Not enough people to run the qualifiers they put on
Attention: Showing Competitions at RDS National Equestrian Championships Cancelled.
Showing classes for this year’s RDS National Equestrian Championships have been cancelled. Regrettably, the qualifiers have not attracted sufficient entries and this has forced the cancellation of the showing classes at the RDS National Equestrian Championships in August, which will now host show jumping competitions only, from Friday, August 20 to Sunday, August 22.
To support the showing sector in these exceptional times, the RDS organised four qualifying weekends of showing classes in advance of this year’s RDS National Equestrian Championships. Two showing qualifiers due to be held last month in The Meadows Equestrian Centre and Maryville Stables were cancelled due to insufficient entries. The number of entries for the qualifier at the Galway Equestrian Centre this weekend (July 3 & 4) are also too low for the classes to proceed. Consequently, the qualifiers in Barnadown (July 10 & 11) have been cancelled, as has the showing component of the RDS National Equestrian Championships. The RDS wishes to apologise to all those inconvenienced by this decision, which was made inevitable by the lack of support for the qualifiers. The 29 other qualifier days organised by the RDS, for show jumping competitions, three year old performance classes, Young Event Horses and the native breed performance classes, remain in place. These competitions have seen strong interest around the country.
The Dublin Horse Show annually hosts a great depth and range of showing classes. The RDS made plans to provide an outlet for showing competitors at this summer’s RDS National Equestrian Championships due to the absence of the country shows. However, it now appears that the long-term planning for many exhibitors has been too significantly disrupted by COVID-19.
The past year has been very difficult for the showing sector. While it is regrettable that there was insufficient interest in showing classes in this unique year, it is expected that with the resumption of the showing circuit next year the Dublin Horse Show will offer a full programme of showing classes in 2022.
