WE are hurtling towards both the end of the year and it has to be said, a critical junction for the Irish Sport Horse industry.

Now is the time to stop, think and ask ourselves some key questions about the future shape of the €700m sector and its governing national federation.

The current CEO and chairman of Horse Sport Ireland are both exiting the stage, while waiting in the wings are three big reports on the Irish Sport Horse industry: Indecon’s review; a UCD study, and economist Jim Power’s report.

So what kind of a national federation would work best for Ireland - should we take our main cue from elements of the British, Dutch, German and Swedish federations that might best suit the diverse Irish model we have?

Without doubt, Ireland has some of the most successful riders in the world, several operating global multi-million euro and dollar businesses. Should our top professionals have an organisation to service their specific needs?

HAVE YOUR SAY

What about our breeders – would horse breeding and genetic improvement endeavours be better off left to breed societies - should breeding and sport be in the one federation or separate?

Then there is the truly enormous contribution made to the sector by the thousands of dedicated hobby riders nationwide, week in week out. This group, who fuel the show centres, the riding schools, livery yards, hunts, feed companies, pay farriers and vets, do so for the pure love of it with little or no real financial return to themselves. Could a more streamlined membership system deliver more value for them?

All stakeholders and interested parties should be making their views known - now is the time for active debate.

Some have made submissions to Indecon but many others have not. Letters to the Editor provide a platform for everyone’s views to be heard and are welcomed.

It’s also worth pointing out that Horse Sport Ireland is an independent company, as is the Irish Horse Board - they are not actually state agencies like Horse Racing Ireland and Bord na gCon, both previously reviewed by Indecon and state funded to the tune of some €70m between them.

Estimated to contribute at least €700m to the Irish economy - twice the size of the Irish sheep sector - our sport horse sector receives just under €4m in state funding to cover an A-Z of services and some 28 affiliates.

Compare that to the £19.5m recently announced in the UK to support equestrian sports in the run up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics alone. It has to be asked will simply changing the administrative structure of HSI without adding significant extra funding make things work any better?

TIME OF THE ESSENCE

Adverts will soon be appearing for a new Horse Sport Ireland chief executive officer to replace Damian McDonald, who takes up a new role as Director General of the Irish Farmers Association.

Separately, Minister for Sport and Tourism, Shane Ross, in consultation with Agriculture Minister Michael Creed, will nominate the new chairperson to replace Prof Pat Wall, whose four-year term ends in January. The position of chairperson is an unpaid one and may not appeal to everyone.

Plenty of names are being bandied about in the public arena as possible candidates for the chairmanship including former RDS president Matt Dempsey, coach Gerry Mullins, former Minister Lucinda Creighton, Teagasc chairman Dr Noel Cawley, veterinary surgeon Dermot Forde, Pat Hanly of the RDS, James Kennedy, interim CEO of HSI and Northern Ireland RDS stalwart Leonard Cave.

It may be one - or none - of these but one thing is certain, the Ministers involved need to select a suitable chairperson as soon as possible if that person is to have any role in the selection of the new CEO, a person they are going to have to work closely with for the next crucial four years.

Strike while the iron is hot. Let the debate begin.

– Isabel Hurley

horseworld@theirishfield.ie