Horse Sport Ireland, the governing body for equestrian sports here in Ireland, recently announced significant changes to its constitution. While ostensibly aimed at streamlining operations or enhancing governance, these alterations threaten to disenfranchise grassroots and amateur horse riders across the country.

The amendments, which have been ratified as of January 25th 2024, have sparked controversy within the equestrian community. Many fear that the changes will prioritise the interests of a select few (the quorum of 3 to make decisions on behalf of the indsutry is extremely worrying) at the expense of those who participate in equestrian sports for at all levels be it any discipline, recreation or on a non-professional basis.

One of the primary concerns raised by critics, and there is a lot of them, is the perceived shift in decision-making power away from Affiliates and Representative Bodies (as previously stated in the constitution) towards centralised authorities at HSI. This could result in less autonomy for grassroots organisations and reduced representation for amateur riders in the decision-making processes of Horse Sport Ireland.

Furthermore, there are apprehensions that the amendments may lead to less input from amateur riders. The introduction of new fees for passports recently and the lack of engagement beforehand. This happens at the same time grassroots equestrians across the country are in uproar because of the current lead time for passports and totally inadequate communication and responses should really tell us something as grassroots equestrians.

Moreover, the alterations to the constitution risk undermining the sense of community and camaraderie that is integral to equestrian sports. By marginalising grassroots organisations and amateur riders, there is a danger of eroding the inclusive and welcoming environment that has long characterised the equestrian community in Ireland.

In response to these concerns, there have been calls for greater transparency and consultation in the decision-making process regarding the constitutional changes. It is essential that the voices of grassroots organisations and amateur riders are heard and taken into account to ensure that any revisions to the constitution are fair and equitable for all members of the equestrian community.

Ultimately, the changes to Horse Sport Ireland’s constitution have stirred debate and apprehension within the equestrian community. As the organisation moves forward with its plans, it must carefully consider the potential impact on grassroots and amateur riders and take steps to mitigate any adverse effects on this vital segment of the equestrian community.

The silence from HSI has been deafening on all of the changes… we heard very little about this across the first 4 months of the year even though this took place in January and must have been in the plans for months before but then again, it wasn’t too long ago that when the previous board walked was it?

The grassroots and amateur community have for long enough have had a weak voice, or felt they weren’t listened to but this decision by HSI, in my opinion ripped that away from us all even more.