DRESSAGE Ireland has announced a new initiative involving the provision of travel bursaries for international riders, which is being supported by an unnamed sponsor.

Any athlete who achieves over 68% at international Grand Prix or Grand Prix Special is eligible to apply for the Grand Prix bursary, which is an award of €500 and is capped at one per rider.

Travel bursaries

Senior and youth athletes alike are also invited to apply for travel bursaries, which can be awarded to anyone scoring over 60% at international shows, excluding the freestyle classes. These are also capped at one per rider, however, any athlete who competes at the World Championships or a youth European Championships will be eligible to claim a second bursary.

On the announcement of these bursaries, HSI stated on their social media accounts “Horse Sport Ireland welcomes Dressage Ireland’s investment in high-performance athletes through initiatives that provide direct, practical support to athletes competing internationally.

Access to bursaries that help offset the cost of international competition is particularly important for athletes operating within high-performance pathways, and this initiative will be of benefit to Irish dressage athletes working to perform and progress on the international stage.

Supporting athletes in delivering performances abroad remains a key objective across HSI’s high-performance programmes.”