Irish sport horses are typically quite versatile horses that can turn their hooves to whatever it is you would like to utilise them for. With that in mind, do take a look at this selection of Irish sport horses for sale currently listed on the Horse & Hound website, or if none of the below suit your needs, start your search for your next horse here. Our website has more horses than ever currently listed for sale – thanks to our partnership with SEIB equestrian insurance, we are now offering all standard horse for sale adverts for free. Have you got a horse to sell? Place your free advert here

Irish sport horses for sale

1. ‘Sweet-natured’

Height: 16hh

Gender: mare

Age: six

Selling points: “This horse is forward going and green. She is sweet-natured on the ground and in the stable and lunges to voice. She is up-to-date with her vaccinations, teeth, shoes and physio.”

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2. ‘Talented’

Height: 16.2hh

Gender: gelding

Age: 11

Selling points: “This Irish Sports Horse is by ARS Vivendi. He is super-good looking and a talented showjumper with a lovely character. He is a level headed, confidence-giving horse. He is easily jumping 1.20m and 1.30m classes and qualified in the winter for many classes such as Blue Chip Karma Performance, Foxhunter and the 1.25m Winter Championship. He moves beautifully and would suit a confident amateur and/or teenager who wants to learn and move up the classes, having fun. He is quick against the clock and good to shoe, hack, travel, etc. He is a lovely boy to have around in the stable and at shows. I have had him since he was a five-year-old and is for sale through no fault of his own. I expect he would be happy doing cross-country too – nothing fazes him!”

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3. ‘Outstanding prospect’

Height: 15.3hh

Gender: mare

Age: three

Selling points: “‘Indie’ has the most exceptional temperament – she is kind and easy in every way. She has been loose jumped on a handful of occasions and has a superb technique as well as plenty of scope. She has good paces and is an outstanding showjumping/eventing prospect for the future. She has done everything asked of her calmly and sensibly. She is regularly handled by a 10-year-old child (turning out, grooming, washing etc). Indie has just started wearing tack and is now ready to further her education.”

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4. ‘Super all-rounder’

Height: 16.2hh

Gender: gelding

Age: 10

Selling points: “This is an eye-catching heavyweight hunter type with 11 inches of flat, clean bone. ‘Spencer’ is very well schooled in all three paces and for a big horse he has lovely, straight paces and a fantastic attitude towards his work. He would easily produce a nice dressage test. He is jump schooling around 1m with scope, and is not at all fazed by coloured or rustic fences or fillers – he is totally uncomplicated going into his fences and will go off any stride and is bold. He has previously hunted in Ireland, is fantastic to hack out alone or in company, will go first or last and is good with traffic. Spencer is not at all fazed with being either turned out alone or in a mixed heard. He really is such a lovely person and these types are so hard to find. He has fantastic manners in out of the stable – he is such a perfect gentleman. Spencer would excel in an all-round/eventing home – he can and will turn his hoof to anything.”

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5. ‘Gorgeous prospect’

Height: 15.1hh

Gender: mare

Age: five

Selling points: “‘Nala’ is a stunning mare and is a real sweetheart – she is a very friendly mare and easy to shoe, box, catch, ride and in traffic. She has a fantastic jump and is a very athletic mare with lots of scope and great technique. She never wants to touch a pole and always gives her best. She is an honest mare and could excel in eventing or showjumping.She loose jumps over 1.20m with scope for more and has three nice paces. She has a soft snaffle mouth and is easily ridden into an outline. Nala is the prettiest horse you can find with a beautiful head. She hacks out alone or in company and should be suitable for a competitive home or a young rider moving up from ponies. She has a lovely and kind nature and will go far in the future. Nala has no stable vices and is open for any vetting.”

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NB: Horse & Hound has not checked the accuracy of the claims made in these adverts and cannot be held liable if the information included above is inaccurate in any way

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Ireland’s Kate Dwyer recorded the biggest win of her career at the Commercial Bank CHI5* Al Shaqab presented by Longines, in Doha, Qatar, winning the grand prix special with part-bred Shire gelding Snowdon Faberge.

Kate and ‘Fabio’, who last year helped secure Ireland’s first ever dressage team spot at the Olympics, posted their first ever plus-70% score in an international non-freestyle test, also becoming the first Irish combination ever to win a CDI5* grand prix special.

The chunky 14-year-old gelding, who has “feet like dinner plates”, according to Kate, is by Foxcourt Fabelhaft and out of Snowdon Daisy. He was bred in Wales, but Kate and her mother, dressage rider Maureen Dwyer, recently discovered that his dam was part-bred Shire.

