The International Dublin Horse Show will kick off on August 8th on a brand new €800,000 jumping surface at the RDS main arena.
Ground conditions in the main arena have been a bone of contention with some of the top inter-national riders for a number of years. After winning the Grand Prix at the rain-sodden 2001 fixture, current world number one Markus Fuchs of Switzerland said that he would not jump again in Dublin unless the RDS made major changes to the footing.
The new surface comprises a 100 per cent natural grass surface, with a state-of-the-art new drainage system, the RDS chief executive Michael Duffy told The Irish Timesat yesterday's launch of the 134th Dublin Horse Show by Minister for Sport Séamus Brennan.
"The drainage system has been well and truly tested by the recent weather and thankfully it's passed with flying colours. It's a very different surface and much improved," Mr Duffy said.
The new surface will be put to the test on Friday, August 10th, when nine teams will line out for the Nations Cup, which once again forms part of the Samsung Super League, even though Ireland was demoted from the first division last season.
The eight nations currently ranked top in the world - Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Britain, the Netherlands, France, Sweden and the USA - will be battling it out for league points, but Ireland, as the host nation, is still eligible to compete for the prestigious golden Aga Khan trophy.
A total of €720,000 in prize money is on offer over the five-day fixture, with €470,000 of it earmarked for the international show jumping. The biggest prize fund of the week is the €125,000 on offer for the Longines Grand Prix, which winds up the show on August 12th.
The previous day's programme boasts the world's richest Puissance when the high jump specialists tackle the big wall for €35,000 from Land Rover's coffers.
Over 1,000 horses and ponies will be stabled at the Ballsbridge venue over the five days and the RDS reports record numbers for the Bewleys Hotels-sponsored ridden hunter classes. But the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show is not just about horses - there's also shopping, arts and crafts, music and, for the fashionistas, Evian ladies' day on August 9th.