The Duggan family yesterday confirmed to The Irish Field their intention to bid to bring what is, after the Olympic Games, the world’s biggest equestrian event to our shores.

Green Glens opened its gates on Tuesday for its inaugural FEI European Championships for Ponies, which is being attended by riders from 17 countries. The championships are worth an estimated €7 million to the Irish economy through 24,000 sell-out bed nights, booked-out restaurants and a lively pub and retail trade.

The Duggan family have pulled out all the stops to stage a spectacular event unveiling a breath-taking cross-country course, specially designed by Olympic and World Equestrian Games course designer Mike Etherington-Smith.

The showpiece cross-country course takes in the 350 acres of the nearby Drishane Castle demesne while 10 acres of all-weather arenas cater for the show jumping and dressage phases.

It’s the first time since 1989 that the Cork venue has staged this large an equestrian event but in the last year, a combination of hard work and enormous investment in the industry by the Duggans – over €500,000 – has brought Millstreet to world-class level.

The venue has impressed both FEI officials and international press alike with some comparing it favourably with Badminton and Burghley (see A59).

Noel C. Duggan thanked everyone, including the 200 workers, for helping making the FEI European Championships a resounding success.

“The Duggan family want to thank everyone for their kind words of praise. It’s all been truly extraordinary. We now have a world-class cross-country course and for certain, Millstreet is going to bid to bring the World Equestrian Games to Ireland.

“Myself and Thomas will travel to France to see the Normandy WEG for ourselves. Dr Lyons was ready to go with WEG for Ireland years ago. We had no cross-country course in Millstreet then, but we have it now.

“We are going to make a very serious bid to host the next available WEG in Millstreet in 2022,” he said.

“It has taken over eight months to build the new cross-country alone. We funded it all ourselves after being turned down by Bord Failte. We did not get even moral support from the authorities and have had to overcome all sorts of roadblocks along the way. Millstreet continues to go from strength to strength,’’ added Noel C. Duggan.

Horseware managing director, Tom MacGuinness, who has qualified to represent Ireland in Endurance at WEG (see A57), told The Irish Field:

“Having just come back from Millstreet myself, I believe we must make a serious bid to host WEG. It’s a most beautiful course. Having WEG in Ireland would result in the most massive spin-off for the economy.”

Ireland’s chef d’Equipe Robert Splaine said: “It would be great for Ireland if WEG was to come here. We have fantastic facilities in Millstreet, the RDS and Punchestown.

“We have the expertise and the passion for the sport of the Duggans. WEG would create a huge spin-off for the country.”