FUNDING three teams to get to the Olympic Games is an expensive business and to the forefront of the minds of everyone involved in Irish equestrian sport in the countdown to Tokyo 2020.

By the end of the four-year Olympic cycle (2017-2021), the British Equestrian Federation will have received £14.5 million through lottery funding via UK Sport.

That figure is in stark contrast to Horse Sport Ireland’s €3.68 million from Sport Ireland since 2017 to date, however, they still await the Budget 2020 allocation.

While a significant increase is expected from Sport Ireland for next year on the back of Ireland fielding a team in all three disciplines at an Olympic Games for the first time ever, if they received the same allocation of 2019 (€1.56 million), that would bring HSI’s funding to €5.23 million.

“The BEF applies for lottery funding, on behalf of our member organisations. This funding has established a lottery-backed system that gives riders with potential the opportunity to fulfil their talent. This should enable the sport to continue to maximise its successes on the European, World and Olympic and Paralympic stages,” the BEF website reads.

Britain’s dominance on the Olympic stage is a direct result of the huge funding support with 14 medals obtained since the introduction of lottery funding. Cian O’Connor is Ireland’s only equestrian athlete to win an Olympic medal with bronze at the London Olympics 2012.