Company say their horse should be allowed to compete at Dublin Horse Show, court hears
A Co Tipperary company has brought a High Court action aimed at allowing its horse to compete at next month's Dublin Horse Show at the Royal Dublin Society.
The action has been brought by Heritage Bloodstock Ltd, with an address in Cahir, Co Tipperary which claims that another horse, due to compete in the five-year-old competition at the renowned Dublin Horse Show, should not be allowed to take part.
The other horse, it is alleged is ineligible on grounds including it is not Irish bred, nor is not on an approved breeding list for 2018 that would allow it to compete at the show.
It is claimed that allowing the other horse, called Indigo VDL, to take part would be a breach of the RDS's own rules.
Represented by Cliodhna Breen Bl, Heritage Bloodstock said its horse, Heritage Vittorio, failed to qualify for the five-year-old competition at the Horse Show after finishing 12th in a qualifier held last May.
Indigo VDL, finished third in the qualifier. Counsel said the top nine horses at that event qualified to jump at the RDS.
The horses that finished 10th and 11th in the qualifiers subsequently secured places at the event, leaving Heritage Vittorio is next in line to participate in the five-year-old competition if Indigo is not allowed compete.
In a sworn statement to the court Anne Marie O'Gorman, a director of Heritage Bloodstock Ltd said Indigo is ineligible to compete on grounds including that Indigo VDL it is a foreign-bred stallion, not bred on the Island of Ireland.
She said it was eligible to complete in 2017 when the horse was listed in as an approved Stallion for breeding and was registered in the Warmblood Studbook of Ireland for 2017.
However, she said that Indigo VDL is not eligible to compete in 2018 after its approval was suspended.
She said her solicitor wrote to the defendants about the matter, but received no reply.
She said she is no concerned that the defendants are breaching the RDS's rules by allowing Indigo VDL compete.
As a result, Heritage Bloodstock brought proceedings against the Royal Dublin Society, Showjumping Association of Ireland, trading as Showjumping Ireland and Mr Ivor Broderick. who is the owner of Indigo VDL and is from Kylebrack Loughrea Co Galway .
It seeks injunctions permitting Heritage Vittorio to compete at the five-year-old competition at the Horse Show, and that Mr Broderick's horse be removed from the competition.
It also seeks declarations that Indigo VDL does not qualify under the qualifying criteria and is not eligible to compete under the RDS rules for the Dublin Horse Show.
The application, made on an ex parte basis, for an interim injunction, came before Ms Justice Caroline Costello at the High Court today.
Counsel said that her client was seeking an injunction so it could make preparations for Heritage Vittorio to compete at the RDS.
The Judge said she was declining Heritage Bloodstock's application for an interim injunction as she wanted to hear from the other parties first.
The judge instead granted Heritage Bloodstock permission to serve short notice of the proceedings on the defendants. The case will come back before the court next week.
