THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 351 



the precedent afforded by the interest created at the 

 Islington horse show, of seeing hunters exhibit their 

 fencing powers, have come to the conclusion that it 

 would prove expedient to offer prizes for jumping, 

 especially as such a course will be attended with little 

 or no pecuniary risk, and will add considerably to the 

 attraction of the horse show." This was the beginning 

 of the jumping competitions, and the first of the series 

 took place on the afternoon of June the 28th in the 

 Kildare street courtyard. A correspondent in the 

 Irish Farmers' Gazette, referring to the stone wall 

 jump, says — "the wall was five feet ten inches, in 

 cold blood, off wet sawdust, in a crowded courtyard." 



The general arrangements of the show of 1868 

 differed very little from those of recent shows. The 

 entries closed about a month before the show opened, 

 and, in addition to the entrance fee, exhibitors were 

 required to lodge a deposit of £2 on each horse. At 

 the adjudication there was a preliminary selection of 

 horses to be examined by veterinary surgeons before 

 the prizes were finally awarded. The horses were 

 classified very much as they are at present. 



The difficulty of conducting the business of the 

 show in the limited area available was very great, 

 especially in the earlier shows, when the members 

 claimed the right to enter the judging ring. At a 

 meeting of the Society in 1873, specially convened 

 for the purpose, this practice was ordered to be 

 stopped ; a resolution was passed empowering the 

 horse show committee " to clear and keep the ring and 

 jumping and exercising grounds free of all persons 

 whomsoever, whether members of the Society or 

 others," whenever the committee thought fit. 



The financial results of the first show were considered 

 quite satisfactory, when a balance of ^162 remained 



