HORSE Sport Ireland is the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to reporting and throughout 2025 much space in the news pages of the Irish Horse World was filled by articles relating to our national governing body for equestrian sport.

While we can’t cover everything here, things started off quietly enough with the good news in Judith Faherty’s editorial of January 11th that Michael Blake had signed a new contract with HSI ‘which will see him continue as Irish team show jumping chef d’equipe and High Performance director’. All a bit different a few weeks later as, on Saturday, February 1st, the heading ‘Youth team changes spark concerns’ appeared over an article written by Lesley Hunter-Nolan on amendments to the Pony, Junior and Young Rider squads in show jumping and eventing.