Madam,

I would like to congratulate Horse Sport Ireland on the very successful inaugural event that was Jumping In The City.

I thought it really made show jumping available to the general public and it also provided the riders with a unique type of atmosphere to learn and progress in. The event has certainly risen the bar for Irish equestrianism events and hopefully many other shows around the country will try to emulate such a superb event! However, I do have some suggestions for the future as I attended the final in Shelbourne Park, Dublin on Friday, June 26th.

Firstly, the seating arrangements for the public weren’t quite adequate for those who wanted to watch the show jumping as the stand wasn’t high up enough for the spectators to see. Thus, I would suggest that those people who would like to watch the show jumping from the ringside should be allowed to do so.

I went over to the walkway where I saw others crossing over to the centre of the arena but I was told that I couldn’t go over because I didn’t have a wrist band.

Secondly, I think that tiered seating should be set up at one end of the main arena so that those who want to sit down and watch the show jumping could do so. I felt I was too far away from the show jumping to really see what was going on. A third suggestion that I would like to make was regarding the Grand Prix. The number of competitors competing wasn’t enough, I felt, and it was over before it really began.

A format similar to the world renowned Global Champions Tour should be adopted where there are three rounds. In the first round, everyone jumps, in the second the top 25% come back in and jump again, followed by a jump-off for the final round.

A fourth and final suggestion would be to have a young horse class showcasing the best of the Irish show jumping breeding and perhaps even a loose jumping competition for three-year-olds.

Overall, I thought that for a first year it was a great success. However if the event isn’t improved year on year, it will lose its appeal.

To end with the words of the well known American football player Vince Lombardi: “Perfection is not attainable. But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence.”

Yours etc,

Patrick Walsh