It is 40 years ago that the first seeds of a Dublin indoor international were sown. Then, for five glorious Novembers from 1978 until 1982 it was a bright pre-Christmas light. And then it faded.

Its success was born from massive cooperation of volunteers. But at its heart was the vision, knowledge and leadership of a dedicated director called Eddie Taylor.

Although Dublin born, Eddie had a more rural inclination. So he finished his schooling at Greenmount Agricultural College in Antrim. After some time in farming, he got the job of Royal Dublin Society (RDS) Junior Agricultural Superintendant in 1955. One of his first tasks from Judge Wylie was to see 35 show horses across Merrion Road from the old RDS train terminal.

His move to Ballsbridge was indeed a true higher education for the 20-year-old as he immersed himself in the activities of the then evolving society. “I am sort of a lateral thinker that can have many balls in the air at a time”, Eddie Taylor begins.

Over the next 23 years, first as Junior and then as Senior Superintendent, course building, event planning, project management all came within his work orbit. “I just loved what I was doing and looked forward to every Monday,” he says.

Taylor was named Technical Delegate for show jumping at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Visits to the Horse of the Year Show and Olympia brought him into contact with people like Mike Ansell and Raymond Brooks Ward, who were revolutionising the show jumping scene in Britain.

In his role as RDS Project Manager he saw the Simmonscout Pavilion being built in 1972 and admits of musing that one day it might suit an Olympia-style event.

An idea becomes reality

As Irish show jumping boomed during the seventies, that idea of a big Irish indoor show persisted. “Our riders were on a roll. TV and general media coverage of the sport was like what we have for golf now. So the time was right. By 1977 we already held some meetings with that dream in mind,” he recalls.

Soon it was decision time; should he stay with the RDS or totally commit to fulfilling the dream? At that point the idea of forming a company called Irish Equestrian Promotions (IEP) also grew. Early in 1978 Taylor resigned his RDS post in order to give all of his time to the work of IEP and the creation of an Irish indoor event.

His Personal Assistant at the RDS, and organiser supreme Michele Knapp joined him in what was a daring venture. “It was an act of faith but it is impossible to give adequate recognition to the immense support we got from every sector of the Irish equestrian community,” he says with a satisfied remembering.

He recalls stalwarts like Austin Woulfe, Capt. Tommy Ryan, Brian McSharry, Noel C. Duggan, Tommy Brennan, Paul Duffy, Peter Young, John Bland and so many more that came on board. There were upwards of 200 volunteers available to fill the many posts. By the early spring of 1978 the show was announced for Simmonscourt that November.

Doing the impossible

From there on, the 20-strong committee had a huge mountain to climb. Locking his fingers tightly Taylor explains “It was like a chicken and egg situation – we had to get massive sponsorship but we also had to have TV coverage to match and then get bums on seats.”

In fact they did what now seems impossible. They came up with £160,000 in sponsorship which would translate into some three quarters of a million euro today. And they got afternoon and evening live television.

Standish Collen magically came up with the floor, Johnnie Butler did the seating and then they held their breath for the people to come.

They did! And success was on for the next four Novembers until the “downturn” of the eighties came. With huge deficits looming it had to die.

Could it ever happen again? I asked. Succinctly Eddie just said “I am a realist.” I feel that what he really meant was that the three essential elements of sponsorship, TV and enthusiasm for what is a changed sport are missing. But that conversation is for another time.

As I headed home the lyrics of Jimmy Webb’s wonderfully plaintive 1960’s song rumbled through my head.

“I don’t think that I can make it ...., And I’ll never have that recipe again. Oh no!”