HORSEPEOPLE are forever dreaming and searching for their next stable star and in that respect this week, Horse Sport Ireland is no different, outlining in their advertisement for a new chief executive officer a wish-list of the attributes the successful candidate will hopefully bring to what is a challenging but vital role for the future development of the €700m Irish Sport Horse industry.

It’s good to see the advertisement for the new CEO being placed (see A78) and with an application deadline of March 24th next, that deadline comes several weeks after the expected completion of the Indecon review of Horse Sport Ireland and its structures. The Indecon review, commissioned by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is expected by the end of February.

In its CEO advertisement, HSI outlines that it is seeking a “focussed, strategic leader” to lead the organisation through its next phase of growth. The successful candidate must be a “strong and effective leader” with a proven track record of planning, governance and financial management combined with “energy/drive and passion.”

Lansdowne Executive Search, who are also handling the recruitment process for the new chef d’equipe managers/directors for show jumping and eventing, have been retained to handle the CEO recruitment process.

The interim CEO of Horse Sport Ireland is Mr James Kennedy and the advertisement for CEO this week comes on top of last week’s announcement from the independent 32-county body of Mr Jim Beecher taking over as interim chairman on February 6th from Professor Pat Wall, after his four-year term in that role ends.

Despite all the change going on at HSI at the very top levels, the staff deserve to be rightly commended for playing a blinder in effectively keeping the show on the road, week in week out in what must be a turbulent enough period for them all. Their commitment is evident on daily dealings with them across all sections and there was no shortage of HSI representatives attending Thursday night’s launch of the New Heights Champion Series. International riders Capt. Geoff Curran, Nicola FitzGibbon and Greg Broderick also supported the launch in person.

GET TOUGH

Some of Ireland’s top sport horse breeders have put forward strong views in Letters to the Editor recently on the current state of play in the industry. They have spoken out in favour of reclaiming the Irish Horse Co-Op and starting again. Please turn to A66 to read the latest letter we received on this crucial topic where respected Longford veterinary surgeon Brian Gormley calls on the Minister of Agriculture, Food and the Marine to “intervene and rescue’’ the Irish Sport Horse industry “before it disintegrates into obscurity, with consequent collateral damage to the Irish exchequer.”

Tough times demand tough decisions.