A HOST of racing and equestrian stars are taking part in this year’s Treo Eile Christmas show on Thursday, December 14th at the Emerald Equestrian Centre near Enfield on the Kildare/Meath border.

The first of five events on the show programme starts at 1pm, featuring the HRI Treo Eile Thoroughbred Classic – a team competition to showcase the very best of Ireland’s retrained racehorses. The team competition has attracted some of racing’s brightest stars to captain the teams including Rachael Blackmore, Jack Kennedy, Gary Carroll, Patrick Mullins, Robbie Power, Rory Cleary, Katie Walsh, Davy Russell, Norman Wiliamson and Charlie Swan.

Each team captain will be joined by two show jumping or eventing competitors and a pony rider, who will each ride a variety of former racehorses over a course of jumps, followed by a jump-off to decide the winners of the coveted Horse Racing Ireland Perpetual Cup.

Professional riders include Dublin Horse Show’s puissance winner, Commandant Geoff Curran from the Irish Army Equitation School, Olympic eventer Joseph Murphy and European medallist, Elizabeth ‘Esib’ Power will also line-out for the team event.

Former jockey Robbie Power will be reunited with Sizing John to try and add the HRI Treo Eile Thoroughbred Classic Cup to their trophy cabinet.

The pair were victorious in three Gold Cups in 2017 - the Leopardstown Gold Cup, the Cheltenham Gold Cup and the Punchestown Gold Cup.

Robbie, who was involved in retraining Sizing John with his sister Elizabeth and has Sizing John at his home, said: “The Treo Eile Christmas show is a fantastic event and our family is delighted to be a part of it. Watching these horses turn their hand to a new job is very rewarding and says so much about their versatility.

“When he is not enjoying his leisurely life hacking around, (Sizing) John loves competing – he showed it on the racecourse and at the Dublin Horse Show last August, when he won the hotly contested ITM Racehorse to Riding Horse class with Kate Harrington on board. He will be primed and ready for Thursday, December 14th.”

John Osborne, Equine Welfare and Bloodstock Director at Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) commented: “The Treo Eile Christmas show brings all equestrian industries together and shows how versatile the thoroughbred is in terms of adjusting to a different lifestyle after racing and it’s just wonderful to see these horses still going strong years later.”

Tickets are €15 per person and family tickets are €40 for two adults and two children. Parking is free, but limited, so all spectators are asked to register online for a car parking space.

To buy tickets, register for a car parking space and to make entries, visit: www.itsplainsailing.com/org/te