ONE hundred years have now passed since the first lady riders competed on horseback at the world renowned Dublin Horse Show and that milestone will be celebrated in style when the gates open at Ballsbridge next Wednesday for the 146th Dublin Horse Show.

In the very first Ladies’ Day, women competed on horseback at Ballsbridge for the first time in 1919 with the outbreak of World War I (1914-1918) bringing women into the wider workforce for the first time, and that, coupled with the passing of the Sex Disqualification Removal Act, saw the Royal Dublin Society open the Show up to lady riders.

The following year, women were allowed become members of the Royal Dublin Society and by 1922, the long campaign, bravely fought, for the right to vote, came to a successful conclusion. Within a generation, by the 1940s and 1950s, lady riders were competing at the top level of international show jumping, right up to Olympic level and it continues to this day to be one of the few major sports where women and men can compete on equal terms.

A special competition between the top men and lady international riders will be hosted at Dublin Horse Show on Ladies Day to commemorate the centenary anniversary which is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

A lot has changed in the last century from a society that once relied very much on all things equine to the age of the automobile, the advent of space exploration and the latest new frontier, the digital age.

Thankfully there’s no virtual reality about the Irish equine industry and Ireland’s only five-star Show at Ballsbridge.

The cost of staging this five-day event is €5 million to the RDS and is by far its biggest expenditure on a single event throughout their busy annual schedule. All at the RDS truly deserve our collective thanks for the extraordinary efforts they put in to host Dublin Horse Show, sponsored by Stena Line for the second successive year.

RDS show director Pat Hanly, RDS equestrian manager Fiona Sheridan, and the hard-working Equestrian Committee, under chair Comdt. John Ledingham, work tirelessly year round on the massive undertaking that goes along with hosting a horse show of this size in the capital city of an island nation.

Worth an estimated €50 million to the Irish economy, Dublin Horse Show is one of the world’s greatest shows, showcasing the very best of Irish-bred horses and riders on a global platform. This year’s total prize fund is €1,235,293 of which €909,400 is earmarked for the 14 international competitions, with the prize fund for the feature Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland now standing at a massive €350,000 – not surprisingly, it has attracted many of the world’s top riders and horses.

Hand in hand with the international aspect of the Show, the RDS hosts the country’s most in depth national show, from lead rein and first ridden right up, covering some 120 classes.

It’s always said that horses are one of the great levellers, regardless of gender, age, or background, every rider entering the ring on the back of a horse only has a few precious minutes to deliver their best possible performance.

This year, Irish chef d’equipe Rodrigo Pessoa’s senior Irish show jumping will be going all out to recapture the coveted Aga Khan Trophy, last won by Ireland in 2015.

We would all love to see them do it and wish them the very best of luck in the challenge. Aga Khan Day seating sold out weeks ago, there’ll be standing room only on the Friday so the stage is already set for a magnificent battle for the Nations Cup honours.

On behalf of the whole team at The Irish Field, we wish all breeders, producers, owners and riders a very successful week at Dublin.

Please drop by our stand just inside the front doors of the Main Hall. Enjoy the excitement, colour and endless fun that is Dublin Horse Show week.