THERE are few people more passionate about the Dublin Horse Show, and the Royal Dublin Society, than Joan O’Connor who now has extra reason to look forward to the second Wednesday in August as her Greenhall Granuaile qualified for the five-year-old young event horse championship when winning at Forth Mountain on Tuesday under Co Meath’s Sarah Ennis.

The Co Wicklow architect and arbitrator has been a member of the RDS for many, many years, “long before I ever rode a horse”, and loves exhibiting at the show. She has been more hands-on with her horses in the past but is now becoming accustomed to being on the sidelines.