AS we step into May, it really feels like the season is about to explode into life with the first eventing international of the year taking place at Ballindenisk this weekend, and of course the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day-Event underway in Lexington. That is followed quickly by Badminton Horse Trials next week (May 4th-8th) which really captures everyone’s imagination.

Badminton is one of those events that attracts sporting fans outside of equestrian, with it’s the iconic location, hundreds of trade stands and rich history.

It is always a sore point when you see equestrian coverage in mainstream media moving backwards and sadly, Badminton is no longer available on free to air television, with the exception of the final 10 of show jumping which will be shown live on BBC2 and the BBC iPlayer.

However, if you do fancy watching all the action from the first dressage session on Thursday, you can subscribe to Badminton TV on the official website. The cost is £19.99 and that will give you 365 days access to all of the content, including pre-event interviews. Whatever way you get your Badminton fix, enjoy the week that it is.

Minister visits Karlswood

On the domestic front, the event launches continue to take place and it was great to see the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, at Karlswood Stables this week to officially launch the HSI Studbook Series. We recently had Government representation at the Irish Horse World Awards when Minister Martin Heydon was in attendance, and it is important that industry professionals continue to engage with the Government at every available opportunity.

We, as an industry, must show the funding powers that be what a valuable asset we have, and there is no doubt that Minister McConalogue would have been blown away by the facilities at Cian O’Connor’s Karlswood Stables. It is noticeable that Cian has hosted and facilitated many industry personal, event launches and general equestrian fans in recent days, weeks and months, opening up his yard and giving everyone a chance to see what he has created. It can only serve as an inspiration for us all.