THE sport horse sector in Ireland is a very valuable one, not that you would sometimes appreciate that fact from the level of support it receives from central government. Horse racing funding is a structured system, though it has to constantly put its case forward to ensure that the level of investment is appropriate.

When the Equine Summit was held last November, one of the positive outcomes or developments for me was to hear the chief executives of Horse Racing Ireland and Horse Sport Ireland speaking on the same platform, and often singing the same tune. There are many issues facing each sector that are common to both, and there are many areas in which both bodies could work together for the common good.