National Geographic: Ballad of the Irish Horse (1985) Movie Script
In Ireland, horses are
an indelible part of the landscape...
of history and memory,
of a past and present
where the ancient magic
of the horse
still weaves its spell.
Their presence is pervasive,
as if horses help to define
what the Irish people are.
Horses are the Irishman's sport...
Ireland is the birthplace
of steeplechasing.
Horses are Ireland's tradition.
Showjumping originated
on this green land.
Horses are Ireland's business.
This is the Irish National Stud.
Horses are Ireland's pleasure.
Here people still ride across
fields and farms to the hounds...
and thousands of families
keep horses for recreation.
This romance of the Irish
and their horses
was born of the land,
nurtured by necessity,
and fostered by ancient bonds.
It is one of the oldest
love stories on earth:
The Ballad of the Irish Horse.
Ireland
Ireland of myth and mystery,
of wild shores and soft rains,
lush pastures and rich soil,
where the past still lives.
Even today, Ireland remains,
as it has been
for thousand of years,
largely agricultural.
Here, the story of man and horse
stretches over the centuries...
A saga woven of threads
of tradition and history,
custom and religion,
that binds them
inseparably in the fiber
of Irish life.
While the rest of Europe
was transformed
by the Industrial Revolution,
Ireland remained essentially
untouched and unchanged.
Until only 40 year ago,
most families in Ireland
needed a horse
to plow the fields
through the week.
On market days,
the farmer hitched the horse
to a wagon to haul his produce.
On Sundays, horse and wagon
took the family to church.
In remote areas of the west,
the old Irish ways
and language survive.
And the people of
Ireland keep horses
in their lives
and on their landscapes.
Here, people still go ton fairs
at villages
and country crossroads
to buy and sell horses
as they have for centuries.
In Napoleonic times,
quartermasters from European armies
came here to buy
the famed Irish horses
for their elite cavalry regiments.
Today at the Great October Fair
in Ballinasloe,
the flavor of a lost age lingers.
If she's there for 50 pounds,
she's there.
The trading is still punctuated
by the slapping of hands
a middleman still brings buyer
and seller together.
And a bit of earth
on the horse's hindquarters
still shows that a bargain
has been struck.
Like his father and grandfather,
John Daly is a horse breeder.
He came to this fair
with his father.
Now he brings his son, Alan,
knowing the boy
will follow in his footsteps.
And today he has come to buy
Alan a pony.
We'll go and see
something else anyway.
Stand back a minute there, lads.
What do you carry on
the book down there?
Fourteen two.
The man says seven.
I'll give you eight.
Give him 1,000 pounds.
Give him to him for 1,000 pounds
and that's the price.
And after that, say no more.
I'll give you 800.
Well, I look at it this way.
Your lad will be
getting a good pony,
and he's a good rider.
And I like to see him
getting the pony
If you tell me
you'll take it for them
I'll divide it
the last 200 pounds.
That's 900, right?
Give him 1,000 pounds.
Go on, give him 1,000.
I tell you what I'll do.
I'll go away and leave you
for an hour to think about it.
And you might get a better lad.
I'm here to sell him.
That'll be 1,000 pounds,
the both of yours.
You're fiddling around there
like a fiddler.
That will be 1,000 quid
and get the money.
Give him a check then
for 1,000 pounds.
Will you break the board?
Go on. Give him to him now. Sold.
Hold out, hold out.
One, two, three, four...
God bless you.
After a few pounds are given
to the seller for luck,
Alan leaves the fair
with a Connemara pony...
symbol of his future
and his heritage.
Some 9,000 years ago,
man made his way here,
crossing a land bridge that
once linked Scotland and Ireland.
Horses arrived about 2,000 B.C.,
brought by Neolithic people
who introduced their farming
culture to this fertile land.
The island's placid existence
exploded around 500 B.C.,
as a wave of
Celtic warriors invaded
their battle chariots drawn
by hot blooded horses.
When the bloody days of plunder
and murder subsided,
the invaders became settlers,
and their Celtic legacy imprinted
its indelible stamp
on the soul and style of Ireland.
The blood of their fiery mounts
mixed with that of
the indigenous ponies,
producing a better, faster horse.
Over the centuries, successive
tides of conquering peoples
and ideas were
to sweep across Ireland
in her poignant
and tumultuous history.
There were Vikings,
Normans, and Englishmen.
There were St. Patrick
and Christianity.
All would create permanent changes
on the face of the land
and in the hearts of
the Irish people.
But certain things
would never change.
For thousands of years
and hundreds of generations,
man and horse continued
to share the soil of Ireland.
Today, in the west,
Connemara ponies
still run free
over the wild countryside.
Here at Lough Mask in County Mayo,
John Daly has kept
two stallions isolated
on an island through the winter.
The island is a short trip
by boat
from the lakeshore
and Daly's stud farm
Connemara ponies are, in fact,
small horses,
muscular and strong boned
Perfectly adapted to
the rugged western landscape,
they retain the iron constitutions
of wild horses
the ability to forage,
the strength
to survive on their own
in an untamed wilderness.
But now, in spring,
it is time to reunite
the gray stallion with the mares.
Come on, boy.
Easy, boys...
Easy, good fella.
With a gentleness
and expertise attained
from a lifetime
shared with horses,
John quickly gains
the stallion's confidence.
There is evidence
that spirited spanish horses,
some imported,
some shipwrecked off the coast,
mixed with the native ponies
to create this hardy breed.
Once used as both pack
and plow animals
in a rough
and roadless countryside,
today the intelligent,
docile Connemara ponies
are bred for riding.
Daly will release the stallion
with the herd,
allowing him to mate with any
of the mares that are in season.
Mares come into season
only nine days after foaling...
but are quick to
let a stallion know
if his advances are unwelcome.
Her posture and stillness indicate
this mare's receptiveness.
So the blood of
native Irish horses,
strengthened by the demands
of wild coast,
tempered by centuries of work
with the Irish people,
is passed into the future.
And if all goes well,
in 11 months
there will be a new foal
in the daily herd.
At Tulira Castle in County Galway,
Lady Anne Hemphill began breeding
Connemara ponies
some 25 years ago.
An avid rider
from the age of three,
Lady Hemphill wanted her children
to share her lifelong enthusiasm.
Her husband encouraged her
to organize classes
in horsemanship
for the local children.
Two decades later,
she is still teaching
the County Galway
Hunt Branch of Pony Club.
"Now if the pony's at grass,
what should he have in the fields?"
Water.
Yes, fine.
What's another reason, David?
Shade.
Shade is most important, isn't it?
Are you looking at his teeth?
Yes.
If he has a full set of teeth,
he's over seven years.
Well done. Good Girl.
There are pony Club branches
all over Ireland
providing an opportunity
for both country and city children
to learn not only riding,
but sportsmanship
and proper care of the animals.
