Irish Horse Board proud sponsors of Punchestown 2007

The Irish Horse Board are proud to be title sponsors of the Punchestown International Three Day Event and Horse Show 2007. The event will take place from 17th to 20th May. The Event was launched on 9th May and the following is an address from IHB Chairman, Joe Walsh, which was delivered at the launch.

“The Irish Horse Board is delighted to be associated as the main sponsors of the Punchestown Three Day Event. Punchestown is Ireland’s only CCI*** event and it is vitally important, for the Irish Sport Horse and for the Irish Sport Horse industry, that it is firmly established in the international calendar as the flagship for Irish Eventing.

Eventing is the true test of a horse’s all round ability and the Irish Sport Horse (ISH) is renowned worldwide in this exciting sport. As you are all aware, the ISH Studbook is the leading studbook in the World Eventing Rankings and we have seen some wonderful Irish horses competing over the past 12 years, helping to keep the Irish horse in top spot since the rankings began. The recent exploits of one of our best, Ben Along Time, in winning Rolex at Kentucky, will hopefully help to keep us at the top again this year.

The ambition of everyone involved in Irish Eventing must now be to have some of these wonderful horses ridden by Irish riders and competing under the Irish flag. In this regard, I am very confident that the formation of Horse Sport Ireland will create the climate and facilitate the putting in place of the right structures to ensure that this will happen in the not too distant future.

Punchestown Three Day Event will host classes from all equestrian disciplines. In addition to the eventing classes, there will be showjumping classes, hunter classes, a hunt chase, young event horse classes and many more attractions, which will make it a great few days of sport for the visitors to the Show to enjoy.

In order to attract visitors and to showcase Irish Eventing and the Irish horse to a wider audience, it is vital that the Event gets maximum coverage in the media. I am appealing to our friends in the Press to give us whatever help they can in this regard. I am delighted that the Irish Horse Board has been able to provide funding again this year for television coverage of the Event, as part of our efforts to promote Irish equestrianism and the Irish horse.

The Punchestown Course is an invaluable asset in assuring Ireland continues to be a big player on the international eventing circuit, by allowing us to host major events such as this. I would like to pay a very special thanks to Punchestown Racecourse and the Kildare Hunt Club for providing us with their wonderful facilities. It is vitally important that this partnership flourishes and that the work done this year is built on in future years.

Commercial sponsorship is vital to ensure the financial viability of events such as Punchestown. I would like to thank all of the commercial sponsors – AON Insurance, Connolly Redmills, Sheehy Motors and CLG. I would also like to thank Failte Ireland and the Irish Sports Council for their considerable contribution to ensure the success of the Event.

On behalf of the Irish Horse Board, I would like to thank Eventing Ireland and the Organising Committee, particularly Gillian and John Kyle, Pat Murphy, David Mongey of the Kildare Hunt Club and indeed all of the volunteers for their hard work to ensure the success of the Event.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Gillian and her organising committee every success, and I and the Irish Horse Board staff look forward to working closely with them to do whatever is necessary to ensure the success of the Event.”