MARTY Baumann, Rolex Kentucky’s press officer, paid his first visit to Ireland last summer when his first stop was Tony and Louise Parkes home after flying in from Boston, near where Baumann’s Classic Communications business is based. The family then went west to Connemara and Cong, where they stayed at Ashford Castle, during their visit sandwiched in between Dublin Horse Show and the Rio Olympics.

Two other Irish visitors are Pat and Cheryl Bagnal, part of Rolex Kentucky’s exceptional volunteer team , who live a mile from the site of Fair Hill International three-day-event. The couple went to Bagenalstown in Co Carlow to research Pat’s Irish roots and Cheryl has been one of Bertram Allen’s biggest fans since meeting him at the World Cup finals at Las Vegas in 2015.