His unconventional dressage breeding is not standing in Fabio’s way however, as he and Kate — last to go in the special — produced an accurate, rhythmical and harmonious performance to take the victory in Doha. The pair’s impressive consistency was such that they received a score of seven or above for every single movement.

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“I really had him with me every step of the way in there, and as I came up the last centre line I thought, ‘Oh my goodness — this is what it feels like’,” said Kate. “I couldn’t believe it when I looked back at the screen after coming out the arena and saw my mark — I couldn’t stop the tears. 70% has been very elusive to us until now, but I knew it was in him.

The 36-year-old also added that hearing the Irish national anthem ring out across the vast Al Shaqab dressage stadium as she stood on the podium was a very special moment.

“There were tears in my eyes then too. I’m so proud, and I’m proud for Ireland too.”

Kate and Fabio will now continue their campaign for Olympic selection ahead of Tokyo.

See 5 March issue of H&H for dressage and showjumping reports from the Commercial Bank CHI AL SHAQAB, presented by Longines.

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Irish racehorse trainer Philip Fenton has been found guilty of eight charges of possessing banned drugs — including two anabolic steroids.

The trainer appeared in court in Co Tipperary last week (23 October) and was fined a total of €6,000 plus €4,200 in costs.

The drugs were seized from his Garryduff yard on 18 January 2012 by the Irish Department of Agriculture.

The Irish Turf Club said investigations are now underway.

Last week the court heard that officers found two anabolic steroids — a 1kg tub of Nitrotain (containing ethylestranol) and smaller amount of Ilium Stanabolic (containing stanozolol) — in a box under a horse rug near the medicines cabinet.

Fenton did not give evidence at the court.

The charges were made in February this year, prior to the Cheltenham Festival, but the case was adjourned twice.

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) went to Ireland on 26 February to interview the trainer and test his horses, but on 5 March it was confirmed that the investigation “found no evidence that Fenton’s Cheltenham-entered horses have been administered with anabolic steroids”. The horses were cleared to run.

The trainer has saddled many major winners including Dunguib in the 2009 Cheltenham bumper and Last Instalment in the 2014 Hennessey Gold Cup at Leopardstown.

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Irish shows have introduced “horse-free zones” in warm-up areas. The move comes after a woman was knocked down and paralysed by a horse that galloped in between the practice fences at Cavan Equestrian Centre’s indoor championships in September 2012 (news, 25 October 2012).

Course-designer Tom Holden, who is on Showjumping Ireland’s (SJI) health and safety committee, has driven the initiative.

Plastic traffic barriers at 1.20m are positioned between practice fences to “create a safe area where the groom or trainer can retreat after adjusting the fence”.

“It’s not legislation, but we have encouraged show centres to use them,” said Mr Holden. “People were suspicious at first, but we’ve had positive feedback from riders, grooms and trainers.”

Mr Holden added that since Dublin Show agreed to try horse-free zones last summer, “most show centres have followed on”. Tattersalls and Ballindenisk Horse Trials are also using them.

SJI chairman Georgia Stubington said the organisation is working to reduce the risk involved in warm-up arenas.

“The plan in 2014 is to trial a few options,” she said. “They include a penned area built with plastic traffic barricades and a penned area designated with poles on the ground — which provides a demarcated area for assistants to stand in.

“There were concerns about the barricades blowing over or loose horses jumping them, crashing into them and causing more injury.”

The Meadows Equestrian Centre in Co Armagh was one of the first venues to start using the barriers.

“We now wouldn’t consider running a show without them,” said director Hugh McCusker, who believes 70% of Irish centres now use them. “At first there was opposition, especially from riders, but now people can see it’s an excellent idea.

“The horses don’t even notice, and we haven’t had any problems with them trying to jump or run through them.”

But they are unlikely to be spotted in this country imminently. The subject has not been raised at British Showjumping (BS).

“Before we consider an idea like this, there would have to be stringent health and safety checks,” said BS’s Maria Clayton.

British Eventing confirmed that while the initiative “has been discussed, we are not planning anything at this stage”.

One argument for the barricades is that some insurance companies on the Continent now insist — to prevent accidents — that shows employ professionals to adjust jumps, which raises the cost of hosting a show.

Mr Holden believes that Ireland is the first country to use the horse-free zones.

Up to 6 barriers are required, at a cost of €60 (£50) each.

