A highlight of the Irish summer, the RDS Dublin Horse Show has been attracting crowds to the city for more than 150 years to take in the excitement, drama, skills and style of one of the world’s most important and well-loved equestrian events.
What originated as showing classes and “lepping competitions” at the then RDS premises at Leinster House is now an annual showcase encompassing more than 168 competitions, says Natasha Serne, who, through her role as head of library and archives, is more familiar than most with the show’s evolution.
Leinster House beginnings
While the Dublin Horse Show is intrinsically associated with the RDS in Ballsbridge, it didn’t start out there. In fact, the first show took place in April 1864 at the RDS Agricultural Hall at Leinster House – headquarters at the time of the Royal Dublin Society (RDS). Jointly organised by the RDS and the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland, the show’s goal was to support the improvement of the Irish-bred horse – quality stocks of which had declined due to the demand for horses during the Crimean War.
The RDS took over the sole organisation of what was then called the National Horse Show in 1868. It’s difficult to imagine now, but the Irish seat of Government was once home to early “leaping” or “lepping” competitions, precursors to the showjumping we know today, which required the horses to jump huge heights with very little run up to the jumps.
RM Block
Had you visited the lawn of Leinster House in those days you would have witnessed an extraordinary spectacle – hurdles trimmed with gorse, a 12ft-long water tank and a loose stone wall – features familiar to cross-country riders and designed to showcase the suitability of horses for racing and hunting.
The first recorded winners of these “jumping competitions” were Richard Flynn, a sheep farmer from Roscommon, with his horse Shaun Rhue, and and George,a six-year-old owned by Andrew Hannon from Prosperous, Kildare.
The show soon outgrew the site at Leinster House and, in the late 1870s, a 15-acre site was leased from the Earl of Pembroke, who had considerable lands in the Ballsbridge area of Dublin at the time. This new site would give the RDS the space to expand the show, to add more stabling, exhibition spaces and a sizeable grandstand at a time when spectator sports were on the rise in popularity.
The early years at Ballsbridge
The RDS held the first National Horse Show at the Ballsbridge grounds in 1881 and the next 20 years would be a time of great innovation, with several initiatives aimed at elevating and supporting excellence in Irish horse breeding – something that remains a key focus of the RDS Dublin Horse Show today.
The RDS introduced service premiums to stallions in 1887 and established a register of thoroughbred stallions in 1892. In 1897, the Horse Breeding Commission recommended employing the RDS system of breed improvements through the introduction of premiums for mares and prizes for young stock. This commission would have a significant impact on the breed profile of the Irish hunter.
Readers familiar with the Ballsbridge area may remember the old railway siding on the site of what is now Meta HQ. This siding was the remnants of what was once a private railway extension to the old Kingstown Railway line from the RDS – installed to transport horses and livestock to and from the showgrounds and the sales ring which was leased to Goffs in the 1880s. The siding remained in situ for almost 100 years when the site was sold to AIB.
In 1924, the National Horse Show became known as the Dublin Horse Show. That same year, the RDS sold Leinster House to the Irish Free State government, using the proceeds to establish its headquarters in Ballsbridge and to expand and develop the showgrounds. This development firmly cemented the show as a major attraction on the Irish social calendar and equestrians and society folk alike flocked to the show and its accompanying social events.
“Dublin has always benefited from the horse show, with special railway and cruise liner deals bringing tourists from across Ireland and all corners of the world to the city in August. The traditional ‘horse show week’, which merits a mention in Ulysses, saw a varied schedule of entertainment provided for visitors by theatres including the Abbey and the Gate,” says Serne.
“Ladies coming up from the country could collect their orders at the city’s department stores – many of which were advertised in the sumptuous Horse Show Annual, the show’s first official programme.”
Development of the course
While the social aspect of the show was in its ascent, so too were the technical aspects of the sport of showjumping. In an evolution of the “lepping” at Leinster House, the horses were now required to jump over a three-acre course.
