EVERYONE has great stories of the RDS. Memories of family, of friends, of horses that were bought and sold. Years of getting ready with brothers and sisters. Travelling up and down the country for qualifying, meeting the same old faces that became life-long companions. Great summer days (and even better nights!).

But the story of the RDS goes beyond any one of us. In fact, it goes well beyond the Horse Show itself.

For almost 300 years, the RDS has responded to the needs and priorities of Ireland, addressing gaps in the development of Ireland’s culture and economy that have helped shaped the country.

The people who met for the first time in 1731 and created the RDS were radical thinkers who believed in action.

Their collective mission was to put ideas into action that would transform Ireland and create a thriving, vibrant Ireland, which the country had the potential to realise.

Today the RDS continues this mission of contributing to Ireland, culturally and economically.

The role in the Irish Sport Horse industry is recognised and valued by the RDS as the most important way in which it fulfils this mission. Since its inception, the Dublin Horse Show has been run on a not-for-profit basis in order to make it the best possible event for the industry. It is a vital gathering for the community, an important sales point for breeders and producers around the country, and a pinnacle event in the calendar.

Challenges and Opportunities

However, there are many other ways in which the mission of the RDS can be seen.

The RDS’s work in farming has in recent years promoted the many positives of adopting climate smart agriculture. Irish agriculture has many challenges and responsibilities to face up to and the RDS is there to support rural Ireland in doing this.

The RDS supports burgeoning Irish talent in the arts. It helps young artists and musicians at a crucial stage in their careers, as they take their first steps towards professionalism.

In the areas of craft, visual art and classical music, the RDS has some of the most generous annual bursaries in Europe to help emerging Irish talent go on and fulfil their potential and ultimately benefiting all of Irish society.

One of the founding aims of the RDS was to share ideas, something that the Vision 2030 Series does.

It gives platforms to people who have something to share from experience or expertise; people who have had notable achievements in business or social enterprise.

Its science education programme has taken off in the past year.

The RDS welcomed ESB as title sponsors for its Science Blast programme – a STEM educational programme for primary school children.

The programme has already been delivered to over 10,000 children this year alone and it will positively influence the lives of tens of thousands of more primary school children in the years to come.

Benefits of RDS Membership

Interwoven throughout this work are RDS members. Members have been central to the RDS since its foundation. Many visionary people have sat around the RDS table, attracted by the potential to make a difference, and have made a huge impact on Irish life. They were the driving force behind the beginnings of many showcase events focused on Irish manufacturing, employment and exports, including the Spring Show and the Horse Show. (The RDS Equestrian Committee continues to play a central role in the development of the Horse Show).

The National Botanic Gardens was started and financially supported by the RDS until given over to the State.

A group of RDS members bought radium directly from Marie Curie so that research could be conducted in Dublin into cancer treatment.

Being part of the RDS mission to contribute back to Ireland is a core element of RDS membership, but members also personally benefit, with complimentary access to the Stena Line Dublin Horse Show for a start.

Throughout the year, they have access to the exclusive RDS members’ club in Ballsbridge to host clients, colleagues and friends, with free parking located on the campus; use of reciprocal clubs around the world, some of which also offer accommodation in superbly central locations; use of the RDS library for hotdesking or book lending; discounted meeting rooms; and a busy social calendar for the culturally curious. Whether you are thinking of Membership for business, social or altruistic reasons, RDS membership might make sense for you.

Today members are integral to all the work carried out to fulfil the RDS mission by generously lending their experience, expertise and time.

They are following generations of members who have, over the course of nearly 300 years, ensured that the RDS has played an influential role in Ireland’s cultural and economic development.

Search RDS Membership, go to www.rds.ie or contact the RDS Membership team at 01-2407280 or email: members@rds.ie.