HORSE SPORT IRELAND: €70,000 PRIZE FUND FOR ISH SHOWJUMPING SERIES ANNOUNCED

Source: News Release/Colin McClelland

HORSE SPORT IRELAND ANNOUNCES €70,000 PRIZE FUND FOR ISH SHOWJUMPING SERIES

HORSE Sport Ireland has announced details of the 2012 Irish Sport Horse Studbook Showjumping Series, which this year has a prize fund of €70,000. The Series will run at seven venues throughout Ireland, with the first leg kicking off at Louth County Show in April.

Significant changes have been made to the 2012 Series, notably that there will now be separate classes for the 6 and 7 year olds. In addition, for the first four legs of the Series, the 6 year olds will not be asked to jump against the clock.

This year, there will be €9,500 in prize money on offer at each of the seven venues and an additional €3,500 in League and Breeder prizes on offer at the last leg at the Tattersalls Ward Union Hunt Show in July.

Horse Sport Ireland Chairman, Joe Walsh, said: “The Series again offers very significant prize money for 2012. We anticipate the Series will continue to improve the standard of young horse jumping in Ireland.”

As in previous years, the Irish Sport Horse Studbook Showjumping Series will be used as part of the selection process for participation at the prestigious FEI World Breeding Jumping Championships for Young Horses, which take place in Lanaken, Belgium, in late September.

Horse Sport Ireland Director of Breeding & Programmes, Alison Corbally, said: “2012 sees the Irish Sport Horse Showjumping Series in its eighth year. From its inception, the aim of the Series has been to provide a forum whereby talented young Irish Sport Horses, by approved stallions, can be produced successfully. In recent times Larkhill Cruiser (ISH) and Loughview Lou-Lou (ISH) were victorious in Grand Prix classes and in Nations Cup competitions for Ireland. Both of these horses came through the Studbook Series as young horses.”

The first leg will be held at Louth County Show (27th to 29th April). Action then moves on to Barnadown (11th to 13th May), Cavan (18th to 20th May), Mullingar International (1st to 4th June), Galway County Show (16th to 17th June) and then Cork Summer Show (13th & 15th July). The last leg will take place at the Tattersalls Ward Union Hunt Show (27th to 29th July), when the League winners will be crowned.

Christy Murphy, Showjumping Ireland Chairman, welcomed the announcement on the 2012 Series.

“The Irish Sport Horse Studbook Showjumping Series is an integral part of the national showjumping calendar each year. Horse Sport Ireland provides excellent prize money and we look forward to another successful year of these classes for young Irish-bred horses,” he said.

All classes will be run on a pre-entry basis and start lists, including full breeding information, will be available at each show. Rules in relation to breeding criteria, hind boots and jump-offs will also apply and full details are available under the Breeding section of the Horse Sport Ireland website (www.horsesportireland.ie) and on the Showjumping Ireland website (www.sji.ie).