I never tire of visiting Dublin Horse Show. This time I judged lead-rein show hunter ponies, a cleverly worded class of “first-ridden ponies” (show pony and show hunter ponies together) and the International Connemara Performance Hunter Championship (ref Showing Life, 14 July) alongside American eventing legend Denny Emmerson.
{"content":"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"}