THE Irish Horse Board (IHB) has appointed Alison Corbally to the role of Director General of the Co-op with immediate effect.

Corbally spent 15 years working for Horse Sport Ireland before departing the organisation in January 2022. She held the role of Director of Breeding and Programmes from November 2008. Before joining HSI, she worked with the Equestrian Federation of Ireland from 2001.

With over 25 years’ experience in senior management positions in the Irish sport horse sector, Corbally holds formal qualifications in equine, economics, accounting, corporate governance, marketing and communications, so “has all the necessary credentials to be an ideal choice for this demanding role,” a press release from the IHB said on Friday.

The press release added: “Through her strong academic achievements, and as author of a series of economic reports, Alison has provided evidence-based metrics to benchmark the industry and justify increased government support in recent years.

“Alison has also built up a wealth of leadership experience and technical expertise throughout her career in the sport horse sector and her influence has left a positive imprint in the industry over the years. As a breeder and producer of sport horses herself, Alison understands the challenges that all breeders face and this practical understanding is an enormous benefit in her interactions with all stakeholders.”

The Irish Horse Board has recently been granted significant funding from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for the promotion and marketing of the Irish Sport Horse sector. Corbally will now head up the IHB executive team, working with 12 non-executive directors and reporting to the chairman, Tiernan Gill.

Representative voice

IHB chairman, Tiernan Gill, commented: “The Irish Horse Board is delighted to have Alison join us to head up our executive as we set out on this exciting journey, not only in fulfilling our role in the promotion and marketing of Irish sport horses, but also to firmly re-establish the Irish Horse Board as the representative voice of our breeders, producers and shareholders throughout the industry.

“We have significant plans and we are thrilled to have someone of the calibre of Alison with the ability to bring these ambitions to fruition. We look forward to working closely with breeders, producers and stakeholders and to re-establish a platform for their voice to be heard in shaping the future development of the industry. Last week, I was delighted to see Joe Biden in my home town of Ballina, and this week I’m equally delighted to welcome Alison to the IHB team.”

Speaking after her IHB appointment, Alison Corbally said: “Passion is the driver of success. The IHB chairman and board are passionate in their ambition to reignite the voice and impact of breeders in Ireland. Being like-minded, I am delighted to be appointed to the role of Director General of the Irish Horse Board.

“I look forward to the challenge of reactivating the IHB Co-op’s role, as well as developing existing and identifying new markets for Irish horses, and to raising the profile of Irish-bred horses worldwide. Together with the breeders, producers, studbooks and sales companies we will work to achieve deserved recognition for breeders and producers for their endless hard work and success. Working together, we will inject fresh vigour in the sector and enhance returns for all.”

The IHB won the marketing tender for the sport horse sector last year. They have rented an office in Portloaise for six months, with an option to lease for two years. A number of marketing staff from Horse Sport Ireland will join the Co-op. The representative body for breeders in Ireland, the IHB has 30,000 shareholders.