THE level of progress in improving equine traceability in Ireland was the topic of this year’s The Irish Field Dublin Horse Show business breakfast. The event was held in the Intercontinental Hotel in Ballsbridge on Wednesday morning and involved a lively discussion with insights from experts and stakeholders from across the equestrian sector.

The breakfast began with the presentation of a survey conducted by The Irish Field revealing that there was 52% awareness among the 512 respondents of the existence of the Paddy Wall report on traceability, with a further 19% saying they were ‘somewhat’ aware. This report was commissioned after the airing of an expose titled Horses: Making a Killing by RTE Investigates, which revealed sickening abuse of the end of life system at what was Ireland’s only abattoir. Two years on, Ireland is still without a functioning abattoir and the survey revealed there is still a good deal of uncertainty around traceability.