Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board

The last of a series of Oireachtas Hearings into horse racing in Ireland concluded on Tuesday with representatives of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine the latest to answer questions. The independence of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) was a topic of discussion among deputies. Representatives of the IHRB were involved in two sessions this month along with Horse Racing Ireland (HRI), while the Irish Racehorse Trainers' Association (IRTA) were also invited to meet the joint Oireachtas committee. This followed a number of high profile comments made...

The first hearing of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board in front of a Joint Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine began in Ireland on Thursday, with the IHRB defending itself rigorously. The IHRB has come under pressure recently regarding concerns over doping in Irish racing following Irish trainer Jim Bolger's claims in a newspaper interview that there would be a "Lance Armstrong" moment in the Irish industry. Irish Government committee members asked questions of Horse Racing Ireland's Chief Executive Brian Kavanagh, IHRB Chief Executive Denis Egan and IHRB Chief...

Denis Egan will take early retirement from his role as chief executive of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board. After 25 years with the regulator, he will step aside on Sept. 30. Egan, 60, joined the Turf Club in 1995 and became CEO in 2001. When the Turf Club became the IHRB in 2018 he took on the role of CEO at the new body. "Irish racing has an enviable reputation worldwide, both for its fairness and integrity and has enjoyed huge success at home and around the world," said Egan....

Jim Bolger is not expected to attend the parliamentary hearing he was invited to to discuss doping in Irish racing. Bolger made headlines last autumn and again this spring when describing the use of performance-enhancing substances as the "number-one problem" in Irish racing and saying "there will be a Lance Armstrong in Irish racing." Bolger was invited to the agriculture committee hearing alongside representatives of the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, Horse Racing Ireland, the Department of Agriculture and the Irish Racehorse Trainers Association, but Racing Post reports that a government...

Following Irish trainer Jim Bolger voicing his concerns on doping in Irish racing this past weekend, a strong statement against doping was issued by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board on Monday evening. The statement read: "Following comments made recently, the IHRB can once again stress there is a zero-tolerance approach to doping in Irish racing and we operate to the highest level using LGC Laboratories in Newmarket, who are one of five International Federation Horseracing Authorities certified laboratories in the world, and the same laboratory used by the British Horseracing...

Trainer Stephen Mahon has been banned by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) for a period of four years set to end Apr. 14, 2025 after being found to have breached Rule 148(I), Rule 148 (IV), Rules 149 (I) and (II), Rule 272 and Rule 273 (XIII) after horses in his care were found to have been neglected to varying degrees. Mahon has also been ordered to contribute €5,000 in costs. Following inspections at his premises at Kilcolgan, County Galway, Mahon first had his licence suspended Apr. 17. The Referrals...

Trainer Jessica Harrington has been banned from attending the races for two weeks and fined €3,500 after breaking COVID-19 protocols at Aintree's Grand National meeting, the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board announced on Monday. Harrington "acted in a manner which was prejudicial to the proper conduct or good reputation of horseracing" the IHRB hearing found and her ban will last until May 24. Harrington, who had both Magic of Light (Ire) (Flemensfirth) and Jett (Ire) (Flemensfirth) in the Grand National, did not stay in the 'Irish Bubble' set up for the...

A phased and limited reintroduction of Irish point-to-points will begin on Apr. 10. The point-to-point season had been suspended on Jan. 13 in light of coronavirus restrictions. Horse Racing Ireland and the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board will assist in ensuring that these fixtures are staged in a safe and controlled manner, based on the health and safety protocols which have been applied at race meetings. Four fixtures have been confirmed-Cork on Apr. 10, Tipperary on Apr. 11 and Fairyhouse on Apr. 17 and 18. Only essential staff will be authorised...

Simon McGonagle, head lad to currently disqualified trainer Gordon Elliott, has been banned nine months, with the last seven months of the ban suspended, by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board for taking the photo of Elliott sitting aboard a dead horse that circulated on social media and led to Elliott's own six-month ban. The last seven months of McGonagle's ban will be suspended for a year, after which the disqualification will lapse. McGonagle's ban begins on Apr. 16. McGonagle, who has been employed within the racing industry for approximately 30...

Irish amateur jockey Rob James, who was shown climbing aboard and sitting astride a dead horse in an eight-second video that circulated on social media last week, has received a 12-month suspension of his qualified riders license and handlers permit from the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board, which tweeted the result of its investigation late on Wednesday evening. The last eight months of the ban have been suspended by the IHRB, though terms of the suspension were not immediately disclosed. The statement from the IHRB reads as follows: "The Referrals Committee,...

Irish National Hunt trainer Gordon Elliott has said that he is "paying a very heavy price" but that he has no complaints after being handed a 12-month suspension by the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB), with the last six months of the ban suspended. While it has been announced that the latter second half of the ban has been suspended, it has yet to be announced for how long that suspension would apply and what level of offence would cause it to be triggered. Elliott has not been fined but...

Three-time Grand National-winning trainer Gordon Elliott is fully cooperating with the Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB)'s inquiry into a disputed photo allegedly displaying Elliott sitting on a dead horse, the BBC reported on Sunday. The image, which some believe to be digitally altered, appears to show Elliott making a peace gesture while sitting on a dead horse lying on its side and captioned "new work rider". "I'm aware of a photo circulating on social media," the trainer tweeted late on Saturday night. "The IHRB have been in contact with me...