LADIES' DAY:DAY TWO of the Fáilte Ireland Dublin Horse Show saw a huge attendance at the Ballsbridge showgrounds with top-class jumping and showing and a record entry for the Blossom Hill Ladies Day competitions.
There was also good news on horse product sales from a major marketing drive in Kilkenny.
A major equine event, Eqspo 2009, which opened in Kilkenny yesterday organised by Enterprise Ireland, is expected to generate more than €4 million worth of export sales over the next 18 months.
The event, which is being hosted by Connolly’s Red Mills equine products company, has attracted almost 60 overseas buyers from 34 international equine companies from 16 countries to this, the first event of its kind.
The buyers have come from the UK, the US, UAE, China, Singapore, Qatar, Turkey, France, Germany and Austria to the event which is showcasing Irish feed, supplements, veterinary products and horse accessories and services.
Enterprise Ireland’s head of international sales and partnering Gerry Murphy said the worldwide reputation of the Irish bloodstock industry was unparalleled and alongside, it had developed a cluster of innovative, world-class equine-related products and services which were making their mark across the globe.
The buyers attending Eqspo will travel to the horse show later today and will meet Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and attend a business networking event.
However, few animals are being purchased here; there were frequent announcements that horses on show were for sale, quite an unusual move.
The news that a second horse-slaughtering plant had opened recently would appear to bear out the claims there are many unwanted horses in post-Celtic Tiger Ireland.
On the big event later today, there was some good news for Ireland when the draw took place for the Meydan FEI Nations’ Cup for the Aga Khan trophy.
Ireland was drawn in sixth place out of 10 and Robert Splaine, the Irish team manager, said it was not a bad draw at all. Ireland had already qualified for next year’s series, he added, which was a big weight off his shoulders and that of the team.
Italy, Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland were drawn in that order in the competition which will involve a new format of two rounds with teams being eliminated at that stage. The big winner yesterday was Emir O’Shea from Killarney who won the Blossom Hill Ladies’ Day best-dressed woman prize of a shopping trip to Milan and a five-day stay in Cape Town.
The prize for the most colourful outfit went to Laura Tutty, Kildare, the best-dressed man prize went to Richard Healy from Wicklow and Norma O’Neill from Killarney won the prize for the most creative hat.