HORSE Sport Ireland have today announced that Debbie Byrne has been appointed Horse Sport Ireland’s High Performance team manager for HSI’s young rider eventing programme. The role was previously held by Ireland’s senior High Performance manager Sally Corscadden, who in 2017 began her role as Senior High Performance Eventing Director.

Having competed on junior and young rider teams for Ireland, worked for and trained with top international riders and coaches, in conjunction with an honours degree in Sports Science, Byrne has an appreciation of high performance sport. Byrne is a PE teacher and working with young people from varying sporting backgrounds allows for an understanding of the environment needed to enhance learning and understanding.

She previously held the position of junior high performance eventing manager for Ireland from 2011 through to 2017. Her focus was to build a management team around her who could lay the foundations to build results at championship level. Team silver in 2012 and back to back team golds in 2013 and 2014 is evidence of this, not to mention an individual bronze and two individual silver medals.

Speaking about her appointment, Byrne said; “We have some very talented riders and I am very excited about working towards achieving future successes at young rider level. The riders know what is expected in High Performance and the culture that needs to be created to achieve it, now we will work together to win medals.”