MADAM,

Having attended the Dublin Horse Show last Saturday and viewed the new stand etc for the first time, I wish to make an observation. Beautiful and all as the stand may be, there are now no vantage points where the majority of ordinary spectator may view the Main Arena without having to pay to do so.

The creation of the new stand has seen the demolition of the old terrace beside the pocket, which in times gone by generated such atmosphere. In its absence we now have a hospitality tent/area. Therefore the “ordinary joe soap” is now forced to watch the Main Arena from the limited viewing area at the Anglesea Road end which, barring a small area beside the stand, is flat.

My experience on Saturday was that there were a large number of people congregated in this area many with children who could not see anything. The alternative was to pay €12.50 to stand in the new grandstand. Not particularly palatable for a family with two or three children.

The point that I wish to make ultimately is that whilst the new stand is a fine structure, it would appear that the RDS is now more intent on prioritising its cash revenue by means of additional hospitality at the expense of the ordinary punter seeking a day out with their family.

That is my experience and the experience of a number of people I spoke to on Saturday.

Yours etc,

Harry Phelan

Spa Hill,

Mountrath

Co Laois