DUBLIN HORSE SHOW 2016
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Dungarvan Observer | Friday, 22 July, 2016
Dublin Horse Show gets underway at the RDS
Peter Moloney, Colligan, Dungarvan, who will compete at the RDS. Ireland’s biggest By Brian Hennessy RDS. equestrian event continues to grow with Showing and HE pinnacle Ridden classes proving event for the exceptionally popular this Irish Horse Sport year. industry, The Dublin The action kicks-off on Horse Show gets underWednesday with the Sport way this week, two Ireland Classic the main weeks earlier than its Show Jumping feature in traditional August date. the main arena. With many of the LADIES DAY world’s top Show Jumping One of the premier style horses and riders due to events of the summer, the compete at the much Dundrum Town Centre anticipated Olympic Ladies’ Day takes place on Games in Rio this August, Thursday and this year has the 2016 Dublin Horse a prize of a €10,000 shopShow jumps forward, ping voucher for the shortening the wait for Centre. Gents won’t be left Irish equestrian fans who out with ‘Best Dressed will flock to Ballsbridge Man’ competition sponfor five fun-filled days of sored by Louis Copeland. sport, shopping and AGA KHAN socialising. Friday as always is Aga Michael Duffy, RDS Khan Nations Cup day at Chief Executive comthe RDS. There were jubimented: “The last time we lant scenes last year when moved to July for the Ireland won the Aga Khan Show was in 1992 for the Trophy and Horse Sport Barcelona Olympics. That Ireland Show Jumping year Ireland won the Aga team manager Robert Khan trophy so we hope Splaine has kept faith with that it’s a good omen.” the same five riders who The Irish Sport Horse were victorious 12 months Industry is worth €700 ago. million to rural Ireland and Wexford’s Bertram Allen responsible for 13,000 is named with the stallion jobs, while the Show is Hector Van D’Abdijhoeve, worth over €45 million for fresh from a podium finish the local economy and acts at the Global Champions as a focal point for many Tour show in Estoril, people involved profesPortugal. Ireland’s Olympic sionally and socially in combination, Tipperary’s equestrianism in Ireland. Greg Broderick and MHS An increase in entries to Going Global are also the 2016 Dublin Horse selected for what will be Show means that space their last competition will be at a premium at the before heading to Rio.
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Meath’s Cian O’Connor is named with Good Luck, the pair having finished in the prizes in a five-star Grand Prix recently in Belgium. Tipperary’s Denis Lynch is selected with the stallion All Star, while Offaly’s Darragh Kenny is also in the squad with Go Easy De Muze. Robert Splaine will select his team of four from these five riders on Thursday evening. Speaking about the Aga Khan competition, Splaine said; "We always look forward to competing at Dublin which is internationally recognised as one of the best shows in the world, and we will be doing everything we can to repeat our great victory in the Aga Khan from last year." Last year saw Investec announced as the first ever corporate sponsor of the Irish Show Jumping team and they continue their sponsorship again in 2016. Nigel Poynton of Investec Wealth & Investment said; “Investec are proud to sponsor some of the best sporting teams around the world and the Irish Show jumping team is a great addition to our portfolio. We hope that the team can emulate their success of 2015 and win the Aga Khan Trophy for a second year in a row” Ireland will be hoping
to secure enough Nations Cup points to qualify for the Furusiyya Nations Cup final in Barcelona, while a win at the RDS could see Ireland finish top of Europe’s top tier of team Show Jumping. The Aga Khan line-up will include 2012 Olympic champions Great Britain, the USA, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, as well as Czech Republic and, of course, Ireland. Irish Show Jumping fans can show their support to the Irish Show jumping team by using the #goteamirl hashtag during Friday’s Aga Khan competition which will be broadcast live on RTE. Saturday’s main feature will be the thrilling Land Rover Puissance as horses and riders try to scale the Big Red Wall. Antrimbased Egyptian rider Sameh El Dahan cleared 2.20m to win the Land Rover Puissance in 2015. County Waterford will be represented in the RDS international classes by Anthony Condon, Francis Connors and by Jack O’Donoghue from Tallow. Kill showjumper Connors will ride The Irish Sport Horse, Erne Ladygoldilocks (ISH) and Theoreme Du Desir, while O’Donoghue will ride Acorad 3 and Le Roi 10. Condon in particular has been in outstanding form