I think it's a very good
foundation for them
because it's getting away
from this usual thing of
being in the cinemas,
the discos, and what have you.
Can you manage, Mark?
No, no... it's a long way up.
I don't know if you'll be
able to hold him, will you?
Keep away, keep away from that.
Go out here
in the middle of the field
so that other people can
get through and get mounted.
Now, come on.
I'll give you a leg.
Ups-a-daisy. Hold on. Good boy.
I find it very rewarding,
and it's more rewarding in that
when some of the children
that were
members of this branch
when I first started.
They're doctors,
or they're solicitors,
or they're business people now.
And they're coming back,
and they've got children.
I call all their children
my grandchildren.
I haven't got any of
my own grandchildren,
but I got a lot of grandchildren.
Use your legs. Take him on.
Now, take it easy.
Just come back, Gay,
and take it easy.
Use your legs. Good boy.
Now don't go so far back.
Now just trot into it.
Good boy. Well done.
Good man. Woops!
All right? You're fine. Next.
Shorten up your reins.
You haven't got much contact,
have you?
Come into it trotting.
For a small branch we've produced
the winning Pony Club
championship teams.
We've gone to England three time.
It is quite something.
I don't want any racing,
and I don't want anybody
going into hospital.
So for goodness sake
just take your ponies down.
You will trot down
across the field to the river.
I'll show you which way to go.
I love seeing these children
with their happy little faces.
But it just gives me
the greatest pleasure.
So a keen horsewoman
passes on the joy of riding,
and the children of yet
another generation forge new links
with their ancient Irish heritage
of horsemanship.
Racing horses was
the Celts' favorite sport.
This plain still bears
the name Curragh,
derived from
their ancient word meaning
"a place
where horse racing is held."
Keep her going now on
to the next one.
Living at the edge of the Curragh,
the Hutchinson family retains
the Celtic passion
for horse racing.
In the paddock behind their home,
Caroline, age 15,
is coached by her father, Pat.
He was an amateur jockey.
She dreams of
becoming a professional.
Whoa, lass. Whoa, lass.
That's all right.
Pony races are held
throughout Ireland
Though the jockeys are
young boys and girls,
the betting is serious business,
with part of the proceeds
going to charity.
Six to four on...
My father always had
about a hundred horses.
And he was one of the
biggest dealers in the country.
Had a couple of
thousand acres of land
and I used to ride
all our own horses.
And now, thank God,
the kids are following on.
Caroline is one of four
Hutchinson daughters
participating in
this competitive world
Mrs. Hutchinson is active too,
for the pony races are
a family affair
much like Little League Baseball.
Some of Ireland's leading jockeys
began their careers
in the pony races.
Sure, Caroline is very good.
She's courageous, she has ability,
she likes the game,
and she loves horses.
And I don't think she'll ever,
no matter what I say
or anybody else says,
she won't do anything else.
She rides to win,
and I think that's the secret.
I'd live to be a professional
jockey when I get older.
The biggest challenge for me
anyway is that I'm girl.
I don't think race riding
is wonderful for little girls.
But they do like it. They love it.
They live for it.
They don't want to
go to the disco.
They want their pony.
They want to be a sport.
You're always thinking of
where you are
and thinking ahead of
the next bend
whether it's sharp
or how to ride the next bend.
And especially if you're on a pony
that's slow earlier on
and comes on fast at the end.
Because of her consistent winning,
Caroline is sought to
race other people's ponies
as well as her father's.
When you're in front
and when you have won,
the owners come running up to you
and say, "Well done" and all that.
It's just great to see
their happy face
from winning on their pony.
And then your friends come up
and say, "Well done".
It's just a great feeling.
I'm delighted
that I won the last race.
That was a female race.
And I'm just thrilled
that I won it
and that I had a good pony.
Winning against
both girls and boys,
Caroline raced
closer to her dream
when she became
champion pony racing jockey
for an unprecedented
fourth consecutive year.
In 1752, with the steeples
as starting and finishing points,
a Mr. O'Callaghan
raced a Mr. Blake
from the church at Buttevant,
jumping walls and fences,
across farms and fields,
to the church at Doneraile...
thus running the first recorded
steeplechase.
Today, some of Ireland's
most popular steeple chases
take place at the Galway Races.
Thousands gather daily to bet
on the horses
in this week of festivities
held at the same time of year
that the ancient Celts assembled
to honor their god of horseracing.
The National Stud was established
to foster
the Irish thoroughbred industry
by providing breeders with
good stallions at reasonable fees.
The record of
thoroughbred breeding dates
from the publication in 1793 of
the first English Stud Book
which listed three Arab stallions
and the Royal Mares.
Every thoroughbred on earth
is descended from them.
A sire is selected by the breeder
on the basis of bloodlines,
tracked back through
the stud book,
his conformation or appearance,
and the number of races
he has won.
Six-year-old Raja Bab horse.
He's a tremendous individual.
A great mover, tremendous quality.
His first crop are now foals.
He won four group races,
including the Corkanorry Stakes
at Royal Ascot
in course record time.
Dr. Maire O'Connor
is deputy manager
and resident veterinarian
at the stud.
We're just starting to
build her back up again...
for a couple of days.
Yeah, yeah.
She's walking very well now.
Ireland is well known
as the European nursery.
We have the climate and the soil
for rearing horses.
There's a tremendous closeness
and a tremendous understanding
of the horse in the Irish people.
Among her responsibilities
is determining
when the mares
are ready for covering.
Every step of the procedure
must be carefully monitored
in the breeding of these delicate
and valuable animals.
Eighteen days after the covering,
a sonogram is made by a visiting
veterinarian and Dr. O'Connor.
With this sophisticated device
they can see
inside the mare's uterus
and determine
if there is a live fetus
You can see it there...
at about 10 o'clock.
Heart beating.
The heart's beating.
Within the white spot,
the pulsing heart
of the tiny fetus
is clearly visible.
The mare's gestation period
is 11 months;
the birth usually takes
less than an hour.
A member of the staff
acts as midwife.
For Maire O'Connor and the staff,
the hundreds of births
they have witnessed in the past
do not diminish
the wonder of this moment.
Within the hour
the age-old instinct
to stand and run with the herd
is already stirring in the foal,
and the fragile new life
is given human help.
These spindly legs,
now trembling and weak,
have centuries of
speed bred in them.
When they are three days old,
healthy foals
are ready to go outside.
Each is examined daily.
Those with special problems
get special attention.
Up you come.
There's a baby, there's a baby.
That's good. Okay.
Come on.
There's tremendous limestone
in Ireland
and you get a tremendous
amount of minerals
coming through the grass
to the horses.
So you get very good
bone development.
And, of course,
race horses need their legs.
So you want good bone
in a race horse.
