THE Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed T.D., and the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross T.D., this week announced the appointment of Lucinda Creighton, Clare Hughes and Mary Lambkin Coyle as ordinary board members to the board of Horse Sport Ireland.

The appointment was made by Minister Creed in consultation with Minister Ross.

This follows on from last week’s appointment of Joe Reynolds as the chairman of the new board and in line with the Review of Certain Matters relating to Horse Sport Ireland by Indecon, who recommended a rationalisation of the board.

Commenting on the appointments, Minister Creed said: “I am very pleased that Lucinda, Mary and Clare have agreed to take on these roles as board members of the new board of Horse Sport Ireland. Their combined knowledge and experience can only add a positive new dimension and dynamic to the board and I am confident that together with the new chairman, Joe Reynolds, they will continue to build and expand the sport horse industry in this country.”

Minister Ross said: “I am delighted to welcome Lucinda, Mary and Clare to the board of Horse Sport Ireland and I wish them every success. I have no doubt that the board will benefit from their varied experience and extensive skills across governance, business and public policy. I am hugely impressed with the reforms that have been implemented in Horse Sport Ireland since the publication of the Indecon report in 2017. The new board is now well positioned to guide Horse Sport Ireland and equestrian sport in Ireland to fulfill its true potential.”

ONE SEAT LEFT

Horse Sport Ireland confirmed that the three government appointees to the board will be joined by Lt. Col Tom Freyne (Coaching and Education Advisory Council), Edward Doyle (Breeding and Production Advisory Council), Taylor Vard (High Performance Sport Advisory Council) and Adrian Flynn (Equestrian Sport and Recreation Advisory Council).

The one remaining seat on the board, representing the Northern Ireland sector, is expected to be filled in the coming weeks.

NIHB MESSAGE

In a statement this week, The Northern Ireland Horse Board extended its congratulations to Joe Reynolds on his appointment as chairman of Horse Sport Ireland and would wished him every success in his role.

“NIHB representatives have worked with Mr Reynolds as part of the HSI Board and believe he is an excellent choice. The appointment of a representative for Northern Ireland on the new HSI Board is eagerly awaited.

“We would like to take this opportunity to encourage all our members to complete the survey launched by Deloitte as part of the DAERA Northern Ireland Equine Industry Review. This is a chance for everyone involved in our industry to express their views to government and help shape the future direction of the sector. The survey can be accessed from the Quick Links section on the DAERA website homepage www.daera-ni.gov.uk,” added the NIHB statement.

(Read Leo Powell’s exclusive interview with CEO of Horse Sport Ireland Ronan Murphy on A66-67)