AFTER dinner at the Equine Summit, there will be two breakout sessions – one for the sport horse sector and one for those more interested in thoroughbred side of the idustry.

The sport horse discussion will be on ‘How can the Irish sport horse sector position itself in a changing market?’ Here we profile the speakers taking part.

SUZANNE CAMPBELL (chair)

Journalist & broadcaster

Suzanne reports on farming and equestrian issues for RTE radio and television, as well as writing for The Irish Times, Irish Independent and The Gloss magazine.

She is a former series producer of RTE’s farming television series Ear To The Ground and her current reporting work can be heard on RTE’s Countrywide and Drivetime programmes.

Suzaane has won two Irish Guild of Agricultural Journalists awards and won International Farming Journalist of the Year (Broadcast) in Edinburgh 2015.

She is passionate about bringing rural and equestrian stories to the bigger marketplaces and has lectured for DIT and the Public Relations Institute of Ireland in marketing and communications.

Alongside writing documentaries for RTE she is a hunt rider and a keen racing follower.

LUCINDA CREIGHTON

CEO, Vulcan Consulting

Lucinda is a former Minister for European Affairs and Deputy Foreign Minister. She was a TD for nine years.

She ran Ireland’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2013, most notably negotiating a deal on the €960 billion EU Budget.

She successfully represented the EU in trade talks with the United States, leading to the formal start of TTIP negotiations in 2013.

Lucinda is an advisory board member of the International Republican Institute and the European Council on Foreign Relations. By training, she is a barrister and qualified as a New York attorney. She is CEO of EU advisory company, Vulcan Consulting Ltd, and is retained as a special advisor on Brexit by Fipra, the international public affairs company.

Vulcan Consulting advises a range of corporate clients on EU policy, regulatory and political issues.

They specialise in assisting CEOs and other members of leadership teams in understanding the political and decision making environment in Europe.

CAMERON HANLEY

International show jumper

Cameron began riding horses at a young age at his parents’ riding school in Claremorris, Co Mayo. At 18 he went to Switzerland where he spent nine years employed by Etter Stables. He then spent two years in England, before moving to Frankfurt in 2003.

He has represented his country at five major championships and has ridden in more than 70 Nations Cups over the past 22 years. A proud moment in his career came when winning the Dublin Horse Show Grand Prix in 2000 with Twilight. He currently resides in Fürstenau, Germany.

JOHAN KNAAP

Director, KWPN Dutch Studbook

After completing his studies at the University of Applied Sciences HAS Den Bosch, Johan began his career as manager of applied equine research in Brunssum and later in Lelystad.

In practical research, Knaap was involved with the launch of artificial insemination in horse breeding. The famous stallion Ramiro was owned by the testing facility and he was the first stallion from which fresh semen was successfully delivered to both domestic and foreign destinations.

Other equine-related insights and methods which were developed at the time, in cooperation with organisations including KWPN, and which are still used frequently today include the EPTM tests (mare ability tests), the linear score system, and open stabling for young stock to meet their needs for exercise and social contact as they develop.

In 1989, Johan became a KWPN judge, and from 1994 to 2000 he was chair of the KWPN Breeding Council . In 2001 he became adjunct director of the KWPN and a year later he became its director.

OLIVER TOWNEND

International eventer

Oliver’s success as an event rider has always been based on hard graft and a love for the horses he works with.

He began riding when he was seven years old and had his first success when he was 11, with Cool Mule at the Horse of the Year Show. At 13 he represented Britain on the pony eventing team at the European Championships, and he quickly moved through the ranks.

Oliver was the winner of Badminton & Burghley 2009 and he was on the British squad for 2014 World Equestrian Games with Black Tie II. He claimed the British novice and intermediate championship titles in 2015.

Last year saw Oliver register a total of 2,341 British eventing points - making him the leading UK rider for the third consecutive year and with a lead of more than 1,000 points. Oliver was crowned British national champion and also won the first Event Rider Masters Series title. He finished the 2016 season with a CIC3* win at Adelaide.

This year has seen Oliver win Burghley for a second time and he is currently ranked in first place in the British Eventing leaderboard.