IMAGINE the reaction if it was announced that €1 million was being earmarked for pony racing activities in Ireland over the next five years? What an impact it would have on a sector that the world of racing has come to rely on for the early education of many of the sport’s leading riders.

Well, that is the amount of funding awarded by The Racing Foundation in Britain to develop a pathway into the racing industry there. It will be overseen by the Pony Racing Authority who will also work in collaboration with a number of other bodies, including the Pony Club. The money will be used to fund a wide range of activities, all with the aim of delivering a formal pathway for young people to get into racing.