This is the Punchestown time of the year. People come in their thousands to Co Kildare for the racing. They do what racegoers do. They measure the form of the horses and make their bets.
But not many of the punters are aware of the traditions and the history that has made Punchestown, right from its very beginnings, a racing festival.
Punchestown Festival begins with Walking Sunday, one of the greatest social events for people in the surrounding area. They come to walk the course. I suppose you could call it an inspection to test “The Going” before the actual horse racing begins on Tuesday.
But it is more than just walking the course. It is a time to meet old friends, catch up on the news of the past year, share information on the runners and reminisce on events of former meetings and tell of money lost and won.
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To me, having moved from the lowlands of Limerick to the Plains of Kildare, Punchestown Festival was the strangest thing. I was ignorant of the art of horse culture until Punchestown fever broke out in April.
The children were just back at school after the Easter holidays when the schools shut down again. Everything in the town of Naas closed, banks, shops and county council offices, so every man, woman and child could go to the races at Punchestown.
But it is a mistake to think it is just about horse racing. It is a family festival with all sorts of sideshows and a carnival to keep children occupied while parents get on with the more serious business of horse talk.
Originally Punchestown Races took place for just one day. That was in the mid-19th century. There were races for farmers’ horses, hunt races and special events for the army or regimental races. Judging was a haphazard back then and if there were a dead heat the two horses had to race again as there was no such thing as a photo-finish.
Today the old titles of races have been retained and one of the most enjoyable and contested is the Bishopscourt Chase – which is confined to Co Kildare farmers who breed and train their own horses.
Another fiercely contested race is the La Touche Cup – a race jumped over banks and stonewalls and brush fences. There is a particular jump in this race: Ruby’s Double, named after the grandfather of our jockey, Ruby Walsh.
The La Touche Cup is the least valuable race at Punchestown – €2,000 prize money, but it is the most prestigious event of the four-day festival. James Bond star Sean Connery’s horse Risk of Thunder won it seven times.
As I am name dropping, let me take you back to the beginning of the 20th Century when Punchestown was a favourite haunt of Edward VII. He came as a prince a couple of times. In 1907 he decided to come when he was king, and the local officials of Naas decided to give him a royal welcome. Switzers of Dublin was contracted to erect arches across the street at Naas railway station, the Town Hall and farther up on South Main Street. Naas was a-flapping with coloured bunting strung across the streets and the town clerk stood on a platform with the script of his welcoming speech in his hand.
And what happened? An eyewitness account states the king and queen were so intent on getting to Punchestown in time for the first race they sped through Naas and failed to halt.
Once upon a time I was caught up in Punchestown fever when a neighbour convinced me to put my two youngsters into their buggy and hit the road for the long walk out the Blessington Road with all the other mothers.
Weather-wise it was a great day and, yes, I went to the races. The place is wide open country and we picnicked by the stream and watched the racing from afar.
Everything was grand until my two children fell into the water. They cried with the cold and I had to strip and dry them with the small blanket I brought and made a hasty exit from Punchestown Racecourse. The tortuous walk back to Naas convinced me of what I already knew: I’m not really cut out for horse racing.
