This year's Tattersalls International Horse Trials outside Ratoath in Co Meath will feature 326 entries with riders from 14 countries set to take part in the event which starts on Wednesday and runs until Sunday next.
The ultimate and toughest test of all equestrian sports, which is effectively a Triathlon for horse and rider combinations. will be closely watched and assessed by many experts and team managers with an eye toward qualification Tokyo 2020.
Indeed, many international team managers will be using Ireland’s premier three day event as an Olympic trial.
In fact Team USA are using this year’s competition as one of their trials for Tokyo 2020 and their PanAm Games later this year.
Those competing include Olympic medallist William Fox-Pitt and Andrew Hoy, who has competed in seven Olympics, six time Olympian Mary King as well as other international stars like Tim Price, Oliver Townend, and Grand Slam winner Pippa Funnell.
World silver medallist Padraig McCarthy and Sam Watson along with Camilla Speirs will be spearheading the home challenge.
Tattersalls International event by numbers:
c. 35,000 visitors
326 entries taking part
€2 million worth to local economy
€500,000 cost of staging
250 tonnes of sand used for eventing course
1 million gallons of water for course
140 litres paint
630 stables
152 fences
500 bundles of birch
100 tonnes of topsoil
3 tonnes of topsoil
3 tonnes of fertiliser
25,000 flowering plants
12km rope
80 shops in a 3-acre shopping village
80 picnic tables
c.11,270-man hours to organise the entire event
