The World Cup of Dressage and Show Jumping get underway today in the exotic surroundings of Las Vegas. Both sports are stepping up their appeal in terms of glitz and glamour, an initiative sure to reach a peak in the Thomas & Mack Centre only a short jump away from the strip.
Chefs from the Bellagio will be catering for VIP guests and Steffi Graf will be handing out the trophies to the successful riders and teams after four days of competition.
It is of course an expensive sport. the video below shows how €150 million worth of horses were loaded this week onto a Qatar Airways transport plane in Amsterdam to make the journey.
It’s reach for an audience has brought the sport to Miami Beach earlier this year and in Ireland this summer, Jumping in the City will bring the top stars of the sport in Ireland to compete at Shelbourne Park Greyhound Stadium, less than a kilometre from our very own Silicon Dock.
Its a long way from the Pony Clubs and Gymkhana’s upon which the sport is firmly built but this week it is expected that 80,000 fans will pay to see the action live in Las Vegas.
In a competitive arena of sport as entertainment those are impressive numbers.
Ireland’s Bertram Allen, a 19 year old from Wexford will be the Irish representative among 41 of the world’s best riders bidding to become world champion. We have had three runners up down the years, from Eddie Macken, Jessica Kurten and Trevor Coyle but no winner yet. Allen is ranked number ten in the world and won two of the qualifying legs to get to the final.
