Irish Sport Horse
Ireland is well known as a country with a long equestrian tradition, it is therefore not surprising that the Irish Sport Horse breed developed with an innate ability for the equestrian sports of showjumping and eventing.
The Irish Sport Horse is the largest Sport Horse studbook in Ireland with approximately 5,000 foals registered each year.
The Irish Sport Horse Studbook Breeding Objective is to produce a performance horse that is sound, athletic with good paces and suitable temperament and capable of winning at the highest international level in FEI disciplines.
The main composite breeds of the Irish Sport Horse are the Irish Draught Horse and the Thoroughbred. In recent generations there has been an infusion of continental Warmblood (WB) breeds and there is now a considerable amount of crossbreeding with these breeds in the Irish Sport Horse studbook.
The Traditional Irish Sport Horses (TIH) are very important to ensure the uniqueness of the Irish Horse is maintained. To this end from 2017 all TIH foals registered in the Irish Sport Horse Studbook will have ‘Traditional Irish Horse Category ISH(TIH)’ referenced on their passports. This is to help customers identify indigenous Irish bred horses.
The unique composition of the breed gives the Irish Sport Horse it’s much sought after characteristics of athleticism, temperament, courage, intelligence and soundness and longevity.
Irish Sport Horses compete successfully at the highest level of every equestrian discipline. For generations Irish horses have dominated the sport of Eventing and the Studbook has been the leading eventing Studbook
in the World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses (WBFSH) Studbook rankings every year since the conception of the rankings in 1994 with the exception of 2010, 2018 when they finished in 2nd and in 2011 and 2021 when they took 3rd place and 2020 when they were 4th. The ISH Studbook won 23 years out of 28 years of the rankings.
In the current WBFSH showjumping rankings the following Irish Sport Horses are the top ranked: James Kann Cruz, Pacino Amiro, Rincoola Milsean, BP Wakita, Up Too Jacco Blue, HHS Calais.
Apart from its success at international level the Irish Sport Horse is an ideal leisure horse. Its ability to look after and help its rider in any situation makes the breed a safe and popular choice for the amateur rider.
