Austerity fails to rein in unbridled spending at show

What recession? The country might be saddled with debt but there are no obvious signs of austerity putting the reins on spending at the Dublin Horse Show this week.

Instead, it really was “show time” as large crowds again flocked to the RDS yesterday for the equestrian world’s equivalent of a busman’s holiday.

The show rings attracted spectators with the added carrot that members of the public can this year test their own judging skills with a daily prize of €1,000 if their decisions match the choice of the judges.