Retirement beckons for two Irish National Hunt stars, after running with tremendous credit at the Punchestown Festival this week (29 April-3 May).

Trainer Willie Mullins called time on the career of supermare Quevega after she finished runner-up to Jetson in Punchestown’s World Series Hurdle on Friday (1 May) — a race she has won 4 times.

This was the first time the 6-time Cheltenham Mares’ Hurdle winner had been beaten since 2009.

The 10-year-old will embark on a new career as a broodmare.

Mr Mullins described Quevega as irreplaceable, and that she will “leave a huge gap in our yard”.

She won 16 of her 24 starts, including 4 Grade 1s and a total of £749,279 prize-money.

Meanwhile, former champion chaser Sizing Europe looks set to round off his own stellar career after clocking his second win in Wednesday’s Boylesports.com Champion Chase (30 April). Connections mentioned the expected retirement, but it has yet to be confirmed after the 12-year-old looked spring-heeled in coming home 5½ lengths clear of David Pipe’s Ballynagour.

The Henry de Bromhead-trained gelding has won every major 2-mile chase, including the Arkle, Tingle Creek as well as the Queen Mother. His owner Alan Potts has said he wanted the horse to finish on a high.

He has won 21 of his 42 starts, 8 of them at Grade 1, and nearly £1.25million prize-money. He was unlucky to be in the same era as Sprinter Sacre — who beat him in both the Queen Mother and the Boylesports.com Champion Chases last year.

H&H’s official betting partner PaddyPower is offering 3/1 on both Hurricane Fly and Jezki in the 5.30 at Punchestown today. Place your bet now

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One British and 2 Irish riders are among 29 young showjumpers gunning for an elite place on a new European program designed to help future professionals.

The academy, developed by non-profit association Athenaeum, will give 5 talented riders aged 18-23 a free six-month training placement with a top showjumper. Besides riding, the programme includes education in communication, business and economics, veterinary and legal practice related to the sport to help young riders develop associated managerial skills.

“This project represents a completely new concept for promising riders with a broad formula to help future professionals,” said Athenaeum’s Breido Graf zu Rantzau.

Fellow board member Eleonora Moroni added that she hoped it would “transform training”.

“The goal is not just to help athletes, but to educate them to a modern sport system which requires further skills.”

Each European Federation was allowed to put up to 4 candidates forward, or riders were selected on the basis of results at young rider and junior European Championships.

29 have been selected to compete at CSIs at either last weekend’s Toscana Tour, Italy (10-13 April) or next month’s Landgestüt Redefin, Germany (9-11 May). 

A selection panel, consisting of Otto Becker, Jean-Maurice Bonneau, Emile Hendrix and Sven Holmberg, will pick the final 5 at the end of May, who will train with Ludger Beerbaum, Rolf Göran Bentsson, Dietmar Gugler, Gilbert de Roock or Kévin Staut.

While the British Equestrian Federation did not submit any candidates, English rider James Shore, successful at pony and junior level, is in the running. Bertram Allen and Kellie Allen represent Ireland. Out of the 13 nations, there are 4 riders from Italy, 3 from Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Switzerland.

The academy is backed by the European Equestrian Federation, the International Jumping Riders Club and Rolex.

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Irish Thoroughbed Marketing (ITM) has launched a multi-lingual interactive website, giving information about the thoroughbred industry in Ireland.

The website, which took 8 months to develop, is a database with information such as sales dates, stallion nominations, trainer contacts and racecourses. It features a horse ratings search tool, enabling buyers and bloodstock agents to filter and search for horses using a number of different criteria.

ITM general manager Elaine Hatton said: “Visitors to the site will be treated to an easily navigable experience that is not only aesthetically pleasing and filled with wonderful imagery, but is also a source of up-to-date information and news from around the world.

“The ‘media centre’ is a rich source of material that will be welcomed by journalists and others with an interest in facts and figures.”

Information is currently translated into Russian, French, Mandarin, Spanish and Turkish, with further languages planned in the second phase of development.

The website is optimised for mobile and desktop technology.

Visit www.itm.ie

Nick Turner has been named as the new high performance manager for Irish eventing, replacing Ginny Elliot.

Mr Turner, a former event rider and showjumper, managed the Brazilian eventing team from 2008, to 2012.

He is also a Fellow of the British Horse Society and qualified neuro linguistic planning practitioner (NLP), a technique used in sports psychology.

