Crisis time for pony racing amid justifiable anger we aren't honouring our debt

Ireland's famed pony racing sector is facing a crisis. Rising costs, chiefly in the problematic area of insurance, threaten to create a precarious financial situation in advance of the 2022 season.

The pony racing community, comprising four regional associations who operate on an entirely voluntary basis, contributes enormously to the fabric of Irish racing. Yet save for a "one-off" donation of €12,500 from Horse Racing Ireland this year, the sport has never received a cent from the racing authorities.

The situation is compounded by a bureaucratic anomaly, whereby the sector is deemed ineligible for government funding.