GRASSROOTS members of Showjumping Ireland will be to the fore of the SJI’s inaugural Summer Series, designed specifically to cater to riders competing from 90cms up to 1.30m level.

The new series, which kicks off at Mullingar Equestrian Centre next Saturday, April 8th, was officially launched at The Club, Goffs Hotel, on Tuesday and will inject €45,000 into the sport in prizes and products.

Sponsors for the new series include Mervue Equine, Hartog, Irish Commercials, J. Ryan Group and Equine Safety Initiative.

It is envisaged that the SJI Summer Series will attract a host of SJI members as it will include five height categories - 90cm, 1m, 1.10m,1.20m, 1.30m.

Chairman of the Showjumpers Club, Ronan Corrigan, said: “We have 7,500 members in SJI and the majority of them compete across this sphere. This new SJI Summer Series is aimed at our grassroots members as well as professional riders, amateurs, producers, those who are not going to all the big league shows but they need to get out with their horses every week. This gives them a league to follow with a spotlight final at Mullingar Equestrian in September. It’s a significant series with multiple days and we are hoping it will become an annual event in the SJI calendar, that we can build on each year. A big thanks to all our sponsors.”

Chairman of Showjumping Ireland, Christy Murphy, added: “The sub-committees in SJI are working exceptionally well, no more so than Marguerite Ryan in the National Competitions. This was identified over a previous couple of years as a need. Things take time to organise but I think that from early last year this was in the pipeline. Marguerite and her team put the final lid on it around Christmas. I think this will be very well supported, there’s definitely a need.

“Myself and my brothers come from the amateur and non-professional ranks, we have always had horses. While the Sport Horse classes are phenomenal to promote the Irish horse and breeders, an awful lot of our horses are not capable of the age classes and I think this will fill the hole. People want to be involved with SJI and want the whole team behind them when they go to the shows. I believe this will be a big success and I hope everyone enjoys the year.”

Warm welcome

Representing the centres, Chris Byrne of Coilóg Equestrian Centre added: “It’s a welcome hybridisation from the activities that are going on in the industry. It is broad enough to capture everything Ronan [Corrigan] referred to and it’s also important that it is the national body of Showjumping Ireland that has brought about this initiative because it is representative of the whole industry.”

The second round will be hosted at Coilog Equestrian on the final of the TRM/Showjumpers Club Spring Tour while the series final will take place at Mullingar Equestrian from September 8th -10th.

To qualify for the final, the horse and rider combination must compete in three of the qualifying rounds.

Along with prize funds in the qualifying rounds, each category in the final will see €2,000 up for grabs. The series will also include a team event at the final where teams will be made up of qualified riders.

The new series is open to Showjumping Ireland-registered riders with the following exceptions - horses qualified for the age classes at RDS (4yo to 8yo inclusive) as well as horses competing at National Grand Prix level in the current year.