LET’s hope that some real positive action comes out of next week’s annual general meeting of Showjumping Ireland. Hopefully there will be a strong turnout as it is bound to be a lively one with plenty of real issues to air and debate.

It’s crucial for the future good development of Irish show jumping that there is strong plans in place to drive SJI forward, at all levels, and help it grow. This won’t happen by accident. There has to be a design, a plan, a blueprint, rolled into place.

SJI represents, after all, the country’s biggest equestrian discipline. There’s a big role for SJI to actively play in developing what is an exciting national sport that also creates real employment nationwide – there is certainly a job at hand to be tackled.

SJI has many great people involved and the office staff are absolutely wonderful. But can any of us say that SJI’s role has been or is being played to its fullest and truest potential?

It’s high time to sweep aside division, fragmentation and frustration – all sorry hallmarks of the past year and symptomatic of an unhealthy vacuum that must be dispelled for good.

The time to move forward is now. SJI chairman Eamon Rice yesterday kindly extended an invite to all interested to come along, including Irish Horse World and we for one are delighted to accept. We’ll be bringing you all the news from the SJI AGM in next week’s issue. Any voting can only be done by paid up members of course but the invite is there for all to take it up if they can. The SJI AGM is on Tuesday, October 29th at the Westgrove Hotel, Clane, Co Kildare, at 7.30pm.