The Horse Sport Ireland Show Jumping Masters will be televised live on RTÉ on Friday evening.
Many of Ireland’s top international riders will compete in the prime-time national television event.
Those recently competing on FEI Nations Cup duty across Europe will attend. Combinations in contention for a place on Michael Blake’s Show jumping squad for the Tokyo Olympics will also participate.
The competition will be live on Friday from 6.30pm to 8.55pm on RTÉ 2 television and on the RTÉ Player.
Major names set to participate
Major show jumping stars such as Bertram Allen and Denis Lynch are among the European-based riders set to return home.
The competitors will also include former World Champion Dermott Lennon. Last year’s winner of the Longines Grand Prix of Ireland and Nations Cup regular Shane Breen is set to attend.
Canada-based Daniel Coyle, one of seven Irish riders inside the top 50 on the Longines World Rankings, is also set to compete.
Olympian Greg Broderick, reigning and Irish National Champion Capt Geoff Curran and former World Breeding Championship Gold medal winners Ger O’Neill and Mikey Pender will also participate.
Top foreign riders to compete
Several top foreign riders will add an international flavour to the competition including Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping winner Sameh El Dahan from Egypt. Britain’s Georgia Tame and Canada’s Rebecca McGoldrick will also compete. Two former winners of the Hickstead Derby also line-out with Paul Beecher and Trevor Breen both among the starters.
A large group of Irish riders who are now based in the UK are set to return home including, Michael Duffy, Richard Howley and David Simpson. Also among the list of competitors are a group of the sports rising stars that includes, Kate Derwin, Jason Foley, and Susan Fitzpatrick.
Irish Eventing rider Cathal Daniels, who claimed individual bronze at the European Eventing Championships and who regularly competes on the Show Jumping circuit, is also included among the list of athletes.
In addition to a lucrative prize fund, the winning rider of the Horse Sport Ireland Show Jumping Masters will drive away in a stunning new Overlander 2-stall Horse Truck.
As well as coverage of the HSI Show Jumping Masters, the two-and-a-half-hour programme from Emerald International will also feature interviews with members of the Irish Dressage and Eventing teams who have qualified for next summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games.
