Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D. has hailed the awarding of over half a million euro in breeding grants from Horse Sport Ireland (HSI) to 55 shows and initiatives nationwide including the AIRC Riding Clubs Festival.
The HSI Breeding Grant offers support for breeding and production initiatives, classes and competitions at various equestrian shows and events throughout the country. Applications for the grants scheme opened in January 2021 on the Horse Sport Ireland website.
Launching the grants today, Minister McConalogue said:
“I am very happy to be able to launch this breeding initiative. My department has worked extensively with the HSI breeding team to ensure that deserving applicants have been awarded the funding necessary to be able to put on breeding and development shows, particularly with rare breeds in mind.
“Fifty-five applicants will receive over half million euro between them, and this will facilitate Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM)-approved studbooks, breed societies and other equine events to propose and provide support for a specific breeding and production-related shows, classes and initiatives.
“The grants will support smaller regional and grassroots breeding and production show-related classes. It will also engender a culture of breeder recognition and support in Ireland.
“The scheme supports rural spread of funding to breeders, producers and associated economic activity for venues nationwide, while also supporting innovation at grassroots level in the proposal, performance and promotion of Irish breeding and Irish horses.
“This is the largest fund allocated by the Department to the breeding grant initiative and will strive to support breeders and producers nationwide, the bedrock of the sport horse industry”
In 2021 the Breeding Grant was oversubscribed with shows and events submitting applications for the fund. This year, over 60 shows sought support for over 270 breeding and production initiatives, classes and competitions at various equestrian shows and events nationwide, with 55 being granted funding (see table below).
From major events such as the Dublin Horse Show at the RDS to our regional events across the country, all applications were afforded the same consideration and, thanks to the work done between Horse Sport Ireland’s breeding department and the Department of Agriculture, extra funding was secure to ensure applicants received necessary funding.
At the launch, HSI Head of Breeding, Development and Innovation, Sonja Egan, said:
“We are delighted to bring these initiatives to fruition alongside the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
“These initiatives empower breeders, producers, venues and show organisations to seek funding for innovative ideas related to young horse breeding, production and showing and, in doing so supports their local equine and wider community infrastructure.
“These funds help breeders and producers to attract additional funding and entries through their local networks and stimulate economic activity within the local community. HSI asked the Department delivered and we are delighted to award over half a million directly to Irish breeder and producers through this initiative.
Horse Sport Ireland Chief Executive Denis Duggan added:
“We are grateful to Minister McConalogue and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine for all their work and for ensuring that our applicants will receive the necessary funding for their events.
“Breeding and production throughout the country provides the backbone of the industry and therefore it is crucial for us to be able to provide supports to breeders, studbooks and events, big and small. This scheme aims to support breeders in their quest to produce the finest of Irish-bred horses. Breeders involved in producing horses for sale know the increased value that having a winning horse can bring to the sale of horse. Our aim, supported by the Department of Agriculture, Food & Marine is to ensure initiatives such as these funded today, which showcase Irish-bred horses contribute to increased sales value and higher prices for the breeder.”
“As the governing body of equestrian sport in Ireland we endeavour to always support our stakeholders and this scheme highlights that, with over half a million euro in funding – the largest amount ever provided by the department to the equine industry – being used where it should be, and we are delighted to have been able to provide it.”
