Why can't the UK so something like this.

magic104

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www.jc-countryside.co.uk
The Irish Horse Board is delighted to announce three new breeding schemes aimed at improving the quality of the Irish Sport Horse – the Elite Thoroughbred Stallion Approval Scheme, Nomination Scheme for Elite Mares and the Irish Sport Horse Colt Retention Scheme.

Elite Thoroughbred Stallion Approval Scheme

Although Ireland is renowned worldwide for its predominance in the field of horse racing there is a need for more top class Thoroughbred stallions to be available to the sport horse sector. The aim of this new scheme is to encourage the use of top class Thoroughbred stallions in the sport horse breeding sector.

Under the Elite Thoroughbred Stallion Approval Scheme, Thoroughbred stallions standing in Ireland that are not currently available to the sport horse sector will be considered for approval under similar criteria to the criteria applied to stallions standing abroad for use through AI. Stallions must have a timeform rating of 110 or over to be eligible for approval under this scheme. Stallions approved under this scheme will be limited to a of maximum of 20 coverings per year.

Stallions meeting these criteria will be approved on the Irish Horse Register on application by the stallion owner.

Irish Sport Horse Colt Retention Scheme

The Irish Horse Board is delighted to announce the establishment of a colt retention scheme for Irish Sport Horses. Many quality young Irish Sport Horses are unavailable for breeding, as they have been gelded at a young age. The aim of this scheme is to encourage the retention of these quality young horses as entire colts until they are eligible for stallion performance testing. It is hoped that this scheme will result in the retention of the very best Irish Sport Horse colts for assessment as prospective stallions.

Under the new Irish Sport Horse Colt Retention Scheme approximately 25 ISH colts will be selected each year and grant assistance of €2,000 per annum will be awarded to the owners of selected colts that are kept entire. Subject to passing an inspection, funding of €2,000 will be also be available at the yearling stage.

Inspections will be open for all Irish Sport Horse colts. In order to encourage the inspection of colts with high genetic merit, colts with a breeding value of 125 or greater will be invited to come forward for inspection and the inspection fee for such colts will be waived. A combination of genetic evaluation and inspection will be used in the selection of these colts.

Nomination Scheme for Elite Mares
Under this new scheme the IHB will provide funding to the owners of ‘elite’ mares to cover 50% of the stud fee up to a maximum of €2,500 per covering for mares that are covered by stallions approved under the Elite Thoroughbred Stallion Approval Scheme.

The eligibility criteria for this scheme is currently being examined and will be announced shortly.

The aim of this scheme is to produce top class ISH stallions by quality TB sires. In order to encourage colt foals arising from this scheme to be brought forward for inspection for the ISH Colt Retention Scheme an additional payment of €250 will be awarded to owners who present their colt foals at inspection.

Terms and conditions for these schemes will be made available shortly.

The announcement of these schemes is the first step taken by the IHB in implementing the recommendations in report on the Future Irish Sport Horse industry published earlier this week.
 
Good old Ireland!

But it does sound a little like the old Hunters Improvement Scheme (HIS which is now Sports Horse Breeding of Great Britain) If I remember rightly, years ago this was set up to improve the quality of hunters by enabling little breeders, many of them farmers that kept a mare about the place, access to graded Thoroughbred stallions at a greatly reduced rate to normal. Shortly after that, they set up Premiums for mares placed highly at county shows to encourage them to use these stallions; I know, my little mare won one, which was £25 (back then, a good prize!), a posh rosette, but better than that, automatic entry onto the Grade ll register which meant her stock could be fully registered! It was meant to be a sucessful marketing point but in my experience, people back then just weren't interested in paperwork, it was the ability which sold an animal.

I hope it works for Ireland!
 
I dont see the SHB giving incentives like these though. Years ago when my got grade 1 at Malvern HIS show, she got a £150 towards the cost of an HIS stallion. Better then a kick up the bum, but it would be nice to see more incentives especially for home bred stock. It costs a fortune if you have to belong to more then one society. I have to pay for membership so that Prince can be shown at the Traks shows & another for the SHB, so he can do the county shows. I could just stick to the locals but I would like to do at least Herts with him. I dont expect him to do well because for starters he is quiet small, but I would like to give him the experience that you get at these bigger shows.
 
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