What to expect at the Dublin Horse Show

date-icon 08 Aug 2018  author-icon Posted by Esther O'Moore Donohoe


The Dublin Horse Show takes place this year from Wednesday 8th to Sunday 12th August.  You’ll horse through our short guide in no time!

Opening times

  • The official public opening time is 9am. The Main Hall entrance will be open from that time each day.
  • The public can enter the showgrounds via the RDS Concert Hall entrance from 7am each day.
  • Equestrian exhibitors can enter the grounds via the Belvedere Gate from 7am each day.

Getting there and parking

  • The entrance for the RDS Main Hall and Main Arena is on the Merrion Rd in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4.
  • Use public transport where possible. The RDS Showground is served by Dublin Bus routes 4, 7 and 8 which stop outside the RDS on the Merrion Rd. In addition, it is very close to both Sandymount and Lansdowne Rd DART stations. There is also a park and ride facility at Muckross Park and UCD.
  • If you decide to take the car, there is pay parking on a number of roads around the RDS, but expect this to be limited. Full details here.
  • Traffic is likely to be very busy in the area while the event on with the heaviest delays likely on the Merrion Rd, Anglesea Rd and Simmonscourt Rd. Remember to watch out for horses and pedestrians crossing.
  • Keep in mind that Simmonscourt Rd will close from 7am until approx. 8pm each day between the Merrion Rd and Anglesea Rd junctions.
  • A map of the showgrounds can be viewed and downloaded here.

Highlights

The Speed Stakes

The first big competition of the Show is on Wednesday (8th). This event is fast, furious and hot to trot. Participants jump a course in the fastest time possible to beat their competition.

Ladies’ Day

Thursday (9th) is Ladies’ Day, and it’s worth putting your best ensemble together as there is a €10,000 Dundrum Town Centre prize for the best dressed woman. The best dressed man on the day will win a €1,500 made-to-measure suit but there are lots of other competitions and prizes up for grabs. Strike a pose and sashay your way to victory!

The Aga Khan Nations Cup

The Aga Khan Nations Cup takes place on Friday (10th). This competition involves eight national teams consisting of four riders per team, who each ride the course twice. Teams are chasing the coveted Aga Khan Trophy presented to the winning nation’s team by President Michael D. Higgins. This is also the Dublin stage of the Nations Cup competition which is held in a number of cities around the world.

The Puissance

The Puissance a.k.a ‘the big wall competition’ is on Saturday (11th). Horses and riders attempt to jump as high as they can over a giant wall without knocking it. The wall increases in height after each round until there is only one horse and rider left or until the remaining riders decide it can’t be jumped and split the pot.

The Grand Prix

On Sunday (12th) the main event is The Grand Prix. The fences on this course are enormous plus there’s a time limit within which to complete it. The competition attracts top riders from all over the world and with a cash price of €200,000 up for grabs, we can understand why!

The scoring

If you’re attending the Horse Show for the atmosphere, don’t read any further. However, if you want to understand what’s going on in more detail, read on:

  • The basic aim for all jumping competitions is to jump a clear round in the fastest time possible. Each time a horse knocks a jump, that counts as four faults or penalties. Faults are only incurred when a rider knocks the top pole of the jump. If it’s a water jump, a horse’s foot in the water or on the plasticine strip before the water will count as four faults.
  • A refusal also counts as four faults and a second refusal will result in elimination.
  • If there is a time in which to complete the course, every second over that time will incur a time fault.
  • If a rider falls off their horse, that counts as an elimination and they must leave the arena on foot.
  • There are red and white flags on the tops of the fences and horses must jump inside the flags with the red flag always on the right.
  • If a horse has incurred a number of faults, the rider may decide to retire by signalling to the judges.

Food, drink and shopping

If a day watching horses is your worst nightMARE (see what we did?), there are other distractions to occupy your time. While away the hours at the Horse Show shopping village where you can buy Irish arts, crafts and fashion plus top international outdoor brands. There are also stands selling home and garden wares and of course tack shops and equestrian goods. After you work up an appetite browsing the shops and stands, you can recharge for round two at the food village.

There’s entertainment laid on  every day, including magic, clowns and a puppet show. Musical acts will also perform on the band lawn over the course of the Show.

What to wear

There is no need to go OTT with your outfit – unless you’re entering the Best Dressed competitions, of course. Most attendees dress casually with riding boots and jodhpurs popular. You won’t be turned away if you arrive in your jeans or overalls; wear what you want.

Make sure to keep track of the driving conditions and traffic by using the AA Routeplanner and AA Roadwatch website.

Photos used under CC0 licence

Written by Esther O'Moore Donohoe