‘This is our Olympics’: Dublin Horse Show kicks off

Edward Corbett makes the trip to the Dublin Horse Show from Thurles, Co Tipperary, every year “like religion”.He has been coming to the show since the early 1980s, taking after his father who first made the trip in 1967. He says he and his family used to sell horses to American buyers.One morning he recalls, his father sold a horse to former British showjumper Nick Skelton, who won Olympic gold in 2012.Corbett says the show is an opportunity to meet other horse breeders and the “people that are the grassroots of the horse industry”.READ MOREEdward Corbett at the Dublin Horse Show Though Corbett sold two horses last year, he says the show has changed over the years from the “great place to sell a horse” to having more of a focus on “the showing” and the “bit of prestige”.It can also be costly to bring the mares from Thurles and stay in Dublin but “if we went to Lanzarote or somewhere it would be the same thing”.More than 120,000 people are expected to pass through the RDS gates this week. The show, which will run from Wednesday to Sunday, will feature 1,600 horses and ponies competing across 160 classes and competitions, including showjumping, showing, performance and breeding, at the 151st edition of the newly renamed Gallagher Dublin Horse Show.Michael Bowe from Kiltealy, Co Wexford, says “the first time I ever sat up on a horse I’ve always dreamed of getting to the Dublin Horse Show”.Junior jockeys ahead of Wednesday's Shetland Pony Grand National. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Michael Bowe aboard Patrickswell Sherry Bowe, who won his first Dublin ride in the performance draught Irish class, aboard the eight-year-old Patrickswell Sherry, says the horse is “part of the family”.Michael’s father JJ, who owns Patrickswell Sherry, says it is “brilliant” to see his son win, adding “this is our Olympics”, and that the winning horse has been trained for the competition for the past five years.Fiona Sheridan, the director of the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show, says this year’s eventis “bigger than ever”.Sheridan says the show is set to generate €50 million for Dublin’s economy and €1 billion for the equestrian industry and sport horse industry in Ireland, making the event a “huge asset to the country”.Liz O'Brien (left) from Wexford with horse Leo (centre) and Rachel Welham ahead of the Small Hunter Class judging in the RDS on Wednesday. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw The centenary of the Nations’ Cup of Ireland for the Aga Khan Trophy on Friday will bring back the original six teams that competed at the first competition in 1926.Teams from Belgium, France, the Netherlands, the UK, Ireland and Switzerland will be joined by the United States and Germany.The Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland will take place on Sunday, with a €1 million total prize fund this year, the largest ever in Irish equestrian sport.The year’s horse show is the first big event in the redeveloped and newly renamed Laya Arena. A major component of the €52 million development is the new Anglesea Stand, completed this year. The former RDS Arena has a capacity of more than 20,000.Crowds at the day one of the event. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw A competitor and their horse takes part in Wednesday's showjumping competition. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw Speaking at the official opening of the Laya Arena, Minister of State at the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport Charlie McConalogue said “for generations this hallowed turf in the heart of Dublin has served as the heartbeat of Irish horsemanship and sporting excellence”.Jill Carey, chief executive of non-profit Festina Lente, which offers equine therapy, says the horse show is “generally a very competitive environment”.However, the organisation works with 150-200 children a day during the horse show who come to engage with their four miniature Shetland ponies.Carey says: “We’ll find kids who come back to us who were here last year and the first question they ask their parents was ‘can we go and see the ponies?’”