ON Thursday, November 9th an Equine Summit will be held in Co Kildare and The Irish Field is partnering with the co-sponsors Gain and Alltech, along with Grant Thornton, to stage this highly significant day-long event.

It will not only appeal to followers of the thoroughbred, but will encompass the sporthorse sector. This will be an occasion when we can all learn from each other and you will have an opportunity to attend break-out sessions where issues of specific relevance to each sector will be discussed.

The day will see experts discuss a variety of issues and they are Horse Racing Ireland’s Brian Kavanagh, Turf Club Senior Steward Meta Osborne, Horse Sport Ireland’s Ronan Murphy and Teagasc chairman Dr Noel Cawley.

The Summit will address new opportunities for the equine industry, facilitate open discussion and hopefully result in some innovative thinking.

More speakers will be announced, but this is a date that should be put in your diary now. Some details are published on page A7 and on the back cover of this week’s paper.

FILLIES’ DEADLINE

Another initiative with which The Irish Field has had an involvement since its inception is the Weatherbys/ITBA National Hunt Fillies Bonus Scheme. To date €850,000 has been paid out as bonuses to owners. Consider that figure for a moment. An individual filly can earn up to €15,000 if she wins a maiden bumper, hurdle race and chase.

Saturday, September 30th, is the closing date for fillies to be nominated. It costs just €200 and the rewards, as an owner or when you sell your filly, are enormous. If you have a filly that is three years or older and unraced, you can nominate her by contacting the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association. You must do it this week.

VOTE NOW

October 1st is another deadline to heed. Irish show jumper Harry Allen and performance coach Liam Moggan have been shortlisted for the prestigious 2017 FEI Awards, and for the first time the public (on www.fei.org) will account for 50% of the vote. Allen has been nominated in the Longines Rising Star category and education development officer Liam Moggan has been shortlisted for the FEI Solidarity Award.