With almost 1,500 horses on show and a prize fund of close to €1m, the 142nd edition of the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show will take place at the RDS, Ballsbridge, from Wednesday 5 August until Sunday 9 August.

The show contributes €45m to the Irish economy and attracts over 100,000 visitors to the Dublin 4 venue.

Last week, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring launched the 2015 running of this equestrian extravaganza.

“Even after 142 years, the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show continues to be Ireland’s leading equestrian show,” said the minister.

The cream of international show jumpers and horses will compete next to a host of national competitors across 132 different classes and competitions. As ever, the contest for the Aga Khan Trophy on Friday is one of the highlights of the week, and team Ireland will be one of eight countries to compete in the Furusiyya FEI Nations’ Cup.

Michael Duffy, RDS chief executive, commented: “Throughout the decades, the Horse Show has always been one of the social events of the summer, and a substantial sporting event too, which in 2015 is reflected in the prize fund of almost €1m for the professional riders.

“Started in the 19th century, the Horse Show was originally founded to encourage and promote the Irish Horse Industry.

“Evolving ever since, the 2015 show continues in this tradition, providing Irish breeders and producers with an international platform to showcase the very best of Irish Sport Horses.”

innovation

This year, the first ever International Connemara Performance Competition will take place involving teams from Ireland, the UK and France.

They will compete based on the format of the highly successful Connemara Performance Hunter Championship.

The winners will be decided by the combined total of the three highest-scoring ponies on the team – similar to that of International teams in the Nations’ Cup.

For further information and online ticket booking, log on to the Discover Ireland Dublin Horse Show website at www.dublinhorseshow.com.