Rupert "Ruby" Walsh is an Irish former jockey. He is the second child, and eldest son, of former champion amateur jockey Ted Walsh and his wife Helen. Widely regarded as one of the greatest National Hunt jockeys of all time, Walsh is the third most prolific winner in British and Irish jump racing history behind only Sir Anthony McCoy and Richard Johnson.
Paul Carberry is a retired Irish National Hunt jockey.
The Irish Gold Cup is a Grade 1 National Hunt steeplechase in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 3 miles, and during its running there are seventeen fences to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in February.
The Hatton's Grace Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and during its running there are twelve hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Morgiana Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year in November.
The Summit Juvenile Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt hurdle race in Great Britain which is open to horses aged three years. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in December.
The Royal Bond Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are ten hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late November or early December.
The Monksfield Novice Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Navan over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in November.
The Tara Hurdle was a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland until 2013, when it was downgraded to a Grade B handicap. It is run at Navan Racecourse in December, over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs. The race was first run in 1999.
The Slaney Novice Hurdle, currently known for sponsorship purposes as the Lawlor's of Naas Novice Hurdle, is a Grade One National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run in January at Naas Racecourse, over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs and during its running there are 11 flights of hurdles to be jumped. The race is often contested by horses who go on to compete at the Cheltenham Festival, such as the 1978 winner, Golden Cygnet, who went on to win the Supreme Novices' Hurdle and 2021 winner, Bob Olinger, who went on to win the Ballymore Properties Novices' Hurdle.
Noel Meade is a horse trainer from Castletown, County Meath, Ireland. He established Tu Va Stables in Meath as a place to train his horses.
Dessie Hughes was an Irish racehorse trainer and jockey. He was the father of British champion jockey, Richard Hughes, and won at the Cheltenham Festival as both jockey and trainer.
The Golden Cygnet Novice Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is for horses aged five years or older. It is run at Leopardstown over a distance of about 2 miles and 6 furlongs. The race is scheduled to take place each year in late January or early February.
The Joe Mac Novice Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Tipperary over a distance of about 2 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Like A Butterfly Novice Chase is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice chase in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Tipperary over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Fergus O'Toole Memorial Novice Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Limerick over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in October.
The Cork E.B.F. Novice Hurdle is a Listed National Hunt novice hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Cork over a distance of 3 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November. The race has been sponsored since 2014 by Paddy Power.
The Limestone Lad Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged five years and over. It is run at Naas over a distance of 2 miles and during its running there are eight hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year in January.
The Fairyhouse Easter Festival Novice Hurdle, currently run as the Colm Quinn BMW Novice Hurdle, is a Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Fairyhouse over a distance of 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in April. The race is usually run at the course's Easter Festival but in 2017 it was moved to a fixture in early April to avoid clashing with similar races at the Punchestown Festival.
Limestone Lad is a retired Irish Thoroughbred racehorse who competed mainly in National Hunt racing. Bred, owned and trained by a farming family in rural Ireland he was offered for sale as three-year-old but was rejected after failing a medical examination. His early racing career was unremarkable but he made steady improvement and eventually retired with a record of thirty-five wins and nineteen places from sixty-five races. He was best known for his durability and his performances in long-distance hurdle races and usually raced from the front.
