Riders praise Horse Show as ‘best in the world’
Competitors praised the improvements carried out by the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) to the main jumping arena and the provision of other facilities at the 42-acre Ballsbridge showgrounds.
The comments were conveyed to the RDS before and after the Meydan FEI Nations Cup for the Aga Khan Trophy in which Ireland finished in joint second place with the US, behind the Netherlands.
Top jumping, keen competition in the showing rings, a high fashion turnout for Ladies’ Day and an estimated attendance in excess of the 80,000 plus people that attended last year helped make the event a big success.
Some 1,400 horse and pony entries were received for this year’s show which cost an estimated €3.7 million to stage, and had a prize fund of more than €920,000.
RDS chief executive Michael Duffy said the feedback was extremely positive.
“The future for the show is to stay as relevant as possible to the needs of the industry and adapt and change to meet those needs.”
Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith welcomed a 3% increase in entries and said most people see the show as an event for international horses and riders.
The prestigious breeders’ championship was won by Kieran O’Gorman, Brookfield House, The Miles, Clonakilty, Co Cork, with his 10-year-old bay mare Kildysert Royale and her April colt foal at foot, Brookfield Mr Lux.
