National Geographic: Ballad of the Irish Horse Page #5

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of fierce competitions

and showmanship.

Michael Dempsey is here

to demonstrate

the obedience of

the Galway Blazer hounds...

And Trevor Dagg

has an opportunity to compete

in the same arena

used by the international teams.

And you'll be all right. Okay?

Don't worry about it.

It'll go all right

when you get out there. okay?

Okay, give him a pop.

And this is

George Dagg's Beau Brummel.

To win the championship,

Trevor must clear

all the obstacles

and jump the course

in the shortest time.

Oh, no.

Good man. Well done.

Oh, no. it's gone.

A caring brother

had hoped for first place.

But for Trevor,

this yellow ribbon

may be a harbinger of

future successes

It was here

that the world's first show

jumping competitions were held.

This year Eddie Macken

is one of four riders

to set a new Irish jumping record.

In this great yearly celebration

of horses and horsemanship,

the ancient spirit of

the Irish people

is aroused a new,

to stir and soar.

Within each individual, the warmth

of the age old connection

with the animal

that has helped shape

his nation's history is rekindled.

I think we have produced

a lot of really

world class horses

on the international scene.

And we've become famous

obviously from that.

But I think the greatest asset

the Irish horse has is

that as a pleasure horse

and for the amateur,

he seems to be more clever,

more easy to deal with,

to handle, to ride.

And he seems to give

a longer period of enjoyment

than the Continental horses do.

Myself and my family,

if we have no breakfast,

today, tomorrow,

some other day in the future,

we'll still look after the horse.

We would give the horse

our breakfast.

We were with horses

for generations,

and Irish people,

whatever, they're Irish.

They'll talk about horses,

they'll have horses,

they'll keep horses.

They'll never get rid of them.

A tremendous appreciation

of the horse

runs through the Irish people.

Ireland is an island.

We are an island people,

and as a result,

the traits that were

in our forefathers

are still present today

after many generations.

In the quite of the countryside

a new Connemara pony

enters the world.

Only minutes old,

still weak and wobbly,

he is born with the ability

to stand alone,

to survive in the lean land

of the west.

Within himself

he carries the strength

of thousands of years

on Irish soil.

The saga of the Irish horse

continues in the 20th century

because to the people of Ireland,

horses represent a link

with old ways, old values.

A traditional past

they want to preserve.

So the children of Ireland

grow up with these animals,

each generation

adding new chapters of challenge

and hope, triumph and love,

to the timeless story

that is the ballad of

the Irish horse.

Thank for your watching.

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