This first course was designed by TG Waters, and by 1885 consisted of a bank and ditch, a stone wall, ditch and bank, double bank, water jump and hurdle – a combination of jumps that would remain largely unchanged until the 1970s.
This course would influence the design of others across the showjumping world, and visitors to the early horse shows in Dublin would have also recognised many of the features of the Olympic showjumping arena in Paris when the sport was introduced to the games in 1900.
International showjumping and the Nations Cup
The first Nations Cup competition took place in 1909 in London and Lucerne and initially became a feature of the Dublin Horse Show due to a 1925 meeting between Judge William Evelyn Wylie, who would go on to become vice-president, president, honorary vice-president and chairman of the RDS executive committee, and Swiss colonels Ziegler and Haccius who were in Ireland purchasing horses for the Swiss showjumping team. At the time, hundreds of Irish horses were being sold to Switzerland annually, and, they reasoned, that number would increase if Ireland hosted and entered the competition.
The following August, Capt. Ged O’Dwyer, Capt. Cyril Harty and Capt. Dan Corry of the newly-founded Army Equitation School at McKee Barracks competed for the Nations Cup against France, Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland.
Ireland would go on to win the Nations Cup for the first time two years later, having their first outright win of the Aga Khan trophy (named after Sir Sultan Mohammed Shah Aga Khan III who first presented it) in 1926.
The popularity of the Nations Cup led to a huge rise in visitor numbers to the show and to the construction of the Anglesea Stand, designed to accommodate 5,000 people, at a cost of £32,000.
Over the years, spectators of the Nations Cup have witnessed the talents of many legendary Irish and international military riders – notable among them the Italians Raimondo and Piero D’Inzeo, the first riders to compete in eight consecutive Olympic Games from 1948 to 1976. Irish army riders including Billy Ringrose, Con Power, Gerry Mullins, Ned Campion and John Ledingham would go on to contribute to Aga Khan wins for Ireland.
Women at the show – origins and evolution
If Ladies’ Day or Best Dressed day is an occasion for celebrating fashion and frivolity, this was not always the case. In the year following the end of the first World War, women entered the show’s jumping competitions for the first time, with the “Ladies’ Jumping Competition” held on the Thursday of that year. This led to the tradition of Ladies’ Day taking place on Thursdays to this day. Florence Garth and her horses bearing the era-evoking names of Tank and Motor Car were the first winners of the new Ladies Jumping Class.
By the early 1920s, women were competing alongside men in all of the show’s classes and the 1947 directive by the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) that allowed civilian riders to compete alongside military riders would lead to yet more women entering the show’s international competitions.
Prominent Irish riders such as Iris Kellett, Diana Conolly-Carew, Marion McDowell and Ada Matheson led the charge for women; international riders including Caroline Bradley and Marion Coakes appeared regularly at the show during the 1970s and 1980s; and few readers will forget the performances of Jessica Kürten and Marion Hughes in the 1990s and early 2000s.
“From a social and style perspective, while the Dublin Horse Show had always been the place to ‘see and be seen’ and was included as an outlier of the London season, it was not until 1984 that the first official Ladies’ Day Competition was held,” says Serne. “The winner of that first competition, sponsored by Brown Thomas, was Nicola McAuliffe, from Co Clare, who took home a Citroen Diane.
“In 2017, a Dublin Horse Show milestone was reached when the first all-female team won the Aga Khan trophy in the RDS Main Arena, with the US win of the Nations Cup. Three years later the Gender Equality Grant in Equestrian Sport was introduced and steps have been taken to address gender disparities in showjumping by ensuring that female riders who take career breaks for family reasons do not lose their rankings.”
Showjumping rules
While judging competitions at the RDS had previously been subjective, often to the frustration of competitors, Judge William Evelyn Wylie determined to bring structure to proceedings.
In 1921, he introduced rules in which a maximum of five points were awarded for each fence jumped, with up to five additional bonus points for rounds of exceptional merit. The points were recorded by two independent markers who stood behind the judges to ensure objectivity.