Born to race, these foals carry
within them the urge to run.
Among these new lives
there are future champions,
bred at the Irish National Stud
to thunder home to victory
on the race tracks of the world.
Here at Goffs,
the finest thoroughbreds
are offered at auction.
A yearling, still totally
untried as a racehorse,
may bring close to
a million dollars.
At 260... any more now,
about $300,000 at 260,
at 260 one more time.
At 260 that's what I sell her
for this time...
Millions are spent
as buyers stake their money
on the animal's pedigree
and conformation.
Vincent O'Brien is the greatest
racehorse trainer in the world
a magician who transforms
horseflesh into gold.
An international group
of investors depends on
his uncanny eye
to select potential champions.
His reputation began to soar
in the '50s
with three consecutive wins
at the world's
most difficult steeple chase:
England's Grand National.
There is stubborn refusal here
by Glen Fire.
And now for a most
unhappy landing.
Those were the leaders
at the 27th jump,
but alas, this fence accounted
for the gallant Sun Dew
and Martuvu.
No, there was not to be
a royal victory this year.
At the last fence,
Tudor Line jumped wide
but Quare Times made no mistake
and galloped away in great style.
Neither Tudor Line
nor Kerry's Cottage
who will finish third,
could possibly catch him now.
It was Quare Times'
Grand National all right.
And it was the third
successive National win
for trainer Vincent O'Brien.
These Irish!
Triumphant in the classic races
of steeplechasing,
O'Brien next turned his wizardry
to flat racing.
Son of a farmer,
fifth of eight children,
he started his remarkable career
with a rented stable
and three horses.
I must have had a natural liking
for horses right from the start,
and that developed
then over the years.
Eventually I started training.
I don't think I would
be happy doing anything else.
Today his empire spreads
over nearly 1,000 acres.
Ballydoyle is the world's finest
private training facility,
with magnificent barns,
covered rides,
gallops each 14 furlongs
in length,
a 19th century Georgian home,
a helicopter pad,
and stables of thoroughbreds
worth millions of dollars
all under tight security.
O'Brien retains a percentage
of every horse he trains.
Among this season's crop
of aristocrats
are seven sons of Nijinsky
three of Alleged,
and nine of Northern Dancer.
O'Brien's extraordinary powers
seem to spring
from an almost magical ability
to sense what each animal ends
to develop and succeed.
It is very important to make
a study of each individual animal
because they're like people
they all differ.
Some horses have got a very easy,
calm disposition,
and they have no mental problems.
But others have, and they
give them special attention.
They're specially trained,
so as to try
and keep them settled
and at ease in themselves.
O'Brien's success
as a trainer is legendary:
His race winnings alone have been
as high as a million dollars
in a single year.
But it is
after a hose's last race is won
that its big moneymaking
career may begin.
Today O'Brien focuses
on training colts.
After a few major wins
of top class races,
the best are retired to stand at stud.
Sold to groups of investors for
more than 25 million dollars each,
these stallions earn huge fees
in their years as sires.
So, the mystique of a man
and his thoroughbreds
becomes big business
an important component of
modern Ireland's economy.
In the 18th century,
Irish farmers
began to breed tough, powerful,
work animals able to
pull both plow and cart.
Today, the blood of the robust
Irish Draft horse
mingles with that of the fiery
thoroughbred to produce horses
with the stamina needed
for jumping and hunting.
The hunt,
as a gentlemanly pursuit,
attained its present form
and popularity
in 18th century England
and was brought here
when Ireland
was under English rule.
Michael Dempsey
is master of hounds
of the world famous
Galway Blazers Hunt Club.
Tempo, get in.
Tempo, come in. Get in.
My grandfather was interested in,
my father was interested
in horses, and my uncle.
They used to both hunt.
At that time, you see,
we used to do
all the work with horses
on the farm.
There were no tractors.
Once the exclusive province
of the aristocracy,
today the hunt's
traditional style is enjoyed
by thousands of ardent
Irish riding enthusiasts.
Dempsey, a local boy,
grew up dreaming
of becoming master of hounds.
But I think I was about either
"One day I will hunt
those Blazer hounds".
That was my ambition.
Yes, all my life was
to hunt those hounds.
A farmer of modest means,
Dempsey is paid
by the members' subscriptions
to hunt the pack.
Oh, I love those hounds,
and I know
all of them individually.
And they're all of a character
and they all are different.
I see them every day
to get very close with them.
You have to be very close
to your hounds
before they'll work with you.
Farmers have long considered
foxes to be vermin.
Hounds were bred
to scent the wild foxes
that his in fields and farms.
Hunters "riding to hounds"
followed on horseback,
and so, this sport evolved.
When you get out there
and your pack of hounds
are going together
and you hear their voice,
that is the greatest feeling
I know.
And a good horse beneath you.
To be able to gallop right
across the country behind them,
and they're really running on
and speaking.
I think it's the best thrill
that anybody could ever get.
I don't know what it does to you
the voice of those hounds
it just gets your blood really up.
The first fox of the day
is scented and pursued.
Often they lose the fox.
Sometimes, they lost their seat
and occasionally
they lose their way.
Are you hurt? Off you go.
Well, where do I go?
Go on, go on across there.
Go on and get on to it.
When the last fox
outruns the hounds
and the hour grows late,
Dempsey calls a halt
to the day's hunting.
Home now.
We go for the beer now
at Raftery's.
The hunters head for
a traditional last stop:
a pub called "The Blazers".
The Galway Blazers have
a reputation for recklessness.
It is said that a group
of hunters from Galway
once reveled so boisterously
in a certain hotel
that is burst into flames
thus giving the group its name.
Tonight, this pub is ablaze
with traditional Irish pleasures:
the pints,
the laughs, and the songs.
Every year
the town of mill street
hosts international show
jumping competitions.
Show jumping began
in Ireland a century ago.
Contests to see how high and wide
the horses could
jump over fences and walls,
they offered prizes to those
judged most suitable for hunting.
This competition is called
"Carroll's Boomerang Finder".
It was named
in honor of Boomerang,
the horse that this man,
Eddie Macken,
rode to fame and fortune
in the world of
international show jumping
the horse that made him
a national hero.
Macken's great successes with
Boomerang began in the mid 70s.
Soon horse and rider were labeled
"the most exciting partnership
show jumping has ever seen".
The Hickstead Derby,
English, 1977.
Winner in 1976,
now can he beat this time?
He'll have to do
fantastic turns to do it,
and there are few riders
more likely to do it
than Eddie Macken.
Come on, Boomerang...
Yes 27.3!
Boomerang was everything I am.
I just was very fortunate
to meet him
at the right stage in life.
He was probably fortunate
to meet me.
We came together and developed
a great partnership;
and he put me right at the top
of the world of show jumping
in a very short period of time.
All eyes are on the brilliant
Irishman Eddie Macken.