| Date of Show | Organisation | Funds Awarded |
| 19th March-18th April | Eventing Ireland Western Region | €3,500 |
| 30th March- 26th April | Wexford Equestrian | €2,500 |
| 3rd April | IDHBA Kildare | €900.00 |
| 11th-14th May | Royal Ulster Agricultural Society | €2,500.00 |
| 21st May | Eventing Ireland (Northern Region) | €5,000.00 |
| 29th May | Midleton Agricultural Show | €1,500.00 |
| 5th June | Mayo Rocommon Breeder’s Group | €2,000.00 |
| 2nd-6th June | Mullingar Equestrian | €3,000.00 |
| 11th-12th June | Association of Irish Riding Clubs CLG | €2,500.00 |
| 18th June | Vincent Holian/ Mullingar EC | €8,000.00 |
| 25th-26th June | Charleville Agricultural Society | €1,500.00 |
| 26th June | Ballyfoyle Agricultural Show | €2,000.00 |
| 3rd July | IDHBA Laois Branch | €1,000.00 |
| 3rd July | Dunmanaway Agricultural Society Ltd | €1,500.00 |
| 7-10 July | SJI UR/ National Balmoral Championships | €4,500.00 |
| 9th July | Barryroe Show Ltd | €2,000.00 |
| 9th July | Ardrahan Show | €1,000.00 |
| 10th & 31st July | West Cork Horse Breeders Co-op Society Ltd | €3,000.00 |
| 17th July | Ballyvourney/ Coolea Show | €1,000.00 |
| 17th July | The Wicklow Hunt | €500.00 |
| 21st July | Wexford Equetrian | €2,000.00 |
| 26th July | South East Clare show | €1,000.00 |
| 31st July | Schull Agricultural Show | €1,500.00 |
| July | Barnadown Show Jumping | €5,000.00 |
| 3rd- 7th August | Milltreet Equestrian Services | €21,500.00 |
| 6th-7th August | Killosery Lodge Stud | €3,000.00 |
| 7th August | Clare Castle Show Society | €8,000.00 |
| 7th August | Eventing @ Punchestown Committee | €6,000.00 |
| 8th-12th August | Connemara Pony Breeder’s Society | €10,000.00 |
| 17th- 21st August | Royal Dublin Society | €200,000.00 |
| 20th August | Mayo Rocommon Breeder’s Group | €2,000.00 |
| 21st August | Leitrim Branch IDHBA | €2,000.00 |
| 21st August | Kerry Bog Society | €930.00 |
| 25th-28th August | Show Jumping Ireland | €3,000.00 |
| 25th-28th August | Irish Breeders Classic | €20,000.00 |
| August | Hughes Horses Ltd | €8,000.00 |
| 3rd September | Irish Draught Horse Society | €2,000.00 |
| 3rd September | Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association (Punchestown) | €3,600.00 |
| 8th-11th September | Youngster Tour Ireland Store | €11,000.00 |
| 11th September | Traditional Irish Horse Association | €3,000.00 |
| 17th September | Lambertstown Derby Show | €4,250.00 |
| 21st-24th April/ 24th & 25th September | Meadows Equestrian Centre | €2,000.00 |
| 22nd-25th September | Ballindenisk | €12,000.00 |
| 24th-25th September | Ulster Region Show Jumping | €3,000.00 |
| 25th September | Claremorris Equestrian Centre | €5,000.00 |
| 30th September | Mullingar Horse Sales Ltd. | €3,000.00 |
| April/ May to September | Show Jumping Ireland | €8,000.00 |
| August- September | Eventing Ireland | €10,000.00 |
| 8th October | IDHBA Cork/Kerry branch | €1,500.00 |
| 7-10 July & 19-20 November | Cavan Equestrian Centre | €3,000.00 |
| April- July | HSI Studbook Series | €80,000.00 |
| July- September | Irish Shows Associations CLG | €25,000.00 |
| Bannow and Rathangan 14th July 2022 | ||
| Kildysart 30th July 2022 | ||
| Moate 21st August 2022 | ||
| Bridgetown 24th July 2022 | ||
| Mountbellew 3rd September 2022 | ||
| Roscommon 20th August 2022 | ||
| Limerick 28th August 2022 | ||
| Ballinasloe 25th September 2022 | ||
| Kingdom Show 8th May | ||
| Inishowen show 16th July Clonmany 2nd August | ||
| June- July | Young Event horse Series (YES!) | €16,000.00 |
| TBC | Northern Ireland Horse Board Co-op Society Ltd | €2,000.00 |
| Award announced once WBFSH rankings announced | WBFSH Leading Irish Breeders | €6,000.00 |
| TBC | SJI JAG Equestrian Centre | €2,000.00 |
| TBC | Coilog Eventing Ltd | €3,000.00 |
| Total Breeding Grant 2022 | €548,680 |
