HORSE Sport Ireland was earlier this year awarded it’s highest-ever budget for High Performance sport by Sport Ireland. A total of €3.6m, or €900,000 per annum, was awarded for the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.

The news was warmly welcomed by Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) but was also met with frustration from many involved in high performance eventing and show jumping who wanted clarity on what the high performance programme would involve and what costs would be covered.

The Irish Field contacted HSI seeking clarity on these matters amid fresh enquiries from riders and owners around the status of Ireland’s HP programme six months after the allocation of funds. While further detail was sought, the following was their response.

“Across the disciplines of show jumping, eventing, dressage and para dressage, HSI receives a total of €900k per annum in funding from Sport Ireland. In 2025, to date, €700k has been spent on the High Performance (HP) Programme across these four disciplines. A breakdown of resources on a per-discipline basis is not possible to provide, as this information is commercially sensitive and tied to contractual arrangements. The following is the breakdown as provided.

  • 47% (€432,000) on team management, which includes managers’ fees, travel expenses and coaches’ expenses and the travel expenses of managers and approved coaches when carrying out their roles at championships, selection events and team duties
  • 29% (€261,000) on administrative support, which includes staffing within the HSI HP Unit
  • 7% (€63,000) on veterinary support
  • 6.5% (€58,500) on FEI entry fees and youth athlete travel bursaries, which help reduce costs for athletes competing on Irish youth teams
  • 5.5% (€49,500) on media and reports
  • 3% (€27,000) on team kit
  • 2% (€18,000) on ‘other elements’
  • in the interest of clarity, horse and athlete travel outside of youth bursaries is not covered

    • Model change

    While the Sport Ireland HP fund formerly operated on a 2:1 matching model whereby an affiliate body’s contribution of €1 was met with €2 in funding, Horse Sport Ireland confirmed this is no longer the case.

    “The 2:1 matching model is no longer in operation. Under Sport Ireland’s current investment framework, each National Governing Body must contribute 20% of the overall funded allocation.

    “For HSI, meeting this 20% requirement is a standing priority. We are moving to diversify our revenue streams to support this contribution on a sustainable basis, ensuring the HP programmes remain fully resourced.

    “Affiliate contributions now sit outside the 20% requirement. Following feedback from affiliates about greater autonomy over how their members’ fees are used in HP, HSI is working to build a partnership model that allows contributions to flow directly to athletes and owners, rather than into a central pool.

    “In Eventing, discussions are advancing on a proposal for Eventing Ireland’s €70,000 contribution to be directed into a dedicated Olympic owners’ programme, managed by Eventing Ireland, to support horses remaining in the Irish system and to strengthen Olympic readiness.

    “In Para Dressage, a direct bursary and reimbursement scheme operated by Para Equestrian Ireland is already in place, with funds going straight to athletes once they achieve performance targets.

    “Engagement with Show Jumping and Dressage is expected to begin later this year, with future initiatives anticipated to follow the same performance-linked model in the context of athlete bursaries based on performance.

    This represents a significant shift from general top-up funding to a system that gives affiliates clearer autonomy, while ensuring resources are targeted at the coalface of performance: athletes, owners and horses.

    Resource allocation across disciplines is performance-led rather than formula-driven. Each year, HSI reviews programme plans, pathway needs and Olympic/Paralympic objectives with Sport Ireland, and funding is distributed on that basis.

    “For show jumping and dressage, no engagement has yet taken place, but any future initiatives are expected to be performance-linked. In these disciplines, the greatest need lies in direct athlete support, and the proposed model would allow affiliates, in partnership with HSI, to provide bursaries and subventions directly to athletes within an agreed performance framework.

    “This marks a significant departure from the old system of general top-up funding. By allowing affiliates to manage contributions more directly, while still aligning closely with HSI, the new approach has the potential to channel resources exactly where they are most needed, to athletes, owners and horses, while also giving affiliates a more direct role in supporting measurable performance outcomes.

    “Ultimately, this evolution should help transform Ireland’s High-Performance programmes by ensuring resources are focused at the coalface of performance: the athletes and owners driving international success.”

    The Irish Field has been in contact with the major affiliates regarding the information as provided above and, due to space constraints, their reactions will be explored further in next week’s edition.