He just pauses.
He's in plenty of time.
He's absolutely right for it.
Go on, Eddie!
What a magnificent performance
by Eddie Macken.
Incredible to think
that he's now won
his fourth British jumping derby
in a row.
This trophy was commissioned
after Boomerang
had won his fourth consecutive
Hickstead Derby.
The Hickstead Derby is probably
one of the most
difficult competitions
in world showjumping to win.
For a horse to win it once
is an achievement,
be he actually won it four times.
In 1980 Boomerang broke a bone
in his foot
and Macken retired him.
But Hickstead brought them back
for an emotional farewell tribute.
It was a sad moment for Eddie
as they left the show grounds
for the last time.
Three years later,
Boomerang's condition
became so painful
he had to be put down.
He is buried on Macken's farm.
I never knew a horse that could
mean as much as Boomerang.
And the possibilities of
ever finding one
with as much talent
are very, very slim indeed.
The loss of Boomerang
still haunts Macken's life.
With his wife, Susanne,
he searches for a horse
with the unique talent and
temperament to replace Boomerang.
Okay?
All right.
All right.
Buying, feeding, training,
and caring for a stable of horses
is an expensive
and time-consuming responsibility.
But the Macken animals
get the best...
Including, for some,
a bit of Guinness Stout
three times a week
on the theory that
what Irish doctors prescribe
for old people and pregnant women
must be good for horses.
Youngest of five children,
Macken is the son
of a small-town butcher.
Is he ready to go?
Yeah. He's fine.
Yeah. You want to leave him
for me in the morning.
I'll ride him.
A superb, natural rider,
he has grown to be a trainer
with a special feel
and touch for a horse.
This animal seems to
have a muscular problem.
Macken examines him to see
if a veterinarian is required.
He's starting to
get a bit of a thing
about this now
that I'm fiddling around.
Yeah. He's just anticipating it.
Very tight there.
Will, Robin's coming this
afternoon again anyway, isn't he?
He is, eh?
Can you not work that other hand
on top of his hip
and save yourself?
There's definitely something
catching him there.
Yeah. It's just
a really worrying thing
for the horse anyway to have
somebody contracting
his muscles without...
Eddie himself has acknowledged
that a horse like Boomerang
comes along only once
in a lifetime.
But together, he and Susanne
continue their quest,
hoping to find to create his
next great show jumping partner,
and soften the loss of Boomerang,
a gallant champion
and noble friend.
You remember that chestnut foal
we bought at John V. Donna?
Oh, do you remember, yeah?
All over Ireland,
boys who would like to grow up
to be the next Eddie Macken
are practicing and competing
with the intense hope
and fervor of youth.
For them, young riders
like Philip and Trevor Dagg,
success demands more
than practice
it requires financial
and emotional support
from the entire family.
As they often do, their parents
devote the weekend
to the boy's competition.
The weather's going to
break now, too.
How many more do you...?
Ten more, ten more,
and he goes again.
Philip was once junior champion
in pony show jumping.
Now he trains
his 13 year old brother, Trevor,
who began competing
just last year.
You come down into it.
You're just going down the hill.
And the horse just tends to
go a little bit deeper
because you're coming
down the hill.
So you just want to sit him up
so he can...
Compensate for the downhill.
You're going too slow
and you're half asleep.
Now come on, waken up. Come on.
Philip has already committed
himself to a career with horses,
and coaches other
young competitors
as well as Trevor.
Just give him a little kick.
Come on.
That's good.
We'll just go up above
and give him a puff,
and then we'll go in.
Now let's have two awake people
to jump clear rounds.
All right.
You're going to win, okay?
You're going to win.
You're going to win, okay?
You're going to win.
And we will trot, trot.
Oh, crikey!
We're going to win today,
aren't we?
Yes, we are.
We're going to win.
Good boy.
Let's go see Philip. Okay?
Good lad.
Every competition
is an opportunity
to grow in skill and experience.
But in Ireland,
all competitions are prelude
to the most exciting challenge
of the year:
the Dublin Horse show.
Ireland's greatest horse show,
it has been attracting champions
for more than a century.
All of the riders
have qualified to participate
by winning at a number of
competitions throughout the year.
Held at the Royal Dublin
Society show grounds,
the Dublin Horse Show
has long been
considered the nation's
premiere social event.
Enthusiasts from farms,
villages and cities
across the country
join international visitors
as 1,000 horses
and riders and teams
from five nations stage five days
of fierce competitions
and showmanship.
Michael Dempsey is here
to demonstrate
the obedience of
the Galway Blazer hounds...
And Trevor Dagg
has an opportunity to compete
in the same arena
used by the international teams.
And you'll be all right. Okay?
Don't worry about it.
It'll go all right
when you get out there. okay?
Okay, give him a pop.
And this is
George Dagg's Beau Brummel.
To win the championship,
Trevor must clear
all the obstacles
and jump the course
in the shortest time.
Oh, no.
Good man. Well done.
Oh, no. it's gone.
A caring brother
had hoped for first place.
But for Trevor,
this yellow ribbon
may be a harbinger of
future successes
It was here
that the world's first show
jumping competitions were held.
This year Eddie Macken
is one of four riders
to set a new Irish jumping record.
In this great yearly celebration
of horses and horsemanship,
the ancient spirit of
the Irish people
is aroused a new,
to stir and soar.
Within each individual, the warmth
of the age old connection
with the animal
that has helped shape
his nation's history is rekindled.
I think we have produced
a lot of really
world class horses
on the international scene.
And we've become famous
obviously from that.
But I think the greatest asset
the Irish horse has is
that as a pleasure horse
and for the amateur,
he seems to be more clever,
more easy to deal with,
to handle, to ride.
And he seems to give
a longer period of enjoyment
than the Continental horses do.
Myself and my family,
if we have no breakfast,
today, tomorrow,
some other day in the future,
we'll still look after the horse.
We would give the horse
our breakfast.
We were with horses
for generations,
and Irish people,
whatever, they're Irish.
They'll talk about horses,
they'll have horses,
they'll keep horses.
They'll never get rid of them.
A tremendous appreciation
of the horse
runs through the Irish people.
Ireland is an island.
We are an island people,
and as a result,
the traits that were
in our forefathers
are still present today
after many generations.
In the quite of the countryside
a new Connemara pony
enters the world.
Only minutes old,
still weak and wobbly,
he is born with the ability
to stand alone,
to survive in the lean land
of the west.
Within himself
he carries the strength
of thousands of years
on Irish soil.
The saga of the Irish horse
continues in the 20th century
because to the people of Ireland,
horses represent a link
with old ways, old values.
A traditional past
they want to preserve.
So the children of Ireland
grow up with these animals,
each generation
adding new chapters of challenge
and hope, triumph and love,
to the timeless story
that is the ballad of
the Irish horse.
