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           2019  Rory Best: Ireland                                                                    Dublin Horse Show Set To Welcome

           7th,                                                                                            100,000 People To The RDS
           August  Hungry For World Cup



           |  Success
           EXAMINER                                                                      INPHO





           IRISH



                                                                                                     The Dublin Horse Show opened in the RDS in the capital
                                                                                                  on Wednesday.
                                                                                                     100,000 people are expected at the event which celebrates
                                                                                                  100 years of women in show jumping.
                                                                                                     131 competitions will take place including 18 internation-
                                                                                                  al show jumping competitions, eight of which carry world
                                                                                                  ranking points at the event which runs until Sunday.
                                                                                                     This year is the 100th anniversary of women first show
                                                                                                  jumping at the Dublin Horse Show.
                                                                                                     They quickly competed against men and became an inte-
                                                                                                  gral part of the event.
                                                                                                     The highlight of the week is Longines FEI Jumping
                                                                                                  Nations CupTM on Friday, when the Irish team will look to
                                                                                                  maintain their impressive recent form and see off the
                                                                                                  Mexican team who are back to defend last year’s win.
                                                                                                     Other highlights include the Land Rover Puissance on
                                                                                                  Saturday and the €350,000 Longines International Grand
                 ory Best has chal-     the blip, not 2018.”         also in contention.          Prix of Ireland on Sunday. C
                 lenged   Ireland   to     Ireland host Italy at the   Asked if the Irish public
            Rjustify their 2018         Aviva Stadium on Saturday    confidence adds pressure or            Former Ireland Goalkeeper
            Six Nations Grand Slam      to kick-start their build-up to  belief, Best replied: “It’s             David Forde Retires
            at this year’s World Cup.   the World Cup in Japan.      probably a bit of extra belief.
              The    Ireland   captain     Schmidt’s side will launch  Our biggest pressure comes    The former Republic of
            believes Joe Schmidt’s men  their World Cup bid by tak-  internally.                  Ireland   goalkeeper   David
            must   seize  the  “reality  ing   on    Scotland   on     “New Zealand are the best  Forde has retired from football
            check” of turning last term’s  September 22, with confi-  team in the world and they  at the age of 39.
            Grand Slam into a third-place  dence still riding high among  are the favorites. But I also  The Galway native won 24
            finish this year.           Irish fans of a best-ever tour-  think this will be one of the  caps for the Boys in Green.
              The 36-year-old hooker    nament.                      most open World Cups.           He made over 300 appear-
            insisted Ireland are the hun-  Best and company will       “Anyone will feel they can  ances for Millwall and also
            griest he has seen them     face   Wales   twice   and   beat anyone on their day.    lined out for Galway United
            under head coach Schmidt,   England in completing their  And it’s great that Ireland  and Derry City.
            ahead of Saturday’s opening  warm-up matches before jet-  can be one of those teams.     He tweeted a video announcing his retirement, saying:
            World Cup warm-up match     ting out to Japan.             “But we also know that,    “The time has come to lay down my gloves for the last time.
            against Italy in Dublin.       The long-serving Ulster   look at Wales and England in  I have been truly blessed.
              “When Joe first came in   hooker will be 37 by the time  the Six Nations, we can lose  “To receive the honor and privilege to wear the crests
            the big question was ‘how do  the tournament kicks off but  to those teams too.”      and colours of incredible teams. Thank you all so much, go
            we perceive ourselves?’, and  admitted feeling as good as  Best   believes  Ireland’s
            the big answer was ‘inconsis-  ever amid a grueling pre-sea-  maiden two victories over  raibh mile mhaith agat mo anam cairde.” C
            tent’,” said Best.          son.                         back-to-back world champi-             James Owens Confirmed As
              “And what we’ve worked       Schmidt’s men are once    ons   New    Zealand,   in
            hard to do is to prepare the  again  bidding  to  move   Chicago in 2016 and Dublin          All-Ireland Hurling Final Referee
            same whoever we play and    beyond the quarter-finals for  in autumn 2018, have offered                                 James   Owens   has
            whatever we do.             first time, but the Irish public  significant confidence boosts.                         been confirmed as refer-
              “That’s how it’s always   have high confidence their     “That first victory against                               ee for this year’s All-
            been under Joe and we cer-  side could even lift the Webb  New Zealand, in Chicago, it                               Ireland senior hurling
            tainly won’t go away from   Ellis Cup.                   felt like we pushed through a                               final.
            that now.                      New Zealand are seeking   ceiling,” said Best, speaking                                  The August 18 clash
              “It sometimes takes a real-  a hat-trick of World Cup  as a FloGas ambassador.                                     of    Kilkenny     and
            ity check, and finishing third  titles on the run, with Best  “But it was hugely impor-                              Tipperary will be the
            was bitterly disappointing.  admitting the All Blacks are  tant to get the second one, to                            Wexford native’s third
              “So coming in at the start  still favorites for yet another  prove again that we can do  hurling decider.
            of this pre-season everyone is  crown.                   it.                             Owens previously took charge of the 2015 final between
            as hungry as I have ever seen  But Best also predicted the  “We want to be a team     Galway and Kilkenny, and last year’s win for Limerick over
            them.                       most open World Cup yet,     that can prove we can beat
              “We’ve had a group of     with Grand Slam champions    anyone and we’ve not just    Galway.
            players that want to prove  Wales and a burgeoning       shown it once, we’ve shown      Patrick Murphy will take charge of the Minor final meet-
            that the 2019 Six Nations was  England and South Africa  it twice now.”C                ing of Galway and Kilkenny. C
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