Protect the playground of the equine industry

MADAM

As a follow up to your article on riding centres, AIRE would like to reiterate your thoughts on the difficult position riding/facility/trekking centres find themselves. Centres are currently being crippled with rates, high insurance costs, lack of staff and funding. As a result, we are a diminishing breed!

Our numbers have dwindled from 220 to 150 in the past 15 years. AIRE-approved centres are the feeding ground to many equestrian disciplines including the thoroughbred industry. We are the creche and the primary school for the Pony Club, AIRC, show jumping, eventing and dressage. The centre introduces children to equestrian sports, encourages and educates them in riding skills, horse care, and welfare of equines. Many of them go on to be jockeys, grooms, international show jumpers/eventers and even box drivers.

However, if we do not act soon to protect these centres, our panel of equine staff and talent will be diminished greatly in years to come. Anyone with horses is already aware of the struggle to find staff. Ireland is currently awash with international success. Recently Austin O’Connor showed his class at 5* level in Badminton. Our show jumpers do us proud on the international circuit every week. Our para riders increase their medal toll at every championships.

Barry Geraghty, one of our former top jockeys, came from Pelletstown EC. Rachael Blackmore rode in Clonshire EC during her college days. Billy Twomey started off in Hitchmough’s in Cork.

Previously, AIRE had a traineeship with ETB. However we have been unable to restart this incentive since 2019. Students received equestrian training while maintaining Government support, many of whom went on to work in the industry. Riding centres need help to overcome the rates issue, they farm equines and look after the land in the same way farmers look after bovines. However, they are treated differently.

This year alone, some centres were contacted by the rates department and within a week they had closed down as their income could not cover the thousands that the rates bill would bring.

We ask that HSI, HRI and the Department of Agriculture come together to protect the playground of the equine industry. Otherwise in five years’ time there will be a lot less staff and talented riders to feed into this industry. Ireland is the ‘Land of the Horse’, let’s protect it for the future.

AIRE would be pleased to hear from anyone who can assist with the above concerns.

Yours etc,

Colin Hannan, Chairman of Association of Irish Riding Establishments Ltd (AIRE)

Sue Foley, Vice-Chairman AIRE