A MOVE to establish a new governing high performance entity for equestrian sport in Ireland is upping the ante with a constitution understood to have been drafted.

A source close to the bodies involved in the move, which would see Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) pushed aside as the governing body for the Olympic equestrian sports, this week said “significant moves forward have been taken to the point of the drafting of a new constitution”.

Bodies engaged with the formation on the new entity include ShowJumping Ireland, Eventing Ireland, Dressage Ireland, Para Equestrian Ireland, the RDS and the Army Equitation School.

These bodies, who are currently affiliates of Horse Sport Ireland, have long expressed dissatisfaction with HSI’s management of high performance sport and changes made this year to HSI’s constitution, which they feel greatly lessen their roles.

The source said the new entity would be an alternate federation to HSI that would take over the funding and authority Horse Sport Ireland currently has over high performance equestrian sport.

They said there was no intention to take over the passport issuing and breeding support arms of HSI.

“The next step is to get final agreement between stakeholders on the constitution before beginning the steps toward recognition via Sport Ireland and the FEI. We will be a registered co-op or limited company. We are confident it will stand up. HSI administers the Irish teams, but it has no current link with the sports - dressage, para and show jumping are only affiliates in name, we are not recognised in the constitution, we are not on the boards.

“We believe HSI is not representative, so this new entity will do that, as well as securing vital outside funding and sponsors for our teams. If we didn’t have billionaire owners supporting us, we would be going down the toilet. Before that happens, the new entity will emerge, it just needs to get its paperwork in order.”