10/06/2026
PRESS RELEASE
Dressage Ireland Board calls for urgent review of 2026 European Youth Championship selection position
Dressage Ireland has written to Horse Sport Ireland seeking an urgent review of the position regarding possible Irish youth representation at the 2026 FEI European Dressage Championships.
The Board of Dressage Ireland understands that three Junior combinations appear to have achieved the FEI qualification requirement for the 2026 European Junior Dressage Championships. Subject to selection, availability and the combinations choosing to travel, this would appear to allow a Junior team to be considered.
The Board has also noted that there may be an FEI-qualified Children’s combination and has asked that all FEI-qualified youth combinations be properly considered as part of the wider youth dressage pathway.
Dressage Ireland fully recognises that international selection is a matter for Horse Sport Ireland and that selection policies must be applied fairly, consistently and transparently. The Board also recognises the importance of appropriate performance standards for combinations representing Ireland.
However, the Board is concerned that the application of an additional national threshold, if applied in a manner that prevents FEI-qualified combinations from being considered, risks cutting off progress rather than increasing standards.
A spokesperson for the Board of Dressage Ireland said:
“Where Irish youth combinations have achieved the FEI qualification standard, they should be properly considered in the context of the long-term development of the sport. This is not about automatic selection of any rider. It is about ensuring that qualified combinations are given fair consideration and that the opportunity to develop an Irish youth team pathway is not lost.
For larger dressage nations, higher national thresholds may operate as a selection filter. Ireland is not in that position. Our youth pathway is still being built. If riders who meet the FEI standard are excluded from team consideration at this stage, the practical effect is not to raise the standard. It is to cut off progress as it will not only deter those riders but the riders coming after them.”
The Board believes that the possibility of fielding a Junior team at European Championship level is significant for Irish dressage. It would recognise the work of riders, parents, owners, coaches and volunteers who have invested considerable time and resources in the youth pathway.
Dressage Ireland is concerned that a decision not to send a team in circumstances where sufficient FEI-qualified combinations appear to be available would have an impact beyond the riders immediately affected.
It risks sending a discouraging message to young riders and families that even where the international qualification standard is reached, Ireland may still decline to support a team.
The Board has asked Horse Sport Ireland to urgently review the position before final decisions are made and to take into account the wider developmental and stakeholder impact of not sending a team.
ENDS
