In one ring judges are inspecting mares and gangly legged foals who are new to showbusiness.
In another ring 20 identically dressed riders are trotting 20 identical ponies in circles.
And in the main arena horses are lepping over fences the height of Kylie Minogue.
The Dublin Horse Show is a serious business altogether.
The equestrian and social event has been running for 155 years and is stabled comfortably at the RDS.
It’s a huge draw, attracting spectators and competitors from around the world. It must be nirvana for horsey people.
The indoor halls are packed with stands selling everything from jazzy jodhpurs (cream is soooooo boring) to horse shaped flower planters.
Outdoors there are real, live horses as far as the eye can see and while it might be a crude yardstick it seems reasonable to assume that the people crowding around the railings watching goings on inside the rings are there for the horses and those sitting in the wine and cocktail bars are there for the craic.
And there’s plenty of craic to be had. At one point on ladies' day the Brook Singers, an all-male Dublin choir, begin an impromptu performance in a bar and it’s glorious. Passersby stop to listen as they coast through classics by Elvis and the Everly Brothers.
Ladies’ day is a sight to behold. From the dresses to the millinery, the style is on point, although the ladies are incongruous in these surrounds. It’s as though they stopped off in the RDS en route to a society wedding.
Their outfits are as international as the horse show clientele. One young woman ordered her hat from a milliner in Australia and it was as splendid a sea urchin as you’ll ever see.
Showjumping is a big draw and the prize money starts at a few thousand euros, climbing to €350,000 for the main competition on the Sunday.
For the novice horse show attendee it is easy to get caught up in the showjumping hype. It’s one of the few, perhaps only, sports where you can compete professionally well into your forties and there’s every chance you’ll have an epiphany about a career change while watching from the grandstand.
A note of caution; it’ll be a short-lived epiphany and will happen in the split second pause between the commentator saying “X is 42 and has competed for their country” and “They first sat on a horse at age three…”
OK, so the €350,000 prize will never be yours and nor will a career in showjumping but there's always the best dressed competition at next year's ladies' day.
