RELATIONS between Horse Sport Ireland and a number of the largest affiliate bodies appear to be at an all-time low and it is understood that some affiliates are planning to withdraw from the governing body.

In an interview with The Irish Field this week, Denis Duggan, CEO of Horse Sport Ireland, maintained that he did not know what their issues are saying they have never been formally communicated.

“My understanding is that some of those affiliates are taking issue with the governance reform in the organisation. And my understanding is that one of the issues that they cite is that they needed to be consulted, or they in some way needed to approve the governance reform, which is not true and not accurate.

“The board of any organisation are the appropriate authority and the legally recognised authority to change a company’s constitution, and ultimately, HSI is a company. We are a not-for-profit company, and the Board went through the proper process to amend and update the Constitution, and there was a public consultation process.

“There was engagement, but ultimately, the decisions around what the Constitution would look like into the future for HSI are a matter for the Board, and they made the decision. Others are taking issue with that and feeling that they should have in some way an approval of it. That’s not in keeping with either the previous Constitution of HSI or the current one, or indeed with company law.”

Stand-off

The stand-off between HSI and the affiliates resulted in the Army Equitation School, Showjumping Ireland, Dressage Ireland and Para Equestrian Ireland not providing nominees to the High Performance Sport Advisory Forum, and therefore the forum had no quorum and could not elect a chair and select a candidate for consideration on the board. Duggan said the situation was “regrettable”.

“If it remains unpopulated by the affiliates and the industry stakeholders that have been provided with a right to provide nominees, well then maybe after the Olympics, we will have to consider what we do into the future. But at the moment, the aspiration and the ask has been that the door is open to those affiliates providing their nominees.”

Asked how HSI’s relationship is with the Department, Duggan replied: “We have an excellent working relationship with both of our funders, Sport Ireland and the Department of Sport and the Department of Agriculture.”

Board changes

Asked if the ministerial appointees would change after the Olympic Games, Duggan said that would be a matter for the Minister of Agriculture, Charlie McConalogue.

When Minister McConalogue appointed the chair of HSI, Michael Dowling, and three board members in November 2022, it was on an interim basis until after the Olympic Games in Paris. The Irish Field understands at least one of the board members will leave their position next month.

HSI lost out to the Irish Horse Board for the marketing tender for the industry in 2022. Asked how HSI would continue to retain the studbook services the next time it comes up for tender, Duggan replied: “Those are commercial tenders. They come up, and people have to make their own decisions in terms of who applies for what, so we have to respect that process. We’re putting significant investment into our digital e-passporting system. We’re going to be one of the first, if not the first, sport horse studbook globally to have an e-passporting system.”