THERE is always a wave of excitement as the beginning of the eventing season rolls around, with plans being made and qualification paths set out. This year however, the eventing calendar in the south of Ireland was thrown into disarray when a breakdown in communication between Eventing Ireland and event organisers led to events being cancelled or removed at short notice.

Disputes over insurance costs, financial viability and the lack of a dates planning meeting were some of the issues raised, but by early May, an agreement had been reached and the season got underway in the south.