Dr. Sonja Egan:

The organisations running these shows apply to us for funding at the start of the year. In many cases, they will apply in respect of certain classes, all of which are young horse classes, which means anything from a foal to a horse that is seven or eight years old. Details of the more than 60 shows that are funded are all published and available on our website. An independent panel reviews the scoring system to make sure it is fair and an allocation is made to each individual show. Horse Sport Ireland pays out the vast majority of prize money for these shows. The arrangement is that the organisations behind the shows sign the terms and conditions and, on completion of the show, submit a show report to us for verification, following which we pay out.