Emer Bermingham

LIAM O’Meara, winner of the Connolly’s Red Mills Spring Tour 2016, has expressed his disappointment at not receiving the Horse Sport Ireland-sponsored €500 owner’s prize as the owner of the leading Irish Sport Horse (ISH).

According to O’Meara, his horse Mr Coolcaum was the highest-placed ISH in the league and, according to the rules stated in the Showjumping Ireland bulletin, he is entitled to the prize fund.

The January/February edition of the bulletin listed a prize of €500 to the owner and €500 to the breeder of the leading Irish Sport Horse in the Spring Tour, as did Showjumping Ireland’s website.

However Showjumpers Club chairman Ronan Corrigan told The Irish Field: “At the start of the year, HSI envisaged that they would be able to offer this prize fund but, with their audit taking longer than expected, they could not release this money. We printed [the prize] in the rules as this was the intention in January.

“We never kept a league of the leading Irish Sport Horse and to me it was clear that this league was not running as in previous years and that riders were aware of this. There was also no mention of this on the Showjumpers Club website.”

A spokesperson for Horse Sport Ireland told The Irish Field: “This was not agreed with the SJC. However, we are aware of the issue and we are trying to resolve it.”

O’Meara said: “I am really disappointed that I have not received this prize. According to the rules, I should be entitled to it as the owner of Mr Coolcaum.

“If it was the case that this prize was no longer being offered, this change should have been published.

“I looked at the venue and the rules in the January/February bulletin and, unless I am told of a change, I go by what is printed. The rule is still on the SJI website to be seen.”