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 Champion Stayers 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 3 miles, and during its running there are fourteen hurdles to be jumped. The race is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April.
The Champion Four Year Old Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years. It is run at Punchestown over a distance of about 2 miles, and during its running there are nine hurdles to be jumped. The race is for novice hurdlers, and it is scheduled to take place each year during the Punchestown Festival in late April or early May. The race is currently sponsored by the Ballymore Group
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 Boyne Hurdle is Grade 2 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run at Navan in February, over a distance of about 2 miles and 5 furlongs and during the race there are 12 hurdles to be jumped. The race was first run in 1987 as a Grade 3 race, and was run over a distance of 2 miles and 6 furlongs until 1994. It was awarded Grade 2 status in 2008.
The Lismullen 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 Navan over a distance of about 2 miles and 4 furlongs, and it is scheduled to take place each year in November.
The Istabraq Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Tipperary Racecourse over a distance of about 2 miles, and it is scheduled to take place each year in early October.
The Red Mills Trial Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run at Gowran Park in February, over a distance of about 2 miles and during the race there are nine hurdles to be jumped. It was downgraded from Grade 2 to Grade 3 in 2017.
The Spring Juvenile Hurdle is a Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run at Leopardstown Racecourse in February, over a distance of 2 miles. The race is restricted to four-year-old horses only and is usually contested by horses who go on to run in the Triumph Hurdle at the Cheltenham Festival.
The Christmas Hurdle is Grade 1 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland. It is run at Leopardstown Racecourse in December, over a distance of 3 miles and during its running there are 12 flights of hurdles to be jumped.
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.
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 Jezki Hurdle, currently run as the Bottlegreen Hurdle, is a Grade 3 National Hunt hurdle race in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. It is run at Down Royal over a distance of about 2 miles and half a furlong, and it is scheduled to take place each year in late October or early November.
The Cork Stayers Novice Hurdle is a Grade 3 National Hunt novice hurdle in Ireland which is open to horses aged four years or older. The race is run at Cork over a distance of about 3 miles and during its running there are 13 hurdles to be jumped. It is scheduled to take place each year in December. It is currently sponsored by the Kerry Group.
The For Auction 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. The race is scheduled to take place each year in November.
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.
