HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) will receive €1.795 million in funding from Sport Ireland in 2020, an overall increase of €180,000 on 2019.
Sport Ireland announced a significant €36 million investment package for National Governing Bodies of Sport, High Performance sport and Local Sports Partnerships for 2020 at the National Sports Campus in Dublin on Monday evening.
Horse Sport Ireland, the national governing body (NGB) for equestrian sport in Ireland, has been allocated €930,000 for core funding, from €855,000 in 2019. It is fourth on the list of 58 NGBs behind Special Olympics Ireland (€1.4 million), Athletics Ireland (€1 million) and Swim Ireland (€950,000).
Pentathlon Ireland’s funding (€20,000), which was previously allocated via Horse Sport Ireland, has been rebalanced and paid direct for 2019 and 2020.
Tokyo 2020
The High Performance programme will get €690,000, the same figure as 2019. With three teams qualified for this summer’s Olympic Games, the biggest increase for Horse Sport Ireland comes in the ‘High Performance Special Project Funding for Tokyo 2020’. They have been allocated €175,000, a €105,000 increase of the 2019 figure of €70,000.
The overall €9.4 million being invested in High Performance programmes and Tokyo 2020 support, along with €820,000 allocated to the Olympic Federation of Ireland and Paralympics to support operations and administration ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is the highest amount ever invested in High Performance sport in Ireland.
This investment in High Performance sport is bolstered by a 26% increase investment in the International Carding Scheme, with €2.43 million being allocated in 2020. Pentathlon athletes Natalya Coyle and Arthur Lanigan O’Keeffe will each receive €40,000, and Sive Brassil has been allocated €12,000.
Horse Sport Ireland welcomed the increase in funding. A spokesperson told The Irish Field: “Horse Sport Ireland is delighted to welcome the increase in funding announced by Sport Ireland this week. 2019 was another record-breaking year for the Irish Sport Horse sector, for the first time in Ireland’s history we have qualified three senior teams for an Olympic Games and we are immensely proud to join a very elite group of countries that have achieved this goal.
“The support we receive from Sport Ireland is critical for our programmes and has been instrumental in assisting us with our qualifying campaigns for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.”
HSI funding from Sport Ireland
NGB
2020: €930,000
2019: €855,000*
2018: €775,000
*2019 funding was originally announced as €875,000 before €20,000 was rebalanced and paid directly to Pentathlon Ireland
High Performance
2020: €690,000
2019: €690,000
2018: €530,000
HP Special Project for Tokyo 2020
2020: €175,000
2019: €75,000
2018: €175,000
Total Olympic Games support: €420,000