A WEEK is a long time in politics as the well-worn adage goes but it certainly rang true again on both domestic and overseas fronts over the last seven days.

The whole world watched on Wednesday as the veteran and widely respected politician Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, accompanied for the first time in American history, by a woman as Vice President – the ultra-talented lawmaker and Californian politician Kamala D. Harris.

The daughter of an emigrant Indian mother, who was a breast cancer scientist, and a Jamican father, her own journey to the White House is the very embodiment of the somewhat jaded American dream. It’s perhaps extraordinary that it has taken so long for this to occur in the so-called land of the free whose national refrain is ‘all men are created equal’.

Together Biden and Harris face a monumental task of putting a shattered America back together. Given the close business and historical ties between Ireland and USA, the impact of their leadership endeavours will reverberate here. They are off to a flying start and we wish them the very best of Irish luck over the next four years.

CEO continuity

On Friday, Horse Sport Ireland announced Joe Reynolds, Acting CEO, will remain in that role with the organisation until the end of the year. With key events and projects on the table – this summer’s Tokyo Olympics, and HSI’s plans to develop a Centre of Excellence at Greenogue in Rathcoole – the HSI board have endorsed his hand on the helm for 2021.

We report widely this week on the enormous difficulties faced by those trying to move horses and ponies back and forth to Britain and mainland Europe, triggered by Brexit. This is an area of major concern that threatens to shrink our vibrant heretofore industry trade with our biggest and nearest trading partner and also needs to be given due attention by the powers that be.