The fourth Kildare Performance Hunter Show takes place at Punchestown Racecourse, County Kildare, on March 23. Organised by the Kildare Hunt Club, the show’s purpose is to find Ireland’s finest hunting horse.

One-hudred horses and riders, from 30 hunts across Ireland and Britain, have signed up, with one class selling out within an hour.

This year sees the introduction of the Kildare Working Hunter Show, which will run at the same location on Sunday March 24.

The Kildare Branch of the Irish Draught Horse Breeders Association are also running a traditional working hunter show with six classes.

There will be three classes on the day – hunter, side saddle and huntsman.

The Irish Horse Gateway Hunter Class and the Westwood Trailers Side Saddle Class have a guiding effort of 100cm. The Berney Bros. Kilcullen Huntsman’s Class is designed for horses with exceptional ability, with a guiding jumping effort of 130cm.

The first horse will be on course at 9am and 38 of the horses entered for sale.

The course consists of the type of obstacles encountered on the Irish hunting field, such as natural hedges, banks, drains and also man made ones such as stud rails, wire and gates. Horses and riders are evaluated individually by a panel of judges, who will ride their final choices over the course.

The concept is credited with the Kildare Hunt staff. Who, on a poor days hunting observed a number of members jumping hedges to entertain themselves, the entertainment was short lived as an old farmer approached waving a stick over his head shouting “hold-up! hold-up!”

Expecting trouble; to everyone’s surprise the farmer continued “hold up, I want my wife see this!” From this the show was born.