100,000 flocking to RDS for Dublin Horse Show next week

More than 100,000 people are expected to attend next week's Dublin Horse Show at the RDS, the organisers have predicted.

About 1,600 horses and ponies will participate in the show’s various equestrian events from Wednesday until Sunday.

The Nations Cup will be the first home outing for the Irish show jumping team, who are the current European champions.

They will be competing against teams from Mexico, the United States, France, the Netherlands, Britain, Italy and Switzerland.

A report by economist Jim Power – Untapped Potential: Unlocking the Economic Potential of the Irish Sport Horse Industry – said the sector could create an additional 7,000 jobs over the next decade.

The report noted that in 2016 the thoroughbred breeding and racing industry accounted for direct and stimulated spending of some €1.84 billion.

The current sport horse population is estimated at 135,715 animals; there are 14,830 active breeders; 46,799 people are involved with sport horses; there are 14,057 full-time job equivalents in the sector and it makes a contribution of €816 million per annum to economic activity, the report said.