THERE was a strong Irish presence at Hartpury in England for the annual International Eventing Forum which staged an entertaining and informative fixture. This year’s theme focused on Horsemanship and how we define it.

Aiding in this mission were some very influential speakers and pundits, including Ireland’s National Hunt jockey and show jumper Robbie Power, who joined forces with Kiwi eventing legend Andrew Nicholson. From north of the border, the head of the British Thoroughbred retraining centre, Gillian Carlisle, explained her role in the rehabilitation of thoroughbreds, while on the same lines, coach and author William Micklem spoke passionately about the importance of the thoroughbred blood in eventing.