Horse Trading With The Irish Competition Authority – At The Competition/Sport Interface

On the 30 May 2012, the Irish Competition Authority (the "Authority") announced that Show Jumping Ireland ("SJI") had agreed to amend an alleged anticompetitive rule which prevented its members from competing at unaffiliated show-jumping events with a prize fund in excess of €50/£50, and with potential penalties for non-observance.

The Authority had initially formed the opinion that the rule amounted to a decision of an association of undertakings, which was likely to restrict the participation of SJI members at unaffiliated show-jumping events and the organisation of such unaffiliated events in Ireland.  The Authority further considered that the rule was disproportionate and was, accordingly, likely to infringe section 4 of the Competition Act 2002 (as amended) and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ("TFEU").