CITIES and streets often change with time, however, some things stay the same, becoming a permanent fixture within an evolving landscape.

Weir and Sons Jewellers on Grafton Street is one of those permanent fixtures. There is something iconic and reassuring about the curved windows and the distinctive shop front of the jewellers. The connection between the jewellers and the Dublin Horse Show has evolved and strengthened over time.

The jewellers has been connected to the Dublin Horse since the early 1900s. The first Aga Khan Trophy was made by Weirs in 1926.

Today, Weirs house 75 of the Dublin Horse Show trophies. Lucinda Andrews, marketing manager, explained that Weirs look after the maintenance, polishing, repairing and engraving of all the trophies.

THE AGA KHAN

One of the most famous trophies housed on Grafton Street is the Aga Khan. The current trophy is the sixth Aga Khan to be made. Up until recently if a country won the Nations Cup competition three years in-a-row, they got to take home the trophy and a new one was commissioned.

The most recent Aga Khan trophy was presented by His Highness The Aga Khan in 1980. The trophy cost €64,000 to produce. It is the only one of the Dublin Horse Show trophies which is entirely plated in gold.

There are a number of other high profile trophies kept in Weir and Sons. Some of these trophies have been added to the collection recently, while others are associated with the past and are not awarded at the Dublin Horse Show.

An example of such a trophy is the Queen Victoria trophy. This trophy was presented to the Royal Dublin Society in 1900 by Queen Victoria. The Queen was supposed to visit the RDS Spring Show and was unable to so the trophy was presented instead. The trophy was awarded for Short Horn Cattle entered in the RDS Spring Show.

The Government Trophy, presented to the Grand Prix winner, is a more recent addition to the collection housed at Weir and Sons. This trophy was sponsored by the Irish Government in 1992. The style of the trophy is very different a lot more modern than some of the trophies from the early and mid-1900s. The Government Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Grand Prix.

If you are lucky enough to win a trophy at the Dublin Horse Show, you do have the option of being able to take the trophy home for the year. Although, due to the expense of insuring the trophy, this is not a very common practice.