, HSI have full control to manage as they see fit. Equally we, as owners, have full control of when, or if, we make our horses available for selection.”

The letter was co-signed by the following owners: Ace of Spades Syndicate, Tanya and Richard Ames, Alan Ball, Diane Brunsden, Annette O’Callaghan, Helen and Nick Caton, Peter Cattell, Peter Cole, Lesley Crampton, Susanna Francke, Rachel and Sarah Gough, Kate Jarvey, Fiona and Gerry Leahy, Anne Marling, Bridget and Brian McGing, Chris and Sarita Perkins, James and Niki Potterton, The Salty Syndicate, Hannah Watson and Sue Wilkinson.

Response

In response, HSI confirmed receipt of the correspondence. “As with all stakeholder feedback, the correspondence will be reviewed in full,” COO Avalon Everett said.

“HSI will engage with the eventing owners to discuss the matters raised and to provide clarity on the structures and planning for the 2026 season, including the request for tender process.

“The Board of HSI is kept informed of such correspondence and engagement through normal governance procedures. The organisation remains committed to continuous improvement of its High Performance structures, with constructive feedback from athletes and owners forming an important part of that process.

With regard to the letter the event riders sent, HSI said: “HSI has corresponded with eventing athletes. The same approach is being taken, open engagement to ensure that feedback from athletes is addressed and that the high-performance programmes continue to evolve positively ahead of the 2026 season.”

Sport Ireland (SI), the state body that funds HSI’s High Performance programme, said it was aware of the situation but did not answer a question about whether it would, or could, intervene.

“Sport Ireland recognised National Governing Bodies (HSI in this case) are vital partners in our mission to develop and grow sport,” a spokesperson said.

“As the recognised leader of its sport, HSI plays a crucial role in delivering the strategies and initiatives that SI funds. SI works in a consultative and collaborative way with HSI.

“NGBs are independent and autonomous bodies. Horse Sport Ireland’s recruitment plans are a matter for Horse Sport Ireland.”