Horse Sport Ireland unveiled a new high performance manager for the National Show Jumping Team yesterday as well as two new sponsors to back what they hope to achieve on a world stage in the coming years.
The Underwriting Exchange is an insurance underwriter based in London and established by Irish equine enthusiast Stephen O’Connor. They recently established a Dublin base with the setting up of the London Ireland Market Exchange and have an involvement in horse racing through support of the Gordon Elliot Racing Stables and previously at Fairyhouse racecourse.
The second new sponsor is Devenish who work within the animal feed sector and join Glanbia’s Gain Foods as supporters of Horse Sport Ireland.
Both sponsors originally came to have involvement with Horse Sport Ireland through its innovative partnership with the Irish Greyhound Board and the Jumping in the City initiative which was first run in 2015.
Take a look back on our Partners’ 17 Event
That won an Irish Sport Industry Award in its first year and has now delivered on bringing two new commercial partners into the fold.
The main focus for new manager Rodrigo Pessoa will be on this year’s European Championships but with a long term emphasis on developing the team to be podium contenders at all major Championships including the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Pessoa himself is a double Olympic gold medallist and a leading light within the sport. In 2012 he carried Brazil’s flag at the opening ceremony of the London Olympics and is an active committee member within the World Governing Body for Equestrian Sport the FEI.
Without doubt he is a significant capture for Irish sport’s high performance group of coaches and leaders.
