President’s Award

MADAM,

I FEEL extremely privileged and humbled to be presented with the President’s Award from Jessica Harrington and the Eventing Ireland Board.

My job as Irish High Performance Manager to the Junior and Young Rider Eventing Squads since 2011 to 2018 has been an honour. My management team have set an extremely high standard of training and veterinary care. Through meticulous attention to detail, our underage programmes have developed riders from junior and young rider levels, to now senior level. The 33-year drought of junior team gold medals was terminated in style with back-to-back gold medals, and also individual medals won. Medals at higher levels also came to fruition on the strength of these experiences.

However, I’m well aware that the medals we have gained whilst competing at European level could not have been achieved without the support of parents and owners - you have ‘bought into’ the programmes and have been hugely supportive over the years.

My ethos has always been to develop horse and rider in an environment that enables high levels of learning at a high performance standard. Relationships between trainers, vets, parents and sponsors has been constructive and effective. There has to be a common thread of high standard and examples set to our young athletes, both morally and ethically, that will prepare them as they progress through their eventing career and life experiences.

I am extremely proud of what we have achieved and I only hope that the legacy remains.

I have built unforgettable relationships over the years - thank you for ALL the memories!

Yours etc,

Debbie Byrne

Kirkenny

Ballymena