Hession appointed para dressage manager

SIMONE Hession has been appointed as Ireland’s High Performance para dressage manager, ahead of the FEI Para Dressage European Championships in Ermelo later this year.

Hession succeeds Debora Pijpers in the role and takes over a Para Dressage programme in excellent shape, with Irish athletes achieving multiple top-10 finishes at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. She brings a wealth of experience to the role, as a Horse Sport Ireland Level 2 coach and accomplished dressage rider based at her yard, Beezies Stud, in Sligo.

Breeders’ Elite NI stallion inspection day

BREEDERS’ Elite NI has announced their first stallion inspection day in Ireland, scheduled for Saturday, April 5th at Kernan Equestrian Centre, Crossmaglen, by kind permission of Mr James Kernan. Assessors from Ireland and the UK will evaluate performance stallions aged 2½ years and above.

Applications are now open for stallion owners and are available from the Breeders’ Elite NI office based at the Meadows Equestrian Centre, by contacting Chris on 07709 199474 or by emailing: breederseliteni@gmail.com

First female IOC President

Kirsty Coventry has been elected the 10th President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The 41-year-old Zimbabwean was chosen for an eight-year term of office. President-elect Coventry replaces outgoing President Thomas Bach, who was first elected in 2013 and re-elected in 2021.

She will be the first woman and the first African to serve as IOC President. FEI president Ingmar De Vos has been re-elected for a second term as a member of the IOC. De Vos had been first elected to the IOC in 2017 for an eight-year term.

Joe Duff RIP

JOE Duff, former master of the Fingal Harriers Hunt, sadly passed away last week. He was a well known farmer, horseman, owner and breeder of racehorses in his day. His funeral mass took place last Tuesday, March 18th at Saint Cronans Church Brackenstown, Swords County Dublin.