For Immediate Release
The Curragh, September 15, 2020 – The recipient of this year’s Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena Awards winner for Best Farm Software was Equine MediRecord based in the Curragh, county Kildare. This is a great achievement for the company to have it’s software not only recognised as cutting edge in the equine industry but throughout the agricultural sector.
Equine MediRecord, launched in Ireland in 2018, has begun to revolutionise the multi-billion dollar US horse racing industry by digitising the regulatory medicines records. The company sells and maintains a mobile application, website and drug database to allow proper, timely recording of the many medicines and vaccinations that are routinely administered. This system allows for the full veterinary history of the horse to be recorded ensuring the best possible horse welfare and aid with anti-doping procedures. The system has received praise from across the equine industry.
The National Ploughing Championships takes place each year in the month of September.
The company is the global leader in equine anti-doping and horse welfare software. The company has recently launched into the United States after securing contracts with the Kentucky Thoroughbred Association and the Thoroughbred Owners of California after having their system deemed compliant by state regulators. They operate in Ireland, the UK, France and the USA. In Europe this year they partnered with the Arabian Racing Organisation (ARO) in the UK to make the ARO the first in Europe and second in the world to mandate electronic medical records be kept by their registered trainers. They then partnered with the Irish Veterinary Welfare Commission to make Irish Standardbred horses the first in the world to mandate medical records digitised not only for horses in training but for breeding stock as well. Equine MediRecord, a client of the Local Enterprise Office of Kildare, represented the county in Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur and won the Irish Midlands Best Startup Award in 2019
Now in its tenth year, Enterprise Ireland’s Innovation Arena showcases ground-breaking agri-related products and innovations from Irish agri-companies at the National Ploughing Championships. However, this year’s competition was moved fully online due to the cancellation of the Ploughing Championships as a result of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. More than 60 entries were received for this year’s awards competition with the top 30 selected for virtual pitching. The Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Damien English said that Enterprise Ireland’s annual Innovation Arena Awards represent the future of Irish agri-tech and highlight new product development as well as the innovative agri-tech and agri-engineering capability in the Irish agriculture sector. “Ireland’s innovative contribution to advances in agri-business is recognised globally and we are leading the way with technology solutions that improve efficiencies through greater automation,” Mr English said. “This puts us in a great position to take advantage of the significant overseas opportunities for this sector which will help to drive economic growth,” he added.
For more information about Equine MediRecord, see: https://www.equinemedirecord.com/
Contact: Pierce Dargan
Chief Executive Officer
Equine MediRecord
[email protected]
Contact: National Ploughing Association of Ireland
[email protected]
About Equine MediRecord
Equine MediRecord (EMR) develops, sells and maintains the first software platform to be approved to replace the paper regulatory documentation that is required to be kept by horse farms to ensure equine welfare & anti-doping regulations are followed. The EMR platform has been approved by the relevant government departments and currently operates in Ireland, U.K. , France, Saudi Arabia and USA. EMR has amassed clients such as Arabian Racing Organisation, Kentucky Thoroughbred Association (KTA), Thoroughbred Owners of California, Breeders Cup World Championships, Maryland 5 Star, Jockey Club of Saudi Arabia and 1S/T Racing for American Classic Preakness Stakes and Pegasus World Cup. EMR secured an 8 figure investment from Merit Holdings and joined their Business Infusions Group in 2022.
About National Ploughing Championships
The first inter- county ploughing contest took place in 1931 as a result of an argument between two lifelong friends, Denis Allen of Gorey, County Wexford and JJ Bergin of Athy, County Kildare. Each argued that their respective counties had the best ploughmen. This resulted in a challenge being called for. Therefore on Monday 16th of February 1931, the first National Ploughing contest took place in Mr W.K. Hosie’s field at Coursetown in Athy. Since then, the National Ploughing Championships has grown in size, year on year. It has expanded from requiring a small field of 26 acres to needing over 700 acres of land today.
Within this, the site now requires 180 acres for ploughing, 100 acres for trade stands and exhibition space, 400 acres of car parking and a demonstration area of approximately 25 acres. Since its inception, the National Ploughing Championships has become much more than just an annual inter-county competition; it has become an intrinsic part of Irish rural life.
The National Championships is now no longer just for ploughing or machinery enthusiasts, the modern event now features something for just about every member of the community.These include a Tented Trade Village, a Food Fair, Craft Village, Livestock, Forestry, Education, Lifestyle, Motor Show, Financial Services, Bio Energy and Agri Service. Along with this, there are many entertainment and special events taking place.Some of these include: Fashion Shows, Celebrity Guests, Sheep Dog Trials, Loy Digging, All Ireland Lamb Shearing, Most Appropriately Dressed Lady & Gent Competitions, Craft Demonstrations, Meggers, Celebrity Cookery Demonstrations, Outdoor Radio Broadcasts and much more.
With all this happening, the Championships attracts in excess of over 1,700 exhibitors and up to 297,000 visitors.