Ginny, who had held the position since 2008, steered the Irish team to fifth place at London 2012. Aoife Clark was seventh individually. Ginny reapplied for the role, but withdrew from the race (news, 24 January), citing new projects.

Mr Turner said he was “delighted” with the appointment.

He added: “I am looking forward to working with the riders to build on their performances to date and on the work done over the past four years.”

Horse Sport Ireland chairman, Joe Walsh, said there had been “many excellent candidates for the role” and that “Nick’s experience and plans for the Irish team really made a big impression”.

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Ginny Elliot has withdrawn from the selection process to appoint the next performance manager for Ireland’s senior eventing team, a position she has held since 2008.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) announced in November that it was holding an open recruitment competition for the job. H&H understands that nine people have applied.

Ginny told H&H: “I had reapplied, but I’ve decided over the past few days to withdraw my application.

“I have spent four years there and feel as though I’ve helped a lot, but am looking for new projects.”

Ireland finished fifth as a team at London 2012, with Aoife Clark seventh individually; results that Ginny said had “exceeded all all targets that were set”.

She added: “I wish eventing in Ireland all the best for the future and I congratulate everyone involved in the huge progress we have made together over the last four years.”

Ginny dominated eventing in the mid-late 1980s, winning a world championships, three European Championships, three Badmintons and five Burghleys — she shared the record for most Burghley wins with Mark Todd and then William Fox-Pitt, until William went on to win the event for a sixth time in 2011.

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Irish showjumpoing team manager Robert Splaine will field a strong team tomorrow (Thursday) in the fifth leg of the FEI Nations Cup Superleague at Aachen in Germany.

The Irish team, which currently lies second in the competition, has been bolstered by US-based Shane Sweetnam.

Splaine this evening confirmed his team will jump in the following order:

Shane Breen/Carmena Z

Shane Sweetnam/Amaretto Darco

Denis Lynch/Lantinus

Billy Twomey/Tinka’s Serenade

The Irish squad has already notched up successes at Aachen this week, with Co Down’s Dermott Lennon winning the 90-starter opening competition on Tuesday with Judith Sossick’s Irish-bred Limmerick mare Loughview Lou Lou.

Cork’s Billy Twomey also picked up €8,000 for a runner-up place later in the night aboard Sue Davies’s chestnut mare Tinka’s Serenade.

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Irish showjumper Denis Lynch has quit the Irish team, blaming irreconcilable differences with team manager Robert Splaine.

Denis is now considering riding for Germany — where he has lived for the past 16 years.

Denis told the Irish Examiner newspaper: “The team must come first, not me, an individual, but if I cannot give the same commitment, there is no point in continuing.

“I have spoken with Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) and I don’t think we can achieve anything at the moment.

“The relationship between myself and Robert [Splaine] has broken down, but manager/athlete situations like these occur in all sports.

“I have to recognize our relationship is poor and this could definitely affect the team in the future. So I have to question my involvement.”

A spokesman for HSI told H&H: “It is our view that the appropriate way to resolve any issues which a rider may have with the management of any Irish equestrian team is for the rider to sit down with the team manager and discuss them face to face.

“In recent weeks Denis Lynch has repeatedly declined to do this, despite several proposals to this effect from Robert Splaine.”

He said that Mr Splaine, HSI chief executive Damian McDonald and chairman Joe Walsh had offered to visit Denis in Germany on 7 January but their overture had been refused.

“The offer to meet still stands,” said the HSI spokesman. “However, we want to make it clear that it is HSI’s prerogative to appoint the manager of the Irish showjumping team.

“In addition, any rider who wants to ride for Ireland must be willing to comply in full with HSI’s rules and code of conduct,” he added.

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Irish showjumper Denis Lynch is launching a campaign to raise money and find new homes for Ireland’s neglected and abandoned horses.

Denis wants to raise “a substantial amount of money” to help the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ISPCA) deal with the country’s horse crisis.

Last year H&H highlighted the suffering in Ireland, where where ponies and horses have have become terribly undervalued as a result of overbreeding and the economic downturn (news feature, 19 August 2010).

“The subject has been preying on my mind for months. I had to do something. Horses should not treated like this,” said Denis, who hails from Co Tipperary but is based in Germany.

“Being in showjumping I have access to some very affluent people and I have already got a number of donations to my fund,” he added.

Denis launches his appeal at the CSI4* in Basel this week and hopes to encourage fellow riders and owners to contribute.

ISPCA chief executive Noel Griffin said: “We are extremely grateful for Denis’ offer of help. We have a very severe problem, with more horses needing help them we can cope with.”

