The annual Dublin Horse Show has been taking place this week
at its home at the RDS in leafy Ballsbridge. Launched in 1868, the event is one
of the main events in the Irish equine calendar, and is estimated to bring €45m
to the local economy this year.
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| Mrs Rosemary Brooke with her son Alan (15) standing, and her daughter Malinda (9) at the 1967 RDS Horse Show 9 August 1967 |
The Horse Show was first set up to showcase the talent of
Irish showjumpers, and has taken place almost continuously ever since, with the
exception of the years of the two world wars. It hosts the Aga Khan trophy and
the Longines International Grand Prix, as well as classes, exhibitions and
trade stands.
The Aga Khan trophy is perhaps one of the best known of the
events during the show, with international teams of four horses competing in
timed trials. The trophy could only be won outright if a team won the
competition three years in a row. This has been achieved five times: by the
Irish twice, the British twice and Switzerland once. The original trophy was
donated by the Aga Khan, hence the name of the competition.
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| The Irish winning team with the Aga Khan trophy in 1979. 10 August 1979 |
Another important event this year will be the Best Dressed
Ladies competition on Friday, where an incredible €10,000 prize money is up for
grabs. The dark days of the recession must be over at last! Originally, there
was a side-saddle riding competition for women held on Fridays, where they
would compete in full riding habit costumes with veils, and the day became
known as ‘Ladies Day’.
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| Rosemary Broad and Sandra Caruth participating in the Horse Show in their own way in 1960. 2 August 1960 |
Besides standing around and looking pretty, women were not
allowed compete in the Horse Show until 1919. It was not until 1954 that women
were allowed take part in the international competitions, though now it is obligatory
for teams to include at least one female rider.
If you would like to go to the show this year, it is advised
to book a ticket quickly. All the hospitality packages have already been sold
out, but general admission tickets, or tickets to the main hall are still
available. If you find yourself unable to get into the main events, don’t worry
as they will be shown on large screens around the arena, allowing you to keep
an eye on the jumping as you indulge yourself in shopping, eating and drinking.
All images available @ the Irish Photo Archive
