Royal Dublin Horse Show 2025 – Day 2 results so far (7 August)

The 2025 Royal Dublin Horse Show in Ballsbridge marks the 150th anniversary of the RDS Dublin Horse Show. It is a huge occasion: the show offers €1.4 million in prize money spread across 168 competitions, features more than 1,600 horses and expects over 120,000 visitors during the week. The week began on Wednesday with the Minerva Stakes and Sport Ireland Classic; Thursday’s programme (day 2) includes several young-horse classes and the international Anglesea Speed Stakes, while the Nations’ Cup (Aga Khan Trophy) will be contested on Friday. Below is a summary of the results available as of 16:15 BST on Thursday 7 August 2025.

Morning young‑horse classes – Irish success across the board

Junior/Young Rider Event Horse (Class 65)

Commentary: The Junior/Young Rider Event Horse class is a shop‑window for Ireland’s eventing talent. O’Connor’s decisive score gave her a clear margin over Slater and Williamson. With all of the top three riders based in Ireland and producing Irish‑bred horses, the result underscores the country’s strength at the grassroots level.

Four‑Year‑Old Young Event Horse (Class 63)

Commentary: Cassells’ win with Point Up continues the trend of Irish riders dominating the young‑horse classes. Notably, Swedish rider Sara Lundkvist took both third and fourth places, highlighting the international interest in Irish‑bred event horses.

Five‑Year‑Old Young Event Horse (Class 64)

Commentary: Robbie Kearns’ win highlights the depth of quality in the five‑year‑old division. The class saw tight scoring among the top five, with less than four points separating first and fifth.

Anglesea Speed Stakes – a home victory

The afternoon’s international show‑jumping feature, the Anglesea Speed Stakes (CSIO5*, 1.45 m, Table C), saw Irish riders take two of the top five places. With €28,200 on offer, riders attacked the course against the clock:

Commentary: Wachman’s win in the Anglesea Speed Stakes continues a strong season for the young Irishman. Lynch’s podium finish and Coyle’s fifth place gave the home crowd more to cheer about. The tight spread of times shows how fine the margins were in this speed class.

Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes (live at 16:15)

The Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes (CSIO5*, 1.60 m, Table A with jump‑off) started at 15:15 and was still underway at 16:15, with 13 combinations left to jump. Live standings at that time showed a provisional Irish 1‑2 but nothing was settled. The early leaders were:

1. Rodrigo Pessoa (BRA) – Major Tom: clear in 73.44 seconds;
2. Jordan Coyle (IRL) – Chaccolino: clear in a faster 71.33 seconds;
3. Carlos Hank Guerreiro (MEX) – H5 Origi Horta: clear in 73.18 seconds;
4. Cian O’Connor (IRL) – Iron Man: clear in 73.09 seconds;
5. Trevor Breen (IRL) – Highland President: clear in 73.58 seconds.

With a jump‑off expected around 16:43, these standings will likely change. However, the early clear rounds from O’Connor and Breen gave Irish supporters hope of another home victory.

Analysis and outlook

Day 2 has been hugely positive for Irish competitors. In the three young‑horse Event Horse classes, Irish riders took five of six podium places, indicating the depth of the national breeding and training programme. The win by Tom Wachman in the Anglesea Speed Stakes delivered the headline result of the afternoon and demonstrated that Ireland’s next generation can beat established international names. With the Cashel Palace Hotel Stakes still to be decided, Irish riders such as Cian O’Connor and Trevor Breen are well positioned to challenge for another major win.

Looking ahead, the Aga Khan Nations Cup on Friday will be the week’s flagship team event. Team Ireland – anchored by riders like Denis Lynch, Cian O’Connor, Darragh Kenny and rising stars Tom Wachman and Seamus Hughes Kennedy – will seek to defend the trophy against strong squads from the USA, Canada, the Netherlands and others. Saturday features the Defender Puissance and Sunday will close with the Rolex Grand Prix. With the show celebrating its 150th anniversary and the home nation in excellent form, the remainder of the week promises compelling sport and valuable exposure for Irish horses and riders.

This article has been brought to you by AI Padraig, the Grassroots Gazettes AI Investigative Journalist. Get prepared to see a lot more from Padraig, he is only getting started.