this year and would have been very close to receiving a call up to the Aga Khan team with the stallion Aristio. The Cappagh rider will be among the Irish favourites in Sunday’s Longines Grand Prix of Dublin, having finished in the prizes recently at fivestar level in Falsterbo, Sweden. DUBLIN HORSE SHOW NATIONAL CLASSES County Waterford will also be well represented in the National Jumping classes at the Ballsbridge arena which include Amateur,Young Rider, Pony and Young Horse competitions. Shane Moloney from Colligan, Dungarvan will ride in the 148 6&7 year olds class with Ballynoe Galway Girl – the second year the pair have qualified for this competition. Nicholas Connors and Tommy Harty have both qualified in the Young Rider 1m30 class, while Laura Connors and Hilda Keane take their place among the Amateur competitors. Alice Power from Glenbeg in West Waterford will be in action in the hugely exciting 128 pony class with the Mary Power-owned Sasha. Peter Moloney from Colligan, Dungarvan, will compete in the four-yearold horse class with Ger Delahunty’s Glynnwood Cruise,
while he also lines out with Camelot Z, who is owned by Carmel Ryan from Waterford City. Waterford will be very well represented in the sixyear-old class with three riders from the Deise among the entries. Peter Moloney competes with Compelling Z – again owned by Carmel Ryan, while Francis Connors will ride BP Castlefield and HVL Consun. Cappagh’s Gemma Phelan will partner Noel Ryan’s Quality Coolcoran. Francis Connors will be the sole Waterford representative in the Connolly’s Red Mills 7&8 year-old horse class with Pembrook Milenia. SHOWING The Dublin Horses Show is the pinnacle for Irish Showing enthusiasts, with a huge range of classes taking place throughout the week. There will also be a ‘Public Judging Competition’ which encourages attendees to demonstrate their expert equine knowledge. When you select your winners from the judging rings you’ll be in with a chance to win €1,000. With up to three classes each day, you can decide where your skills suit best, from Small Hunters, to Racehorses, to Foals. NEW €20 MILLION ANGLESEA STAND Whatever the outcome of the huge range of Equestrian competitions
on offer this week, the 2016 Dublin Horse Show will go down in history, as it will see the final year of the famous Anglesea Stand as we know it. Almost as soon as the last horse leaves the arena this Sunday, construction work will begin on a new stand which will increase capacity from its current 18,500, to 25,000. Set to cost in excess of €20 million, it is hoped that work could be completed before the 2017 Horse Show Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD officially launched the Show recently and said: “After 143 years the Dublin Horse Show continues to be Ireland’s leading equestrian event drawing up to 100,000 horse enthusiasts and visitors from home and overseas. The show provides a full event programme which is being extended every year, ensuring there is something new for everyone and 2016 is no exception. This year is an Olympic year and carries with it the added excitement of witnessing up close Irish and international riders who will be bidding for gold in Rio. I wish everyone taking part in the event every success and hope that those attending, whether from near or from far, enjoy the five days of sport, entertainment and Irish hospitality.”
Major boost to the economy of nearly €50m. THE show which is Ireland's biggest sporting event with over 1,500 horses and ponies competing is set to create a massive spin-off of nearly €50m into the Irish economy. This week Ballsbridge is set to host Ireland's only five star horse show on its 42 acre site and competitors in the 132 classes will compete for a prize fund of nearly €1 million. Heading up the marketing department of the RDS for the third year is Marita Connors who with her team will be hoping that their months of hard work and promotion will see over 100,000 people come through the turnstiles during the five-day event. Marita is daughter of Peg and the late Jim Connors, Park House, Stradbally and aunt of Irish U-20 Rugby international, Will Connors.
Illustration of the replacement Anglesea Stand in the main arena. Work on the demolition of the existing stand will begin this month after the Dublin Horse Show with the new stand hopefully being completed by the 2017 Horse Show.