Wylie’s rules remained standard until 1931 when the FEI insisted on a new system of penalty points for faults. The federation also outlawed the use of double banks and stone walls in international competitions at the show, although these remained in national competitions until the 1970s.
“The 1920s saw the introduction of the first posters for the Dublin Horse Show too. These were designed by Olive Whitmore (1920s to 1930s) and later by Violet Skinner (1960s to 1970s),” says Serne. “Marconi made the first commercial radio broadcast in Ireland from the 1923 Horse Show and Pathé News ran regular bulletins from the show that were broadcast across the world.”
The International Grand Prix of Ireland
The 1930s saw Saturday opening – a boon for visitor numbers and for the show’s commercial traders. “This led the show’s trade-stand holders to commission the iconic Pembroke Clock Tower which was dedicated to Edward Bohane, whose tenure as RDS director did much to shape the Dublin Horse Show as we know it today,” says Serne.
The 1930s also saw the introduction of the International Grand Prix to the show.
“In 1934 the first International Grand Prix was held at the Dublin Horse Show. That first competition was won by the great Irish army rider Ged O’Dwyer on Limerick Lace. From its inception, the competition was open to male and female riders as entrants were drawn from individual countries and hunting associations which had many women riders amongst their ranks. Iris Kellett on Rusty would win the competition in 1948 – kicking off a series of wins for Irish women that lasted until 1952.”
Later, in 1963 the competition became known as the International Grand Prix of Ireland and Ireland had three wins of the trophy that decade, with Tommy Wade on Dundrum in 1961 and 1963 and Diana Conolly-Carew on Barrymore in 1966.
The late 1960s through to the 1990s saw a run of successes for Great Britain in the competition; however the late 1980s into the 2000s saw Ireland on better form, with wins from Gerry Mullins (1986), Paul Darragh (1987), Eddie Macken (1996), Cameron Hanley (2000), Comdt Gerry Flynn (2007), Jessica Kürten (2008), Cian O’Connor (2013), Bertram Allen (2014) and Shane Breen (2019).
With a prize pot of approximately €500,000, the Rolex International Grand Prix of Ireland remains a vital fixture on the Sunday of the RDS Dublin Horse Show today.
Civilian riders
Before the second World War, non-military riders were not considered for the Irish teams in the Nations Cup (the Aga Khan trophy), despite many of them often outperforming their military contemporaries. Judge Wylie rejected calls throughout the 1950s to enter a civilian team in the Nations Cup competition in Dublin stating (in the days before commercial sponsorship) that there was no funding available. Despite this, he would later go on to leave a legacy in 1959 supporting the creation of a civilian team and in 1963 a combined Irish army-civilian team won the Aga Khan trophy for the first time.
Thus, a new generation of star civilian riders was born and names such as Leslie Fitzpatrick, Diana Conolly-Carew, Tommy Brennan, Francis Kerins, Seamus Hayes, Iris Kellett and Tommy Wade would go down in the annals of history, alongside army riders such as Ned Campion, Sean Daly, Larry Kiely and Gerry Mullins
By the early 1970s, Irish showjumping was suffering from an acute lack of funding and the Irish army budget for horses could not compete with top international buyers who were purchasing Irish horses for tens of thousands of Irish pounds. Showjumper and horse trainer Iris Kellet would be instrumental in salvaging this situation by training riders Eddie Macken and Paul Darragh and putting her best horses at the disposal of the Irish team.
“Brand sponsorship at the show was introduced in the 1960s, with companies such as Guinness, Hennessy and Jameson sponsoring competitions including the Nations Cup,” says Serne. “The Puissance competition was introduced in 1964 and has had a series of sponsors over the years including Shell in the early days and current sponsor Defender since 2004.”
Rider sponsorship was introduced to the show for the first time in 1977 – the Irish Dairy Board and Carroll’s tobacco company sponsoring Eddie Macken, Paul Darragh and the “Dream Team”, ensuring their choice of world class horses for the Aga Khan competition.
