If the first step towards solving a problem is admitting you have a problem, then the statement made by British Horseracing Authority chief executive Julie Harrington this weekend following another crackdown on Irish-trained runners at the Cheltenham Festival could still be seen as a problem . The first step on the long journey back to Britain’s jumping arenas.
The British stable’s final total of nine wins last week was, in some respects, slightly better than expected at the start of the meeting; especially considering the Nicky Henderson stable is in the grip of a virus. But Willie Mullins still managed to single-handedly equal Britain’s total and the 14 First Grade matches were split 12-2 in Ireland’s favour, with Dan Skelton responsible for both English victories.
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“I have no doubt that the men and women who breed horses here in Britain are more than a match for their Irish counterparts,” Harrington said on Saturday. “But they need ammunition and the balance of power is at the moment and the best horses are going to our colleagues in Ireland, especially the one yard.”
Harrington continued: “This is not a new issue. The direction of travel has been determined for several years. The sport has been aware of this situation and has taken measures to address this problem by trying to overcome the funding issues associated with the sport, seeking further investment, reviewing the racing program and most recently introducing Quality Jump Racing advice. Review.
“However, Ireland’s dominance of Grade One racing this week has shown that the problem is becoming more pronounced and is causing further damage to the sport on both sides of the Irish sea.”
There was also something important missing from Harrington’s statement. No mention was made of the idea that Ireland’s current dominance at Cheltenham is “all part of a cycle”, which is still popular among some in the English education ranks if we give it long enough. – dignity will eventually return.
“Simply put, the rate of decline in the top tier of show jumping in Britain has outpaced the measures put in place to combat it,” Harrington said. “If we are to get British showjumping back to where it belongs, we must do more, faster, more co-ordinated and decisively.”
However, the “do more, faster” aspect of the BHA strategy appears to translate to “do more of the same, faster,” as Harrington points to the overall industry strategy currently in place, which aims to “promote the best.” Horses will be bred, owned and raced on these shores.”
The strategy includes an “additional £3.8 million in prize money” that will be “dedicated to investment at the sport’s top level in 2024”, although this total includes both vaulting and Flat. But as Harrington adds, “the strategy is also about much more than just investing in prize money. We need to grow our fan base by encouraging new fans and retaining existing fans and owners, improving the experience of owning, attending and watching races, and much more.” We need to do it.”
Frankly, this feels a bit like suggesting that Sheffield United “must” improve their Premier League points total if they are to avoid relegation to the Championship. But the problem with the English jump is that it has given so much space to Ireland in recent years that it is very difficult to bridge the gap.
Irish showjumping may have fewer horses, stables, races and meetings than its British counterpart, as well as less prize money, but it has cleverly flexed its muscles over the last 20 years and is now reaping the rewards.
For example, compare and contrast our pre-Cheltenham programmes. In Ireland, a series of Graded races are held on Sundays in November and December, leading horses to a four-day Christmas Festival at Leopardstown, followed by a two-day Dublin Racing Festival in early February. The time-pressured, high-net-worth individuals who own many of the best jumpers know exactly where and when they need to be to see their horses run.
But the top-flight British program at Christmas is spread out across the country, from Kempton on Boxing Day, to Chepstow on the 27th and then back to Newbury for the Challow Hurdle before heading to Cheltenham on New Year’s Day .
The program of festival trials then passes through circuits such as Cheltenham, Ascot, Kempton, Newbury, Warwick and Doncaster.
The “initial launch” process, which forms part of the industry strategy, will focus attention on two meetings a week but will do little to transform the overall pre-Cheltenham program into a more coherent and marketable form.
It is acknowledged that Ireland’s domination does not suit either side indefinitely, but they have played to their strengths and worked hard to create the conditions in which their trainers and their horses can achieve sustained and unprecedented success at Cheltenham.
BHA no doubt want to do something similar in future years but it remains to be seen whether they have the funding or influence – for example on the fixture list – to turn good intentions into meaningful action.