IF you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
The oft-quoted words of the famous American writer, scientist and politician Benjamin Franklin come to mind reading what Rodrigo Pessoa had to say on his new role as Ireland’s chef d’equipe for our senior show jumping squads (see A55).
In short, he’s a man on a mission and he’s a man with a plan.
The famous Brazilian show jumping rider has swapped one green jacket for another and is aware of the weight of expectation that now rests on his shoulders. Pessoa has been entrusted by Horse Sport Ireland to lay the ghosts of failed Irish team championship bids to rest once and for all.
He makes no bones about what we can expect - clear communication and high transparency will be the hallmarks of his era.
Pessoa’s first goal is to qualify an Irish show jumping team for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and he will be going all out for strong team performances in the Superleague, the European Championships and the World Equestrian Games as the major stepping stones along the path.
The stars of today were once yesterday’s budding hopefuls and without doubt, Comdt. John Ledingham made a huge contribution to the success in recent years of our underage riders in international competition.
John’s expertise went a long way towards bringing home top drawer medals and his valuable input will be truly missed. His departure raises the stakes even higher.
AGRI CAREERS
If ever there’s an event that underlines the vibrancy of the Irish agricultural scene it’s next Thursday’s Agri Careers Fair at the RDS.
Over 1,000 jobs will be on offer at the event, which is brought to you by our sister paper, the Irish Farmers Journal and open eir. Teagasc, Glanbia and ABP are just some of the big employers recruiting on the day.
There’ll be a Careers Advice Hub with plenty of top advice from the experts.
Editor of The Irish Field, Leo Powell, will chair a Horses for Courses panel (2.15pm-2.45pm) where he will be joined Clodagh Kavanagh of Godolphin Flying Start and Patrick Ryan of Horse Racing Ireland, sharing their invaluable career advice and industry experience.