Day one:There was a good turnout at the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show which opened to the public for the 134th time at the Royal Dublin Society grounds yesterday.
The fine weather helped lift the spirits of those who came to look at the 1,400 horses which have been registered to take part in the hundreds of showing, jumping and other events taking place here until Sunday.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Paddy Bourke, who took the traditional route from the Mansion House to the Ballsbridge site in the 200-year-old horse-drawn mayoral coach to perform the opening, urged Dubliners to support the show.
"It is the best possible showcase for the Irish equestrian world and for Dublin tourism and it deserves all possible support from Dubliners," he said.
Many of those who attended the event came from abroad giving credence to the Fáilte Ireland sponsorship of the event which costs €3.3 million to stage and just breaks even financially.
But with nearly 30,000 visitors coming to Ireland each year just for the sake of the horse, the sponsorship is well directed particularly at the British and continental visitors who were here in large numbers yesterday.
The chief executive of the society, Michael Duffy, said he expected 80,000 visitors before the event finishes on Sunday.
"It is our biggest effort of the year and we continue to focus on it because of our commitment to the industry. It is expensive to set up but it has started to break even as a event," he said.
He said both the number of entries and the prize fund had increased this year. At €720,000 it was one of the most attractive horse shows on the circuit.
The event goes truly international tomorrow when eight of the world's top national showjumping teams will fight it out during the Samsung Super League for the Aga Khan Challenge Trophy.
Teams from Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the United States and Ireland will take part in the competition which is the equestrian and fashion highlight of the week.
However, today being Ladies' Day, the RDS will become a battleground for the €10,000 prize for the most glamorous lady in the Evian-sponsored competition which draws women from all over the country to compete.
There is also a Longines Belle Arti watch for the best pink outfit which will be shown today and the best dressed man will be able to walk away with a Louis Copeland suit.
Halfway through its €100 million development plan, the grounds here look very well and there are more than 300 trade stands showing a wide range of consumer goods, fashion wear, millinery, equestrian clothing, wines and confectionary.
The gates open at 9am and remain open until 7pm.