The satellite TV station Horse & Country has been showing highlights of December’s FEI Rolex Grand Prix from Geneva and in a welcome boost for Irish breeding, the first two horses into the arena are Irish sport horses, namely Loughview Lou Lou (by Limmerick, ridden by Dermott Lennon) and Castlefield Eclipse (by OBOS Quality, ridden by Swiss rider Paul Estermann). And more than that in they are both Irish sport horse mares. What a positive image for the industry that two of the current day emblems of Irish sport horse breeding can represent us so well on the world stage. In our evolving industry, these horses are representing the studbook and, although not along the traditional Irish breeding lines, they are no less vital to Irish sport horse breeding.
The satellite TV station Horse & Country has been showing highlights of December’s FEI Rolex Grand Prix from Geneva and in a welcome boost for Irish breeding, the first two horses into the arena are Irish sport horses, namely Loughview Lou Lou (by Limmerick, ridden by Dermott Lennon) and Castlefield Eclipse (by OBOS Quality, ridden by Swiss rider Paul Estermann). And more than that in they are both Irish sport horse mares.
What a positive image for the industry that two of the current day emblems of Irish sport horse breeding can represent us so well on the world stage. In our evolving industry, these horses are representing the studbook and, although not along the traditional Irish breeding lines, they are no less vital to Irish sport horse breeding.
United we stand
The strategic plan for Irish sport horse breeding, put forward by Horse Sport Ireland (HSI), the RDS and Teagasc, has been welcomed by breeders. It is hoped that the plan will lead to greater unity in the sport horse breeding sector with long-term benefits. If the unified approach outlined in the initial announcement can filter down to the constituent bodies of HSI, then a good day’s work will have been done. Having two representative bodies for this group and a further two lying in the wings is a curse on Ireland’s breeding reputation. In any plan, nobody will get all they want, but they can get the one thing they really need: growth in the sector.
With the stormy conditions, check that those horses that are turned out are safe and well and have plenty of good shelter as it seems we have more stormy conditions to contend with.
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