Horse Sport Ireland Chairman Pat Wall complimented both Millstreet’s Duggan family on securing the championships and the HSI executive, who assisted in resolving initial difficulties with the FEI over the proposed dates.

He said: ”It is a great boost to have these championships in Ireland in 2014. Congratulations to the Duggan family, who have an outstanding facility and who put together an excellent bid. We have had great success in ponies at European level in recent years. Hopefully we can do the business at home in 2014.”

Millstreet’s Thomas Duggan said today: “We are pleased FEI has approved the dates of July 30th to Sunday August 3rd 2014 for the FEI Championships for Ponies, Dressage, Eventing and Jumping. We look forward to welcoming competitors and their families from all over Europe to compete at Millstreet. We are very excited that this occasion will mark the launching of our new Mike Etherington-Smith designed Cross Country Course on the grounds of the centuries-old Drishane Castle.

The €50,000 Millstreet International Grand Prix is the final stage of the inaugural Great Britain & Ireland (GBI) Showjumping Tour which included competitions at Mullingar, the Royal Highland Show in Scotland and the British Masters at Southview, England. A Leading rider prize of €5,000 will be on offer.

Millstreet Horse Show has established a reputation as a shop window for the Irish equestrian industry and a wide range of young-horse classes feature strongly in the schedule. Classes such as the Boomerang, National Discovery, Young Irelander and Millstreet Ruby continue to provide a competition platform for breeder’s and producers of young horses, along with the more recent National Eventing Discovery. Young riders are also catered for with a host of pony classes; including Ireland’s richest Pony Grand Prix with a prize fund of €4,500.

Extensive onsite developments will be unveiled at this year’s show, including 500 state of the art new stables, international-grade show-jumps, improvements to the all-weather arenas and upgraded office and administration facilities.

The Competition Authority recently finalised their investigation into alleged anti-competitive behaviour by Show Jumping Ireland (SJI). They found in favour of the consumers right to free choice thus vindicating the position held firmly by Millstreet Horse Show over the past three years. Subject to two laid conditions being met by the host show, SJI members cannot be penalised in any way – to do so would be unlawful. Millstreet Horse Show has no difficulty in satisfying these two conditions.

Cian O’ Connor and Everything – Millstreet Boomerang winner 2011 – owned by Ronocco Jump Ltd