META OSBORNE: “There is so much we do well in the Irish racing and equestrian sectors. I’m looking forward to sharing best practice and exploring opportunities for collaboration and innovation. An Irish horse is an Irish horse, no matter the discipline or where we compete on the world stage, and it’s Irish horsemen and women who have the potential to make us world leaders.”

BRIAN KAVANAGH: “It is through events like this that new ideas are exchanged and discussed and I’m sure it will be a very welcome addition to the equine calendar as we plot our way through the opportunities provided by globalisation and the challenges offered.”

LEO POWELL: “The importance of both the thoroughbred and sport horse sectors to Ireland’s economy is very significant. Together they are worth billions and provide huge direct and secondary employment throughout the island. This makes it a vital component of both the agricultural and agri-related sectors and this summit will highlight that importance to a wider audience.”

HENRY CORBALLY: “The Equine Summit is a unique occasion to bring together the thoroughbred and spor thorse sides of the equine industry. The event reinforces Gain’s commitment to the equine industry, while supporting our customers and the industry at large.”

SASHA KERINS: “Grant Thornton is delighted to be involved in this inaugural Equine Summit through which we aim to provide industry led insights to our clients and contacts across both the thoroughbred and sporthorse sectors.”

JIM POWER (Economist): “Ireland is synonymous with the horse at both the thoroughbred and sport horse level. The country has a strong international reputation, but this cannot be taken for granted. It is essential that official policy towards the two components of the industry is as supportive as possible.

“There is an essential requirement to continue to invest in infrastructure; facilities; breeding; and education and training. Professionalism and quality should be the key features of the sector, but much work needs to be done to achieve these objectives - in a sense, the Irish horse industry needs to run faster and faster to stand still. It is a race worth running, because the horse industry already makes a very significant contribution to the overall economy, but most importantly, the regional and rural footprint is very significant. The key point is that while the contribution of the sector is already very significant, the potential is enormous, if we continue to do the right things.”

OLIVER TOWNEND: “I am particularly looking forward to the sport horse breakout session as I see this as an excellent opportunity to share both common challenges and successes within the industry and collaborate on steps towards improvement, which will be a huge benefit to us all.”