The suggestion was that such a venue could be developed where potential sellers could showcase their stock, with the added possibility of having subsidised x-ray facilities at the venue. It was suggested that such a centre could also be used to recognise the country’s best mares and to harvest their embryos in order to keep the bloodlines at home.

Among the other points raised at the Kilkenny strategy meeting was the anomaly of automatic points that Showjumping Ireland awards to imported, ungraded show jumpers. Usually concerning mares and stallions, the points give an inaccurate record of a horse that may have barely competed in its country of origin.