Thank for your watching.
an indelible part of the landscape...
of history and memory,
of a past and present
where the ancient magic
of the horse
still weaves its spell.
Their presence is pervasive,
as if horses help to define
what the Irish people are.
Horses are the Irishman's sport...
Ireland is the birthplace
of steeplechasing.
Horses are Ireland's tradition.
Showjumping originated
on this green land.
Horses are Ireland's business.
This is the Irish National Stud.
Horses are Ireland's pleasure.
Here people still ride across
fields and farms to the hounds...
and thousands of families
keep horses for recreation.
This romance of the Irish
and their horses
was born of the land,
nurtured by necessity,
and fostered by ancient bonds.
It is one of the oldest
love stories on earth:
The Ballad of the Irish Horse.
Ireland
Ireland of myth and mystery,
of wild shores and soft rains,
lush pastures and rich soil,
where the past still lives.
Even today, Ireland remains,
as it has been
for thousand of years,
largely agricultural.
Here, the story of man and horse
stretches over the centuries...
A saga woven of threads
of tradition and history,
custom and religion,
that binds them
inseparably in the fiber
of Irish life.
While the rest of Europe
was transformed
by the Industrial Revolution,
Ireland remained essentially
untouched and unchanged.
Until only 40 year ago,
most families in Ireland
needed a horse
to plow the fields
through the week.
On market days,
the farmer hitched the horse
to a wagon to haul his produce.
On Sundays, horse and wagon
took the family to church.
In remote areas of the west,
the old Irish ways
and language survive.
And the people of
Ireland keep horses
in their lives
and on their landscapes.
Here, people still go ton fairs
at villages
and country crossroads
to buy and sell horses
as they have for centuries.
In Napoleonic times,
quartermasters from European armies
came here to buy
the famed Irish horses
for their elite cavalry regiments.
Today at the Great October Fair
in Ballinasloe,
the flavor of a lost age lingers.
If she's there for 50 pounds,
she's there.
The trading is still punctuated
by the slapping of hands
a middleman still brings buyer
and seller together.
And a bit of earth
on the horse's hindquarters
still shows that a bargain
has been struck.
Like his father and grandfather,
John Daly is a horse breeder.
He came to this fair
with his father.
Now he brings his son, Alan,
knowing the boy
will follow in his footsteps.
And today he has come to buy
Alan a pony.
We'll go and see
something else anyway.
Stand back a minute there, lads.
What do you carry on
the book down there?
Fourteen two.
The man says seven.
I'll give you eight.
Give him 1,000 pounds.
Give him to him for 1,000 pounds
and that's the price.
And after that, say no more.
I'll give you 800.
Well, I look at it this way.
Your lad will be
getting a good pony,
and he's a good rider.
And I like to see him
getting the pony
If you tell me
you'll take it for them
I'll divide it
the last 200 pounds.
That's 900, right?
Give him 1,000 pounds.
Go on, give him 1,000.
I tell you what I'll do.
I'll go away and leave you
for an hour to think about it.
And you might get a better lad.
I'm here to sell him.
That'll be 1,000 pounds,
the both of yours.
You're fiddling around there
like a fiddler.
That will be 1,000 quid
and get the money.
Give him a check then
for 1,000 pounds.
Will you break the board?
Go on. Give him to him now. Sold.
Hold out, hold out.
One, two, three, four...
God bless you.
After a few pounds are given
to the seller for luck,
Alan leaves the fair
with a Connemara pony...
symbol of his future
and his heritage.
Some 9,000 years ago,
man made his way here,
crossing a land bridge that
once linked Scotland and Ireland.
Horses arrived about 2,000 B.C.,
brought by Neolithic people
who introduced their farming
culture to this fertile land.
The island's placid existence
exploded around 500 B.C.,
as a wave of
Celtic warriors invaded
their battle chariots drawn
by hot blooded horses.
When the bloody days of plunder
and murder subsided,
the invaders became settlers,
and their Celtic legacy imprinted
its indelible stamp
on the soul and style of Ireland.
The blood of their fiery mounts
mixed with that of
the indigenous ponies,
producing a better, faster horse.
Over the centuries, successive
tides of conquering peoples
and ideas were
to sweep across Ireland
in her poignant
and tumultuous history.
There were Vikings,
Normans, and Englishmen.
There were St. Patrick
and Christianity.
All would create permanent changes
on the face of the land
and in the hearts of
the Irish people.
But certain things
would never change.
For thousands of years
and hundreds of generations,
man and horse continued
to share the soil of Ireland.
Today, in the west,
Connemara ponies
still run free
over the wild countryside.
Here at Lough Mask in County Mayo,
John Daly has kept
two stallions isolated
on an island through the winter.
The island is a short trip
by boat
from the lakeshore
and Daly's stud farm
Connemara ponies are, in fact,
small horses,
muscular and strong boned
Perfectly adapted to
the rugged western landscape,
they retain the iron constitutions
of wild horses
the ability to forage,
the strength
to survive on their own
in an untamed wilderness.
But now, in spring,
it is time to reunite
the gray stallion with the mares.
Come on, boy.
Easy, boys...
Easy, good fella.
With a gentleness
and expertise attained
from a lifetime
shared with horses,
John quickly gains
the stallion's confidence.
There is evidence
that spirited spanish horses,
some imported,
some shipwrecked off the coast,
mixed with the native ponies
to create this hardy breed.
Once used as both pack
and plow animals
in a rough
and roadless countryside,
today the intelligent,
docile Connemara ponies
are bred for riding.
Daly will release the stallion
with the herd,
allowing him to mate with any
of the mares that are in season.
Mares come into season
only nine days after foaling...
but are quick to
let a stallion know
if his advances are unwelcome.
Her posture and stillness indicate
this mare's receptiveness.
So the blood of
native Irish horses,
strengthened by the demands
of wild coast,
tempered by centuries of work
with the Irish people,
is passed into the future.
And if all goes well,
in 11 months
there will be a new foal
in the daily herd.
At Tulira Castle in County Galway,
Lady Anne Hemphill began breeding
Connemara ponies
some 25 years ago.
An avid rider
from the age of three,
Lady Hemphill wanted her children
to share her lifelong enthusiasm.
Her husband encouraged her
to organize classes
in horsemanship
for the local children.
Two decades later,
she is still teaching
the County Galway
Hunt Branch of Pony Club.
"Now if the pony's at grass,
what should he have in the fields?"
Water.
Yes, fine.
What's another reason, David?
Shade.
Shade is most important, isn't it?
Are you looking at his teeth?
Yes.
If he has a full set of teeth,
he's over seven years.
Well done. Good Girl.
There are pony Club branches
all over Ireland
providing an opportunity
for both country and city children
to learn not only riding,
but sportsmanship
and proper care of the animals.
