HORSE SPORTS The Launch of the Team Ireland Equestrian Initiative

Horse Sport Ireland has launched a new brand 'Team Ireland Equestrian' which will be worn by all Irish equestrian riders across all disciplines in 2010 up to the London Olympics. The disciplines involved include the Olympic disciplines of show jumping, eventing, dressage and para-equestrian.

As part of the launch, Team Ireland Equestrian Show Jumping Team Manager Robert Splaine and Eventing High Performance Manager Ginny Elliot set out their plans for 2010.

The top priority for both managers is to secure qualification for the London Olympics for their respective teams at the World Equestrian Games, which will take place in Kentucky in September of this year.

Horse Sport Ireland is targeting the London games and sees this as an ideal opportunity for Irish horses and riders to compete in favourable climatic conditions without any travel burden on their horses.

Horse Sport Ireland Chairman Joe Walsh said: "This is a great opportunity for us. We now have excellent high performance structures in place with top class coaches involved and we will be aiming to bring home two Olympic medals from London 2012."

Show Jumping Team Manager Robert Splaine said that he would be targeting Olympic Qualification at WEG for the show jumping team as well as remaining in the Meydan series (formerly the Superleague) and a good performance in the Aga Khan trophy in Dublin.

"We have top class jockeys who have good horses at present and while Olympic qualification will be tough I have no doubt we are good enough if we are lucky with injuries throughout the year," he said.

Horse Sport Ireland Eventing High Performance Manager and four-time Olympic medallist Ginny Elliot said that her targets were to secure Olympic qualification at WEG and for the riders to do well at Badminton at the end of April and in the World Cup qualifier at Tattersalls in May.

"Since I got involved with the Irish team I have been impressed with the way the riders have engaged with the high performance programme. If we can secure qualification this year it would give us a real boost and with two more years to prepare I believe we can win a medal at the Olympics," she said.

The centrepiece of the Team Ireland Equestrian initiative is a new leisurewear and horse accessories line created in conjunction with Horseware Ireland which was unveiled at today's launch.

The new initiative also encompasses a new Facebook page (Team Ireland
Equestrian) which already has over 1200 fans, a new microsite which can be accessed through www.horsesportireland.ie and a twitter page teamirlEq.

Concluding the proceedings, Horse Sport Ireland Chairman Joe Walsh said that the launch was a new beginning for the sport in Ireland. "We have outstanding riders in this country and with top class coaches and structures in place we can take on the world. It is time for people to get behind our riders, our horses and Team Ireland Equestrian," he said.