After recuperation, some of the horses rescued by Irish charities could make riding school horses and hunters, believes Denis, and he hopes to expand his help to the ISPCA to help find new homes for them.

“I have already had 600 or so offers from people who are able to help rehome these horses and there are breeders in Holland and Germany who are willing to look after horses while they recover,” said Denis.

But no arrangement has yet been agreed with the ISPCA.

“We still need to discuss all the details,” said Mr Griffin.

If you would like to donate to the account, banking details are:

Donation account: Irish Horses

Account number: 19038011 at the Fellbacher Bank

Sort code: 60261329

IBAN: DE90 6026 1329 0019 0380 11

BIC: GENODES1FBB

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Three ponies and a foal, originally rescued by a Northern Irish horse charity, have begun a new life at Redwings Horse Sanctuary in Norfolk.

Annie (on left of picture), and her two companions Archie and Amy (on right of picture), had been running loose for three days on the roads in County Antrim.

They were caught by staff from Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary as they were galloping down a slip road onto a motorway, headlong into oncoming traffic.

Annie was suffering from concussive laminitis brought on by the hard road surfaces, and her feet were terribly overgrown and split (see picture below).

She was also very thin and a vet found she had underlying neurological problems too.

She was given corrective surgery on her feet and specialist plastic shoes but her gait is permanently affected.

Annie’s owner Bridget Doherty was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering, banned from keeping animals for ten years and fined £650 plus court costs of £4,000.

The three ponies were signed over into the care of Crosskennan and around the same time Amy gave birth to a healthy foal called Merlin.

Rachel Angell, senior welfare officer for Redwings, said: “The welfare situation in Ireland is pretty dire at the moment and Crosskennan are being completely inundated with rescue cases.

“It was clear that Annie will always need specialist veterinary care which is something we can offer here at Redwings, with the bonus being that Crosskennan will now be able to offer homes to four more horses in desperate need of help.”

Janice Watt from Crosskennan Lane said: “This was a landmark case for equine welfare in the province and has served as a warning to those who fail to provide adequate care for their horses.

“We felt Annie and her friends would never have a secure future whilst still on Irish soil and are therefore delighted that Redwings have provided them with a safe haven to ensure they will never return to the horrendous life they once endured.”

Redwings Horse Sanctuary: www.redwings.co.uk or call 01508 481000.

Crosskennan Lane Animal Sanctuary: www.crosskennanlane.org.uk or telephone 028 9446 5384

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Former Irish event rider Alice Reeves-Smyth, 50, was killed in a car crash last Sunday (6 December) night outside Naas, Co Kildare.

Alice, from Donadea, Co Kildare, was well known for her eventing achievements with the diminutive cross-country machine Millicent Bridge.

Known as Siobhan during her eventing days, she led the Irish to a team gold medal at the 1977 junior European Championships in Fontainebleau, France. She finished 10th individually at the championships.

She and Millicent Bridge also represented Ireland at the 1980 World Championships, also in Fontainebleau. Again, they finished best of the Irish, taking 19th place.

Alice completed Badminton on Millicent Bridge in 1981 and 1982.

Alice was also a racehorse owner and was involved in the Racegoers Consultative Forum, a group which provides a link between racegoers and racecourses and Horse Racing Ireland.

The funeral will be on Thursday, 10 December at 11.30am in St Michael’s Church, Millicent, Co Kildare and donations are requested to the Injured Jockeys Fund in lieu of flowers.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident.

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A central Dublin horse market will stay put after councillors abandoned plans to move it.

The sales are held responsible for driving thousands of horses into miserable existences on the city’s housing estates.

Smithfield has been a marketplace since the 1600s, but is now a cobbled square with glass-fronted apartment blocks and stainless steel street furniture.

Dublin City Council had been due to announce a new venue for the market last month, but instead said it could no longer afford to fund the relocation.

A council spokesman told H&H: “In the current economic conditions there is no money to invest in an alternative site for this market, even if a suitable location could be found.”

The council tried to close the fair in 2002 after a horse bolted and crashed into a car but traders defied the ban.

Under Irish law, Smithfield cannot be closed without an alternative venue being provided nearby.

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THE first foal to be registered by the new Warmblood Studbook of Ireland was born on St Patrick’s Day (15 March), the day before the society was approved by the Irish parliament.

The approval, by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Brendan Smith, ends Horse Sport Ireland and the Irish Horse Board’s monopoly on sport horse breeding.