I think it's a very good
foundation for them
because it's getting away
from this usual thing of
being in the cinemas,
the discos, and what have you.
Can you manage, Mark?
No, no... it's a long way up.
I don't know if you'll be
able to hold him, will you?
Keep away, keep away from that.
Go out here
in the middle of the field
so that other people can
get through and get mounted.
Now, come on.
I'll give you a leg.
Ups-a-daisy. Hold on. Good boy.
I find it very rewarding,
and it's more rewarding in that
when some of the children
that were
members of this branch
when I first started.
They're doctors,
or they're solicitors,
or they're business people now.
And they're coming back,
and they've got children.
I call all their children
my grandchildren.
I haven't got any of
my own grandchildren,
but I got a lot of grandchildren.
Use your legs. Take him on.
Now, take it easy.
Just come back, Gay,
and take it easy.
Use your legs. Good boy.
Now don't go so far back.
Now just trot into it.
Good boy. Well done.
Good man. Woops!
All right? You're fine. Next.
Shorten up your reins.
You haven't got much contact,
have you?
Come into it trotting.
For a small branch we've produced
the winning Pony Club
championship teams.
We've gone to England three time.
It is quite something.
I don't want any racing,
and I don't want anybody
going into hospital.
So for goodness sake
just take your ponies down.
You will trot down
across the field to the river.
I'll show you which way to go.
I love seeing these children
with their happy little faces.
But it just gives me
the greatest pleasure.
So a keen horsewoman
passes on the joy of riding,
and the children of yet
another generation forge new links
with their ancient Irish heritage
of horsemanship.
Racing horses was
the Celts' favorite sport.
This plain still bears
the name Curragh,
derived from
their ancient word meaning
"a place
where horse racing is held."
Keep her going now on
to the next one.
Living at the edge of the Curragh,
the Hutchinson family retains
the Celtic passion
for horse racing.
In the paddock behind their home,
Caroline, age 15,
is coached by her father, Pat.
He was an amateur jockey.
She dreams of
becoming a professional.
Whoa, lass. Whoa, lass.
That's all right.
Pony races are held
throughout Ireland
Though the jockeys are
young boys and girls,
the betting is serious business,
with part of the proceeds
going to charity.
Six to four on...
My father always had
about a hundred horses.
And he was one of the
biggest dealers in the country.
Had a couple of
thousand acres of land
and I used to ride
all our own horses.
And now, thank God,
the kids are following on.
Caroline is one of four
Hutchinson daughters
participating in
this competitive world
Mrs. Hutchinson is active too,
for the pony races are
a family affair
much like Little League Baseball.
Some of Ireland's leading jockeys
began their careers
in the pony races.
Sure, Caroline is very good.
She's courageous, she has ability,
she likes the game,
and she loves horses.
And I don't think she'll ever,
no matter what I say
or anybody else says,
she won't do anything else.
She rides to win,
and I think that's the secret.
I'd live to be a professional
jockey when I get older.
The biggest challenge for me
anyway is that I'm girl.
I don't think race riding
is wonderful for little girls.
But they do like it. They love it.
They live for it.
They don't want to
go to the disco.
They want their pony.
They want to be a sport.
You're always thinking of
where you are
and thinking ahead of
the next bend
whether it's sharp
or how to ride the next bend.
And especially if you're on a pony
that's slow earlier on
and comes on fast at the end.
Because of her consistent winning,
Caroline is sought to
race other people's ponies
as well as her father's.
When you're in front
and when you have won,
the owners come running up to you
and say, "Well done" and all that.
It's just great to see
their happy face
from winning on their pony.
And then your friends come up
and say, "Well done".
It's just a great feeling.
I'm delighted
that I won the last race.
That was a female race.
And I'm just thrilled
that I won it
and that I had a good pony.
Winning against
both girls and boys,
Caroline raced
closer to her dream
when she became
champion pony racing jockey
for an unprecedented
fourth consecutive year.
In 1752, with the steeples
as starting and finishing points,
a Mr. O'Callaghan
raced a Mr. Blake
from the church at Buttevant,
jumping walls and fences,
across farms and fields,
to the church at Doneraile...
thus running the first recorded
steeplechase.
Today, some of Ireland's
most popular steeple chases
take place at the Galway Races.
Thousands gather daily to bet
on the horses
in this week of festivities
held at the same time of year
that the ancient Celts assembled
to honor their god of horseracing.
The National Stud was established
to foster
the Irish thoroughbred industry
by providing breeders with
good stallions at reasonable fees.
The record of
thoroughbred breeding dates
from the publication in 1793 of
the first English Stud Book
which listed three Arab stallions
and the Royal Mares.
Every thoroughbred on earth
is descended from them.
A sire is selected by the breeder
on the basis of bloodlines,
tracked back through
the stud book,
his conformation or appearance,
and the number of races
he has won.
Six-year-old Raja Bab horse.
He's a tremendous individual.
A great mover, tremendous quality.
His first crop are now foals.
He won four group races,
including the Corkanorry Stakes
at Royal Ascot
in course record time.
Dr. Maire O'Connor
is deputy manager
and resident veterinarian
at the stud.
We're just starting to
build her back up again...
for a couple of days.
Yeah, yeah.
She's walking very well now.
Ireland is well known
as the European nursery.
We have the climate and the soil
for rearing horses.
There's a tremendous closeness
and a tremendous understanding
of the horse in the Irish people.
Among her responsibilities
is determining
when the mares
are ready for covering.
Every step of the procedure
must be carefully monitored
in the breeding of these delicate
and valuable animals.
Eighteen days after the covering,
a sonogram is made by a visiting
veterinarian and Dr. O'Connor.
With this sophisticated device
they can see
inside the mare's uterus
and determine
if there is a live fetus
You can see it there...
at about 10 o'clock.
Heart beating.
The heart's beating.
Within the white spot,
the pulsing heart
of the tiny fetus
is clearly visible.
The mare's gestation period
is 11 months;
the birth usually takes
less than an hour.
A member of the staff
acts as midwife.
For Maire O'Connor and the staff,
the hundreds of births
they have witnessed in the past
do not diminish
the wonder of this moment.
Within the hour
the age-old instinct
to stand and run with the herd
is already stirring in the foal,
and the fragile new life
is given human help.
These spindly legs,
now trembling and weak,
have centuries of
speed bred in them.
When they are three days old,
healthy foals
are ready to go outside.
Each is examined daily.
Those with special problems
get special attention.
Up you come.
There's a baby, there's a baby.
That's good. Okay.
Come on.
There's tremendous limestone
in Ireland
and you get a tremendous
amount of minerals
coming through the grass
to the horses.
So you get very good
bone development.
And, of course,
race horses need their legs.
So you want good bone
in a race horse.
Born to race, these foals carry
within them the urge to run.
