WITH almost €1.4 million in prize money offered across five days of top class equestrian entertainment, the iconic Dublin Horse Show returns to the RDS next week (August 9th-13th) for what is Ireland’s biggest single cultural and sporting event of the year.

The Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Dublin Horse Show will showcase the very best of international and national equestrian sport across the show jumping and showing arenas with a staggering 168 classes and competitions on the packed schedule for the 148th renewal.

The question on everyone’s lips is of course can Irish chef d’equipe Michael Blake’s brilliant senior team do it again and lift the Aga Khan Trophy for the second successive year? One thing is certain - there won’t be a spare seat to be had on Aga Khan day. We wish Michael and our Irish team the very best of Irish luck in the quest!

This year’s RDS Qualifiers were particularly well supported with massive interest across the horse and pony sector alike. There’s nowhere quite like Dublin and the competition to gain a coveted qualifying place at Ireland’s only five-star Show has been intense, the stage is now well and truly set for some thrilling classes. Competing in the theatre of dreams that is Dublin is what our breeders, riders, producers and owners live for.

Officially launching Dublin Horse Show recently, senior Minister at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Charlie McConalogue TD (FF) hit the right note saying, “Our island is recognised as the ‘land of the horse’ and is the most densely sport horse populated country in Europe. The Dublin Horse Show provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase and market Irish-bred horses, their breeders and producers and over the years, many good horses have been sold from Dublin overseas.”

Staging Dublin Horse Show costs the Royal Dublin Society well over €6 million a year and the Show generates an estimated €50 million for the capital and its environs. The highlight Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland (Sunday, August 13th) will feature world-class jumping for a prize fund of €350,000 while the Longines FEI Nations Cup of Ireland (Friday, August 11th) offers a prize fund of €250,000. The total prize fund for this year’s show, across all sectors, is a massive €1,300,925.

Former RDS CEO, Geraldine Ruane, underlined the Society’s commitment to showcasing Irish equestrian before a global audience, saying “The RDS Dublin Horse Show is widely considered to be one of the best equestrian shows in the world. It is operated by the RDS, the social impact organisation, which manages and resources it; to ensure that it is the best possible Show for the Irish sport horse industry. Equestrianism is vital way in which the RDS fulfils its mission of contributing to a culturally and economically vibrant Ireland.”

Among the Show’s major themes is celebrating the positive impact equestrianism has on all society in general. Festina Lente (www.festinalente.ie) will provide demonstrations and discussions on the benefits of equine therapy for all.

Special thanks must go to Show Director Pat Hanly, Equestrian Manager Fiona Sheridan, and the RDS Equestrian Committee, under chairman Flor Madden, for their unstinting work year round to once again deliver one of the world’s most renowned horse shows.

On behalf of all departments here at The Irish Field, we wish everyone a most successful show at Dublin next week. Drop by our stand, located in its usual spot, just inside the front doors of the RDS Main Hall, to meet members of our own busy team.

We look forward to the non-stop whirlwind week that is Dublin Horse Show.

See you there!

Isabel Hurley and Judith Faherty

Editor: Isabel Hurley Assistant editor: Judith Faherty. Editorial support: Leo Powell, Mark Costello, Anne Marie Duff. Contributors: Susan Finnerty; Margie McLoone; Emer Bermingham, Róisín Sheridan, Ann McLoone, Siobhan English.

Cover image: Julliette Owens by Leon Farrell Photocall Ireland. Photography: Sportsfile, Laurence Dunne Jumpinaction.net, Bit-Media.com, Anne Hughes. Advertising: Brendan McArdle, Paul Callaghan, Robyn Codd. Production: Alex Conroy, Domhnall Dervan. Picture Desk: Philip Doyle, Claire Nash, Jerome Dunne, Hannah Giron Daygo. Advertising production: Paul Dowd, Barbara Kilkenny, Brian Morton, Isobel Hyland. Circulation: Margaret O’Connor, David O’Connor, Adam Corcoran. Printed by: The Irish Field for The Irish Agricultural Trust.