HORSE Sport Ireland secured €1,040,000 in funding under Sport Ireland’s €85 million Covid-19 Grand Scheme. Announced by Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media, Catherine Martin TD and Minister of State for Sport and Gaeltacht Affairs, Jack Chambers TD on Monday, the fund is to help address existential threat to National Governing Bodies and their affiliates/club networks due to the pandemic.

HSI’s funding comes under two schemes – €1 million has been allocated under the Club Resilience Fund (Scheme 3). The purpose of the scheme is to protect the affiliate networks, allowing sport organisations to offset significant losses incurred in recent months and add a semblance of certainty to planning for 2021.

The remaining €40,000 comes under the Restart and Renewal Fund (Scheme 4). It was awarded for the National Equestrian Education Pathway (NEEP). The NEEP is a national curriculum and pathway to help develop and educate all those involved in equestrian sport. It will be universally aligned across equestrian disciplines and all affiliated bodies within the country, an initiative identified and called for in the Reaching New Heights report.

A successful application was also made to the fund for an initiative that will see remote benchmarking and training via video recording for Irish Para dressage horse and athlete combinations while minimising the need for international travel hampered due to Covid-19. Funds will be distributed to the affiliates by HSI receive details of amount awarded for specific disciplines.

Joe Reynolds, acting CEO of HSI, said: “Horse Sport Ireland and the equestrian community are extremely grateful to Sport Ireland, Minister Martin and Minister Chambers for their exceptional support in these very challenging times. The funding provided will be pivotal to continuation of equestrian activities by supporting participatory, grassroots sporting activities, whilst maintaining the development opportunities for the athletes of the future in the three equestrian Olympic disciplines in which Ireland has garnered so much successes on the international stage.

“The investment by Sport Ireland in equestrian sport recognises the physical and mental health benefits of what is primarily an outdoors sport, achieved through a strong bond with the horse. The work of the HSI affiliates in preparing the applications for their membership is to be recognised and is testament to the commitment of the individuals involved who give their time on a volunteer basis. The importance of this funding to our Olympic and recreational affiliates will be a lifeline of support in these usual times.

“I welcome the Chairman of Sport Ireland, Kieran Mulvey’s comments in relation to supporting funded bodies into 2021 as sport faces into an extended period of uncertainty. Horse Sport Ireland will continue to advocate strongly for equestrian sport and the sport horse industry as a whole.”