Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) may be moving to a new centre of excellence at Greenogue, but it is time it also moved to the next digital level in its worldwide promotion of facts and results relating to our Irish-bred horses.

I can remember back 80 years ago when you would be lost without a pencil. Next it was a ball point pen, then a typewriter, then a fax machine, then a computer, then the internet on your phone. It has all happened in a lifetime – all of it aimed at being in touch with the facts.

Sadly we are in a new era of alternative facts. As philosopher Albert Camus wrote in The Fall: “This is my opinion, this is the truth.”

So more than ever facts, provable facts, really matter.

And that brings me to the Irish horse and its day-to-day performance. Over the past 30 years or so, both Showjumping Ireland (SJI) and then HSI made great efforts to keep pace with the digital age. But that tool has now moved up a huge notch internationally and it is time for Irish equestrianism to catch up.

Hippomundo

What I am talking about are worldwide horse sport results sites such as Hippomondo. This website, founded by Belgian entrepreneur Koen Terryn compiles statistics, millions of pedigrees and results for thousands of horses that are based in some 147 countries.

With staff working tirelessly to tabulate the progression of horses from foal to success both in national and international competition it is an invaluable resource.

As Terryn puts it: “I felt all data in both sport and breeding should be in one large database and made available to all breeders, riders, studbooks, federations, investors and enthusiasts.”

Seven years ago, he began with the three Belgian studbooks and has since been joined by those in the top breeding nations. But not in Ireland!

It is time we joined in; since that way the progress of our horses nationally and internationally can get the widest possible notice.

The number of sport horses bred around the world each year is still in the region of 100,000. Only a fraction of those will ever make it to major Grand Prix level.

So, for producers, sponsors and riders it is like searching for gold in the Wicklow hills to find the special ones such as the Irish-bred Castlefield Vegas or Pacino Amiro who are winning major events right now.

We need to extend our digital reach and do it quickly.