Among these new lives
there are future champions,
bred at the Irish National Stud
to thunder home to victory
on the race tracks of the world.
Here at Goffs,
the finest thoroughbreds
are offered at auction.
A yearling, still totally
untried as a racehorse,
may bring close to
a million dollars.
At 260... any more now,
about $300,000 at 260,
at 260 one more time.
At 260 that's what I sell her
for this time...
Millions are spent
as buyers stake their money
on the animal's pedigree
and conformation.
Vincent O'Brien is the greatest
racehorse trainer in the world
a magician who transforms
horseflesh into gold.
An international group
of investors depends on
his uncanny eye
to select potential champions.
His reputation began to soar
in the '50s
with three consecutive wins
at the world's
most difficult steeple chase:
England's Grand National.
There is stubborn refusal here
by Glen Fire.
And now for a most
unhappy landing.
Those were the leaders
at the 27th jump,
but alas, this fence accounted
for the gallant Sun Dew
and Martuvu.
No, there was not to be
a royal victory this year.
At the last fence,
Tudor Line jumped wide
but Quare Times made no mistake
and galloped away in great style.
Neither Tudor Line
nor Kerry's Cottage
who will finish third,
could possibly catch him now.
It was Quare Times'
Grand National all right.
And it was the third
successive National win
for trainer Vincent O'Brien.
These Irish!
Triumphant in the classic races
of steeplechasing,
O'Brien next turned his wizardry
to flat racing.
Son of a farmer,
fifth of eight children,
he started his remarkable career
with a rented stable
and three horses.
I must have had a natural liking
for horses right from the start,
and that developed
then over the years.
Eventually I started training.
I don't think I would
be happy doing anything else.
Today his empire spreads
over nearly 1,000 acres.
Ballydoyle is the world's finest
private training facility,
with magnificent barns,
covered rides,
gallops each 14 furlongs
in length,
a 19th century Georgian home,
a helicopter pad,
and stables of thoroughbreds
worth millions of dollars
all under tight security.
O'Brien retains a percentage
of every horse he trains.
Among this season's crop
of aristocrats
are seven sons of Nijinsky
three of Alleged,
and nine of Northern Dancer.
O'Brien's extraordinary powers
seem to spring
from an almost magical ability
to sense what each animal ends
to develop and succeed.
It is very important to make
a study of each individual animal
because they're like people
they all differ.
Some horses have got a very easy,
calm disposition,
and they have no mental problems.
But others have, and they
give them special attention.
They're specially trained,
so as to try
and keep them settled
and at ease in themselves.
O'Brien's success
as a trainer is legendary:
His race winnings alone have been
as high as a million dollars
in a single year.
But it is
after a hose's last race is won
that its big moneymaking
career may begin.
Today O'Brien focuses
on training colts.
After a few major wins
of top class races,
the best are retired to stand at stud.
Sold to groups of investors for
more than 25 million dollars each,
these stallions earn huge fees
in their years as sires.
So, the mystique of a man
and his thoroughbreds
becomes big business
an important component of
modern Ireland's economy.
In the 18th century,
Irish farmers
began to breed tough, powerful,
work animals able to
pull both plow and cart.
Today, the blood of the robust
Irish Draft horse
mingles with that of the fiery
thoroughbred to produce horses
with the stamina needed
for jumping and hunting.
The hunt,
as a gentlemanly pursuit,
attained its present form
and popularity
in 18th century England
and was brought here
when Ireland
was under English rule.
Michael Dempsey
is master of hounds
of the world famous
Galway Blazers Hunt Club.
Tempo, get in.
Tempo, come in. Get in.
My grandfather was interested in,
my father was interested
in horses, and my uncle.
They used to both hunt.
At that time, you see,
we used to do
all the work with horses
on the farm.
There were no tractors.
Once the exclusive province
of the aristocracy,
today the hunt's
traditional style is enjoyed
by thousands of ardent
Irish riding enthusiasts.
Dempsey, a local boy,
grew up dreaming
of becoming master of hounds.
But I think I was about either
"One day I will hunt
those Blazer hounds".
That was my ambition.
Yes, all my life was
to hunt those hounds.
A farmer of modest means,
Dempsey is paid
by the members' subscriptions
to hunt the pack.
Oh, I love those hounds,
and I know
all of them individually.
And they're all of a character
and they all are different.
I see them every day
to get very close with them.
You have to be very close
to your hounds
before they'll work with you.
Farmers have long considered
foxes to be vermin.
Hounds were bred
to scent the wild foxes
that his in fields and farms.
Hunters "riding to hounds"
followed on horseback,
and so, this sport evolved.
When you get out there
and your pack of hounds
are going together
and you hear their voice,
that is the greatest feeling
I know.
And a good horse beneath you.
To be able to gallop right
across the country behind them,
and they're really running on
and speaking.
I think it's the best thrill
that anybody could ever get.
I don't know what it does to you
the voice of those hounds
it just gets your blood really up.
The first fox of the day
is scented and pursued.
Often they lose the fox.
Sometimes, they lost their seat
and occasionally
they lose their way.
Are you hurt? Off you go.
Well, where do I go?
Go on, go on across there.
Go on and get on to it.
When the last fox
outruns the hounds
and the hour grows late,
Dempsey calls a halt
to the day's hunting.
Home now.
We go for the beer now
at Raftery's.
The hunters head for
a traditional last stop:
a pub called "The Blazers".
The Galway Blazers have
a reputation for recklessness.
It is said that a group
of hunters from Galway
once reveled so boisterously
in a certain hotel
that is burst into flames
thus giving the group its name.
Tonight, this pub is ablaze
with traditional Irish pleasures:
the pints,
the laughs, and the songs.
Every year
the town of mill street
hosts international show
jumping competitions.
Show jumping began
in Ireland a century ago.
Contests to see how high and wide
the horses could
jump over fences and walls,
they offered prizes to those
judged most suitable for hunting.
This competition is called
"Carroll's Boomerang Finder".
It was named
in honor of Boomerang,
the horse that this man,
Eddie Macken,
rode to fame and fortune
in the world of
international show jumping
the horse that made him
a national hero.
Macken's great successes with
Boomerang began in the mid 70s.
Soon horse and rider were labeled
"the most exciting partnership
show jumping has ever seen".
The Hickstead Derby,
English, 1977.
Winner in 1976,
now can he beat this time?
He'll have to do
fantastic turns to do it,
and there are few riders
more likely to do it
than Eddie Macken.
Come on, Boomerang...
Yes 27.3!
Boomerang was everything I am.
I just was very fortunate
to meet him
at the right stage in life.
He was probably fortunate
to meet me.
We came together and developed
a great partnership;
and he put me right at the top
of the world of show jumping
in a very short period of time.
All eyes are on the brilliant
Irishman Eddie Macken.
He just pauses.
