Partner Content: Delegates from important global markets flew in for a four-day exploratory trip including a visit to the Dublin Horse Show
Equimetrics, set up by Annemarie O’Brien, produces the V-PRO Wearable Smart Equine Health Monitor. This wearable remote health-monitoring device for horses captures biometric data to safely, efficiently and easily perform in-depth cardiac investigation and health monitoring.
Sixteen delegates from important global markets such as Australia, China, Germany, Sweden and the UK last week came to Ireland for a four-day exploratory trip. The group included representatives from leading international retailers, distributors and other key stakeholders. They had an opportunity to meet and get a better understanding of a cross-section of innovations in the Irish equine world, including many companies operating in it.
Ireland is, of course, renowned as a world-leading thoroughbred racing, sport horse and breeding producer. That was evident at Royal Ascot in June when 21 of the 35 winners had been bred in Ireland, including 10 Irish-trained winners. Irish trainer Willie Mullins won the British jump-racing champion trainer title, becoming the first trainer based in Ireland to win this award since 1954.
The sector is vital to Ireland, with the Irish thoroughbred and racing industry employing more than 30,000 people. Irish companies are harnessing our rich heritage and reputation in this field to develop innovative and practical veterinary technology, wellness and nutrition products, equipment, apparel and other products and services.
Along with Equimetrics, the visitors met more than 20 leading innovators from across the Irish equine industry last week, and this included one-to-one meetings, site visits, networking events and a trip to the Dublin Horse Show. Many Irish companies involved had the chance to pitch or demonstrate products and services to the international buyers.
These included export businesses such as Connolly’s Red Mills, which has been operating for more than a century and exports feed to 70 countries, and Horseware Ireland, which supplies equestrian and pet products including rugs and therapies.
Others showcasing their products included Equilume, which develops lighting that can significantly improve horse fertility, performance and wellbeing, and EasyFix — a global provider of matting, fences and hurdles.
The international group got to enjoy tours and meetings in locations as diverse as Joseph O’Brien’s thoroughbred racing yard in Piltown, Co Kilkenny, a manufacturing site tour at Mervue Laboratories in Cork and the Irish National Stud, where Irish-owned firms had the opportunity to pitch their products. Firms included Zarasyl, Sidekick Animal Health, Horsepal, Trojan Track, Equitrace, Foran Equine and Micron Agritech.
At the RDS on Friday the visitors also spent time chatting with Enterprise Ireland-supported companies at their trade stands.
To learn more about how Enterprise Ireland can help your company reach more international equine buyers, get in touch with Lydia Rogers.
Lydia Rogers is director for Australia and New Zealand at Enterprise Ireland; Niamh Garry is the market executive for equine and agriculture for Germany, Austria and Switzerland; Anna Butler holds the same role for Enterprise Ireland for the UK