This paper explores the foundation of the Dublin Horse Show from 1868–80, when it was held at the Royal Dublin Society's (R.D.S.) headquarters on Merrion Square. Early iterations were intended to address the depletion of the equine population in the mid-nineteenth century, a matter of concern for agriculture and industry, but also for those with an interest in sport and horses as opportunities for leisure. Horse shows arose nearly simultaneously in Ireland and England as intersections between associational culture, agricultural improvement and a burgeoning middle-class leisure sphere established animal shows as instruments for improving breeding, but also as forms of entertainment. The popular success of horse shows fostered the development of economic clusters, as local businesses began to depend on them as reliable sources of annual income. They also reflected equestrian sport's migration from largely elite pursuits into popular recreation, including competitions that would eventually lead to the modern sport of showjumping. The events established at the early R.D.S. Horse Show are still recognisable today in their combination of improvement and leisure based in the promotion of Irish horses as exemplars of sporting excellence.

中文翻译：

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“许多人参加主要是为了寻找乐趣”：1868-80 年皇家都柏林协会举办的全国马展

本文探讨了 1868-80 年都柏林马展的起源，当时它在梅林广场的皇家都柏林协会 (RDS) 总部举行。早期的迭代旨在解决 19 世纪中叶马匹数量枯竭的问题，这是农业和工业关注的问题，也是那些对运动和马匹感兴趣的人的休闲机会。马术表演几乎同时出现在爱尔兰和英格兰，因为协会文化、农业改良和新兴的中产阶级休闲领域之间的交叉点将动物表演确立为改善育种的工具，同时也是一种娱乐形式。马术表演的大获成功促进了经济集群的发展，因为当地企业开始依赖它们作为可靠的年收入来源。它们还反映了马术运动从主要的精英追求向大众娱乐的转变，包括最终导致现代马术运动的比赛。在早期的 RDS 马展上设立的活动在今天仍然被认可，因为它们以促进爱尔兰马匹作为卓越运动的典范为基础，将改进和休闲相结合。