“In 1979, the Irish Nations Cup team clinched their third victory – securing an outright win of the Aga Khan trophy for Ireland for the first time in 42 years,’ says Serne. “Eddie Macken on Boomerang, Paul Darragh on Heather Honey, James Kernan on Condy and Capt Con Power on Coolronan, Castlepark and Rockbarton were an unforgettable team who live on in the memory of all who witnessed their victories in the late 1970s.”
The 1980s to today
After the glory days of the 1970s, the 1980s and 1990s saw a sharp decline in the number of Irish-bred horses on international showjumping teams. The RDS recognised this, and, recalling the original mission of the show, which was to support and improve the Irish-bred horse, began working with industry partners to remedy the situation.
A series of reports and work on horse genetics and breeding programmes were initiated by the RDS, culminating in the publication of Reaching New Heights in 2015. This report made several key recommendations, including the development and delivery of training programmes and structures aimed at improving breeding, production, marketing and welfare standards across the industry.
“The RDS continued to support Irish breeds such as the Connemara pony and the Irish draught horse during this time. Classes for these breeds had been introduced to the Dublin Horse Show in the late 1960s, and during the early 2000s ridden and performance classes for both breeds were introduced to the show programme, designed to highlight the quality of our native breeds to an international audience,” says Serne.
“This period also saw the introduction of breeders competitions and the show’s potential event-horse classes, which have helped to support traditional breeders to improve the quality of the Irish -bred horse and to improve international sales into the future.”
Irish showjumpers continued to have success at the Dublin Horse Show, with a number of Aga Khan and International Grand Prix of Ireland wins during this period.
In 1989, Kerrygold became the first title sponsor for the Dublin Horse Show. The 14-year deal helped to promote the show (and Ireland’s dairy industry) to national and international audiences. In 2005, Fáilte Ireland came on board and the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show ran until 2015. In 2019, Stena Line was a title sponsor, and today the show is known simply as the RDS Dublin Horse Show.
Today and tomorrow
Today, the RDS Dublin Horse Show maintains its mission to support the Irish sport horse breeder and producer through showcasing the best of Irish bred horses, encouraging the highest standards in breeding for purpose, horse welfare, ethical training and effective horsemanship, through demonstrating the benefits of the human-horse relationship and through promoting show jumping by hosting a show of the highest international standards.
In latter years, the show has introduced new competitions such as the Young Event Horse classes, Connemara Performance Hunter classes and Performance Irish Draughts, and has expanded its focus on breeding, with classes such as the Potential Event Horse, traditionally bred classes, Broodmare Futurity and the Irish-bred restrictions to the showjumping classes for young horses. Young equestrian talent has been supported via the introduction of the Children on Horses, Small Event Horse classes and the requirements for riders to have their Five Bar Training with Showjumping Ireland.
In recent years, initiatives such as Positive Strides promote the benefits of human-horse relationships, the show’s partnership with Rolex has further elevated its status, and the redevelopment of the Anglesea Stand marks a new era at the RDS.
As it celebrates its 150th show, the future of the RDS Dublin Horse Show looks bright: “With Irish riders consistently performing at the highest level and the wealth of talent in the country, the show will continue to thrive and evolve,” says show director Fiona Sheridan. “The growing entry numbers at the qualifiers are a testament to the skill and dedication within the Irish equestrian community, and we could easily fill another five days with classes and competitions.
“As the benefits of the human-horse relationship become increasingly recognised, the show will likely play a key role in highlighting the importance of equine-assisted learning and the positive impact of horses on human wellbeing.
Internationally, equestrian sport is thriving – and the RDS Dublin Horse Show will undoubtedly remain a premier event – one that attracts top competitors and showcasing the very best of Irish horse breeding, production and riding talent. Overall, I think the show has a fantastic future.”
A special exhibition, The Dublin Horse Show: Championing Irish Equestrianism for over 150 Years, will be open to visitors at the RDS Concert Hall during this year’s Dublin Horse Show.
