THE Irish Horse Board announced this week that Nadia Rea has been appointed as Operations Manager of the Irish Horse Board.

With over 17 years of experience working in the equestrian industry, for both the Irish Horse Board and Horse Sport Ireland, Nadia now returns to the Irish Horse Board bringing a wealth of industry knowledge and experience. The Irish Horse Board were awarded the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine tender for the delivery of marketing services for the Sport Horse Industry in Ireland.

The Carlow native has carried out various roles in Horse Sport Ireland’s Breeding Department over her 17-year tenure with the company. From overseeing the annual developments in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook series to managing the studbooks representative teams, and their supporting breeders and producers at national and international events.

Most recently Nadia took up the role of Assistant Breeding Manager in 2020, where her credentials in equestrian business, customer relations, PR and communications areas where fully utilised. She also has extensive operational experience in co-ordinating multiple large Internationally focused breeding and veterinary conferences.

Nadia Rea said: ‘I am extremely happy to be taking up the position of Operations Manager with the Irish Horse Board. I began my career in Maynooth with the Irish Horse Board, and I have very fond memories of the dedicated team that I was lucky enough to work with. I am now extremely proud to return to the IHB to begin working with Mr Tiernan Gill (IHB Chairman) and Ms Alison Corbally (Director General) and all the IHB stakeholders. This is an industry that I am extremely passionate about. I feel the breeders have an opportunity to regain their voice through the representative breeders’ body of the Irish Horse Board. I know our achievements are limitless when we all work together for the betterment of the Irish equine industry. I am excited to work with a dedicated team who all strive to propel our stakeholders onto the world stage where the Irish achievements can be fully recognised.’

Director General, Alison Corbally, said: “I am delighted Nadia is joining the IHB team, she has a tremendous passion for the industry and most importantly its breeders, producers and riders and she has a genuine respect for all the stakeholders - a sentiment which is at the heart of the Irish Horse Board’s mission.

“We are mandated to promote the industry and assist in its growth, and Nadia’s experience, ability to deliver on objectives and in depth knowledge of the industry, together with her great ‘can do’ personality will enhance the small Irish Horse Board team’s ability to deliver for the broader industry. Having worked with me through implementation of many of the breeding initiatives to benefit the industry in recent years, I am very much looking forward to working with Nadia once again.”