In its heyday on TV in the 1970s and 1980s, show jumping was big. Helped by a greater number of colour sets and stars like Harvey Smith, David Broome, Eddie Macken and Paul Darragh, along with coverage of the Horse of the Year Show and the Dublin Horse Show, the sport was very much mainstream.
The first week in August at the RDS culminated with the Aga Khan Cup or the Nations Cup, as some like to call it. It will always be the 'Aga Khan' to most. Ireland completed a hat-trick of wins in 1979; for those of us young enough to remember, it was compulsive viewing. For close to three hours, we were enthralled.
Eddie Macken was usually the last of the Irish riders to go; the nation, even before it held its breath at Italia '90, had to hold it for 40 seconds or so as Macken set out to plot a clear round. And that he would do.
RTÉ used to the cover the World Championships back then; I seem to recall that the event was always held in the German city of Aachen. Obviously it wasn't, but for me Aachen was synonymous with showjumping. So too was the late Brian McSharry, who for many years was behind the mic for RTÉ. On BBC we had the plummy voices of Dorian Williams and Raymond Brooks-Ward.
Time moves on and show jumping on the telly began to lose its popularity; the BBC stopped showing the Horse of the Year Show, while RTÉ's coverage of Dublin in August is now cut back to three days, though the Aga Khan still holds pride of place.
Horse Sport Ireland is the governing body for all equestrian sport for Ireland, with showjumping, eventing, dressage, some of the sports that it administers. It is recognised by the Irish Sports Council, and the Olympic Federation of Ireland.
In the Olympics, Ireland has only won one medal, Cian O'Connor taking home an individual bronze at London 2012.
Hopes were high that Daniel Coyle and Shane Sweetnam could add to that after they qualified with clear rounds ahead of today's medal contest at the picturesque Château de Versailles. In general competition, our showjumpers have had a good season to date.
On another sweltering hot day at these Olympics, the course was proving tough and only three of the 30 starters had clear rounds.
A couple of participants retired after either being tossed to the floor, like world champion and world number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden on King Edward, spooked before a fence, or deciding that 16 faults (knocking four fences) was enough. Among the latter was Coyle, making his Olympic debut, who revealed afterwards that he lost a stirrup and that his horse Legacy had shed a shoe.
The Derry competitor also stated that he had a "bit of food poisoning" recently, when speaking afterwards to the media.
"So I wasn't feeling that great. I went to bed early and slept quite good. So I woke up with confidence but not delusional. I knew it was going to be very tough."
And it was tough, as previous Olympic and World medallists knocked the top bar of obstacles and, frustratingly for them, knocked a bar off the final fence when clear up to that point.
Shane Sweetnam, in his second Games, incurred 12 faults in a time of 82.03 to finish 22nd overall. He was going well until he clipped a bar and then, like a domino effect, two more came crashing down.
The Corkman was philosophical in the aftermath, telling RTÉ Sport: "There's been a lot of jumping the last six days, four big rounds, so I think we ran out of gas a little bit but he was still trying very hard, he's a great horse.
"Maybe if he had a little more energy I think we could have given it a better go, but he's a great horse."
Three combinations were involved in a jump-off for the medals, with gold going to Germany's Christian Kukuk, aboard Checker 47.
Many of the equine stars involved had interesting names: like Dallas Vegas Batilly; Bond Jamesbond De Hay; Untouchable 32 and Mistral Van De Vogelzang.
The whole thing ran for just under two hours, before packed stands. An audience that were respectful of the riders, with the 'oohs' and 'ahhs' not too loud when they sensed that rider and horse were too close for comfort before the inevitable dropping of the bar.
There were high hopes that Team Ireland would add to their medal haul of seven today. But medals are hard won at any Games and show jumping is very much a global sport, with Japan and Kazakhstan, perhaps not recognised as a force in the sport, having representatives in the final.
Daniel Coyle was bullish when he spoke to RTÉ Sport, saying: "I will go back with my held high and we will win a medal at the next one."
If he does, it might rekindle that time when show jumping had us all hooked.
But for Coyle, Sweetnam and other competitors who have graced such a wonderful venue on the outskirts of Paris, thoughts will turn to next week at the famed Simmonscourt Pavillion. Aga Khan and the Puissance, words that still evoke memories after all these years.
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