The studbook has been founded by Co Clare residents Tom Reed and Dawn Kelly, who own Morningside Stud, and breeder and trainer Claire Wood.

The first foal, Aibhlinn Bella M2S, was bred by Morningside Stud.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (2 April, ’09)

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Miniature ponies are to get their own stud book in Ireland from February, following the recognition of the Miniature Horse and Pony Society of Ireland by the Irish department of agriculture.

Until now Irish horses had to be affiliated to foreign societies if they were to be registered as miniatures.

Chairman of the society Joan Hawkins said from January they will be able to issue passports to the 4,000 miniature ponies estimated to live in Ireland.

The first fully registered Irish miniature foals will be born from 2010.

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HORSE Sport Ireland (HSI) is inviting comments on its draft strategic plan to develop equestrian sport in the Republic over the next four years.

This is HSI’s first major project since it took over responsibility for Irish equestrianism in January, but its proposals for breeding have caused concern.

The overall plan is split into four areas: promoting and improving the standard of Irish performance and riding horses — including breeding; involving more riders, owners and spectators in HSI competitions; improving education and training, and stricter governance — including welfare and anti-doping standards.

Planned improvements to the breeding of Irish horses include changes to stallion gradings, where instead of sires receiving formal approval, the HSI will assess all potential stallions and publish as much information as possible about their breeding and progeny.

“We should have faith in breeders to make their own judgements about stallions,” said HSI chairman Joe Walsh.

But some breeders say it would put Ireland at odds with continental studbooks and lead to a drop in quality if breeders don’t do their homework.

Anna Kennedy, of Kennedy Equine sport horse breeders, told H&H: “We would prefer they left things as they are, with performance horse approvals, instead of opening it up to every horse at every crossroads.

“Why would breeders bother to wade through all this information when at the moment they know exactly what they are getting?”

HSI announced a code of conduct and approval system for Irish Sport Horse (ISH) breeders earlier this year (news, 14 August),which is included as part of the draft plan.

Mr Walsh added: “The purpose of publishing the plan in draft form is to allow groups and individuals to offer their views before it is finally approved.”

Comment before 27 October at www.horsesportireland.ie

Read this news story in full in the current issue of Horse & Hound (23 October, ’08)

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IRISH breeders and dealers have welcomed a new approval scheme designed to improve consumer confidence, though some believe elements of it may be hard to police.

Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) announced on Wednesday, 6 August that they will draw up a list of approved breeders — bound by a code of practice — for potential buyers’ use.

Joe Walsh, chairman of HSI, said: “As an industry, we need to set higher standards.

“While most horse sellers and dealers do a very good and fair job, we want to ensure new entrants to the industry are confident standards are high.”

There are 110,000 sport horses living in the country, 27,500 of whom are breeding mares, says HSI.

“The industry makes a huge contribution to rural Ireland,” added Mr Walsh.

But dealers like Oliver Walsh of Galway, who runs international dealing business Flowerhill (H&H, 17 April), is behind HSI’s move to get dealers to comply.

“I think it’s great that they are going to regulate the industry — there has been far too much indiscriminate breeding for years and it’s affecting the quality of the Irish horse,” said Mr Walsh.

“But although I will sign up to this code of conduct, the majority of breeders in Ireland are working lads who just have a mare and put it in-foal to whatever stallion is around. I’d like to see them regulated.”

The code of conduct will be drawn up in September and the approved list will be published in 2009.

This news story was first published in Horse & Hound (14 August, ’08)

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The governing body for horse sport, International Equestrian Federation, has today confirmed that Ireland will be promoted to show jumping’s Samsung Super League in 2008.

The Samsung Super League is for the top eight show jumping nations in the world. The Irish team replaces France, which has been demoted to compete in only the nations cup series, after finishing bottom in Super League rankings for this year.

The Irish show jumpers were relegated from the elite league at the end of 2006, but their success in the FEI nations cup series this year has secured their return. Ireland currently tops the nations cup table and, although one event in Buenos Aires remains, its position cannot be threatened by closest rivals Denmark and Italy.

Early wins in the nations cup series establish Ireland as the early leader, a position that was unassailable throughout the year.

Irish team manager Robert Splaine hopes to establish a better position in the Super League in 2008 than in 2006, when the team struggled to avoid relegation.

“We are stronger and more determined after having to fight our way back to the top,” he said. “But the Super League is where we want to be, even though it is very tough, and I know we will have a challenging year ahead.”

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