He's in plenty of time.
He's absolutely right for it.
Go on, Eddie!
What a magnificent performance
by Eddie Macken.
Incredible to think
that he's now won
his fourth British jumping derby
in a row.
This trophy was commissioned
after Boomerang
had won his fourth consecutive
Hickstead Derby.
The Hickstead Derby is probably
one of the most
difficult competitions
in world showjumping to win.
For a horse to win it once
is an achievement,
be he actually won it four times.
In 1980 Boomerang broke a bone
in his foot
and Macken retired him.
But Hickstead brought them back
for an emotional farewell tribute.
It was a sad moment for Eddie
as they left the show grounds
for the last time.
Three years later,
Boomerang's condition
became so painful
he had to be put down.
He is buried on Macken's farm.
I never knew a horse that could
mean as much as Boomerang.
And the possibilities of
ever finding one
with as much talent
are very, very slim indeed.
The loss of Boomerang
still haunts Macken's life.
With his wife, Susanne,
he searches for a horse
with the unique talent and
temperament to replace Boomerang.
Okay?
All right.
All right.
Buying, feeding, training,
and caring for a stable of horses
is an expensive
and time-consuming responsibility.
But the Macken animals
get the best...
Including, for some,
a bit of Guinness Stout
three times a week
on the theory that
what Irish doctors prescribe
for old people and pregnant women
must be good for horses.
Youngest of five children,
Macken is the son
of a small-town butcher.
Is he ready to go?
Yeah. He's fine.
Yeah. You want to leave him
for me in the morning.
I'll ride him.
A superb, natural rider,
he has grown to be a trainer
with a special feel
and touch for a horse.
This animal seems to
have a muscular problem.
Macken examines him to see
if a veterinarian is required.
He's starting to
get a bit of a thing
about this now
that I'm fiddling around.
Yeah. He's just anticipating it.
Very tight there.
Will, Robin's coming this
afternoon again anyway, isn't he?
He is, eh?
Can you not work that other hand
on top of his hip
and save yourself?
There's definitely something
catching him there.
Yeah. It's just
a really worrying thing
for the horse anyway to have
somebody contracting
his muscles without...
Eddie himself has acknowledged
that a horse like Boomerang
comes along only once
in a lifetime.
But together, he and Susanne
continue their quest,
hoping to find to create his
next great show jumping partner,
and soften the loss of Boomerang,
a gallant champion
and noble friend.
You remember that chestnut foal
we bought at John V. Donna?
Oh, do you remember, yeah?
All over Ireland,
boys who would like to grow up
to be the next Eddie Macken
are practicing and competing
with the intense hope
and fervor of youth.
For them, young riders
like Philip and Trevor Dagg,
success demands more
than practice
it requires financial
and emotional support
from the entire family.
As they often do, their parents
devote the weekend
to the boy's competition.
The weather's going to
break now, too.
How many more do you...?
Ten more, ten more,
and he goes again.
Philip was once junior champion
in pony show jumping.
Now he trains
his 13 year old brother, Trevor,
who began competing
just last year.
You come down into it.
You're just going down the hill.
And the horse just tends to
go a little bit deeper
because you're coming
down the hill.
So you just want to sit him up
so he can...
Compensate for the downhill.
You're going too slow
and you're half asleep.
Now come on, waken up. Come on.
Philip has already committed
himself to a career with horses,
and coaches other
young competitors
as well as Trevor.
Just give him a little kick.
Come on.
That's good.
We'll just go up above
and give him a puff,
and then we'll go in.
Now let's have two awake people
to jump clear rounds.
All right.
You're going to win, okay?
You're going to win.
You're going to win, okay?
You're going to win.
And we will trot, trot.
Oh, crikey!
We're going to win today,
aren't we?
Yes, we are.
We're going to win.
Good boy.
Let's go see Philip. Okay?
Good lad.
Every competition
is an opportunity
to grow in skill and experience.
But in Ireland,
all competitions are prelude
to the most exciting challenge
of the year:
the Dublin Horse show.
Ireland's greatest horse show,
it has been attracting champions
for more than a century.
All of the riders
have qualified to participate
by winning at a number of
competitions throughout the year.
Held at the Royal Dublin
Society show grounds,
the Dublin Horse Show
has long been
considered the nation's
premiere social event.
Enthusiasts from farms,
villages and cities
across the country
join international visitors
as 1,000 horses
and riders and teams
from five nations stage five days
of fierce competitions
and showmanship.
Michael Dempsey is here
to demonstrate
the obedience of
the Galway Blazer hounds...
And Trevor Dagg
has an opportunity to compete
in the same arena
used by the international teams.
And you'll be all right. Okay?
Don't worry about it.
It'll go all right
when you get out there. okay?
Okay, give him a pop.
And this is
George Dagg's Beau Brummel.
To win the championship,
Trevor must clear
all the obstacles
and jump the course
in the shortest time.
Oh, no.
Good man. Well done.
Oh, no. it's gone.
A caring brother
had hoped for first place.
But for Trevor,
this yellow ribbon
may be a harbinger of
future successes
It was here
that the world's first show
jumping competitions were held.
This year Eddie Macken
is one of four riders
to set a new Irish jumping record.
In this great yearly celebration
of horses and horsemanship,
the ancient spirit of
the Irish people
is aroused a new,
to stir and soar.
Within each individual, the warmth
of the age old connection
with the animal
that has helped shape
his nation's history is rekindled.
I think we have produced
a lot of really
world class horses
on the international scene.
And we've become famous
obviously from that.
But I think the greatest asset
the Irish horse has is
that as a pleasure horse
and for the amateur,
he seems to be more clever,
more easy to deal with,
to handle, to ride.
And he seems to give
a longer period of enjoyment
than the Continental horses do.
Myself and my family,
if we have no breakfast,
today, tomorrow,
some other day in the future,
we'll still look after the horse.
We would give the horse
our breakfast.
We were with horses
for generations,
and Irish people,
whatever, they're Irish.
They'll talk about horses,
they'll have horses,
they'll keep horses.
They'll never get rid of them.
A tremendous appreciation
of the horse
runs through the Irish people.
Ireland is an island.
We are an island people,
and as a result,
the traits that were
in our forefathers
are still present today
after many generations.
In the quite of the countryside
a new Connemara pony
enters the world.
Only minutes old,
still weak and wobbly,
he is born with the ability
to stand alone,
to survive in the lean land
of the west.
Within himself
he carries the strength
of thousands of years
on Irish soil.
The saga of the Irish horse
continues in the 20th century
because to the people of Ireland,
horses represent a link
with old ways, old values.
A traditional past
they want to preserve.
So the children of Ireland
grow up with these animals,
each generation
adding new chapters of challenge
and hope, triumph and love,
to the timeless story
that is the ballad of
the Irish horse.
Thank for your watching.