HORSE Sport Ireland’s announcement of the 15 horses selected to travel to the Lanaken world championships before the Irish Sport Horse Studbook league final last weekend caused consternation among owners who believed their horses were still in the running to be selected.

Several owners were unaware that Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) had altered its selection criteria for the 2016 WBFSH world championships in June to remove the emphasis on the ISH Studbook league as a selection opportunity.