THE Irish show jumpers won every five-star international class on the opening two days of the 2023 Dublin Horse Show at the RDS in Ballsbridge this week. Blessed with sunshine and warm temperatures, the showgrounds were buzzing with action as both national and international classes got underway in front of big crowds.

In form Kilkenny-based Mikey Pender got Ireland off to a good start on Wednesday when landing the 1.45m speed stakes riding the Irish-bred HHS Vancouver (Indoctro x Don Juan de La Bouverie), owned and bred by Marion Hughes. Last to go, they got the loudest cheer when fastest of the class in 57.23 seconds.

Irish riders filled all of the top five places with Sligo’s Richard Howley taking runner-up spot with Mansini Ltd (57.62), while third place went to recent European Young Rider double gold medallist, Kilkenny’s Seamus Hughes Kennedy with Cuffesgrange Cavadora (Z Wellie 72 x Luidam), bred by Eamon Sheehan.

Galway’s Jessica Burke claimed Ireland’s second international win when she guided the 10-year-old mare Inpulss to a commanding victory in the 1.45m Minerva Stakes. Burke finished almost three-and-a-half seconds ahead of British runner-up Sienna Charles with Valkiry de Zance in the one-round contest.

Rounding out the day, the feature Sport Ireland Classic saw Cork’s Shane Sweetnam and the nine-year-old mare Out Of The Blue SCF snatch a last gasp win.

A clear round in a time of 66.15 seconds saw Sweetnam edge Spanish rider Eduardo Alvarez Aznar who had looked set for victory with Legend after posting a clear in 66.88. Tipperary’s Max Wachman finished in third place with Quintini in a time of 67.10.

Howley on the board

The Irish wins continued on Thursday with Sligo’s Richard Howley and the 12-year-old gelding Consulent de Prelet Z claiming the winner’s prize in the feature 1.60m Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes jump-off class. Eight horses and riders made it into the second round where Howley’s clear in 34.52 proved unbeatable.

Wexford’s Harry Allen and Ballywalter Farm’s Calculatus finished second in 36.85 while the only other double clear came from Greek rider Ioli Mytilineou and Levis de Muze in 38 seconds.

In the earlier Speed Derby, Wexford’s Bertram Allen thrilled the home crowd with a superfast round to take victory with the nine-year-old mare Carrera Denfer. Allen crossed the line clear in 81.95 seconds while Shane Breen and Z7 Ipswich finished as runners-up in 83.67. Kilkenny’s Jack Ryan and the Irish-bred Cavalier Teaca (Glidawn Diamond x Cavalier Royale), bred by Barry Kiernan, finished third.

Speaking on Thursday morning, Dublin Horse Show director Pat Hanly said tickets flew out the door this year. “We have had a huge run on tickets this year, maybe two months out, and there are very little tickets left for the Aga Khan, virtually for sponsors only. Thanks to you all last year, it was a fabulous competition and the television coverage and how people felt about the sport was really good.

“We have a really educated crowd in Ireland in terms of horses, they have a great understanding of the sport and a true respect for the quality of the competition here. In terms of the preparations, it has been very good. We have had a great opportunity to address the ground and have had some great growing conditions with the wet weather we have had here in Ireland.”

Full reports from every class at the show will appear in next Saturday’s issue of The Irish Field.