Dublin Horse Show dates are moved to July to accommodate Olympic schedule

The summer of 2020 will see the Longines FEI Nations Cup^TM Dublin Horse Show take place from July 15 to 19 in a move designed to accommodate riders who are planning to compete at both the Olympic Games and the Dublin Horse Show.  Normally the show takes place in August.

Some of the best show jumping teams in the world will take part in the RDS event in July, including those that will compete for the top honours in Tokyo. Tickets for the 2020 Dublin Horse Show are already on sale through Ticketmaster and other usual ticket outlets.

A similar calendar move for the Dublin Horse Show took place four years ago when the Olympic Games were held in Rio de Janeiro. The Dublin Horse Show will be the last time that many teams compete together before taking part in the Olympics, including Ireland, who have qualified a show jumping team for the Olympic Games for the first time since 2004. They join other equestrian teams that will represent Ireland in Tokyo in dressage and eventing – the first time that all three Irish equestrian teams have qualified for an Olympic Games.

Speaking about the move to July, Michael Duffy, CEO of the RDS said: “Whether you are an equestrian competitor or a visitor to the Show, it is important to have the July dates in your diary. As it is such a hugely important event for the Irish sport horse industry, anyone connected with the industry will have to prepare their summer around the move to July 15-19. This move to earlier dates will also have some material changes for those looking to compete at the RDS, with qualifiers now taking place some weeks earlier than in a typical year.”

 He also celebrated the success of the Irish team in qualifying for next year’s Olympics: “It is wonderful to have an Irish team qualified for the Olympic Games again. International Irish riders are rightly renowned around the world for their skill and ability, so we have perhaps underachieved in recent years in not qualifying a team for so long. The July Show will be a great chance to see not just the Irish team, but several other Olympic-qualified teams just days before they fly out to Japan.”

The 2020 Olympic Games will take place in Tokyo, July 24-August 9.

-Jack Burns