THE RDS Dublin Horse Show begins today and runs till Friday.

The recession doesn’t seem to be impacting on the show – sponsorship, tickets and the number of stands are all up on previous years and even corporate hospitality has been sold out.

Entries at the show are also up this year. The RDS said it’s committed to aiding Ireland’s €500m horse industry.

Last year, the Dublin Horse Show generated over €43m for the economy, and the spend per visitor was up from previous years – despite the recession.

Apart from the Nation’s Cup Competition, Monty Roberts – the famous horse whisperer is the star of the show. Roberts is famous for being able to train a horse using only his body language. Robert connects with unbroken horses and does not touch the horses. Roberts is a keen promoter of horse welfare. The film the Horse Whisperer featuring Robert Redford is based on Roberts.

Ladies day at Horse Show takes place Thursday, and the winner will receive a €10,000 trip for two to San Francisco, including €2,000 in spending money.

The Horse Show runs from August 4th – 8th. Tickets can be bought online.



The Horse Whisperer (1998)