Thousands of people are expected to gallop to the 145th Dublin Horse Show at the RDS.

The international show jumping event is running across five days, with competitions taking place until Sunday.

A total of 134 competitions will take place during the show - including 14 international show jumping competitions, eight of which carry world ranking points.

The highlight of the week is seen as the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup on Friday, when the Irish team - current European Champions - will look to maintain their recent form.

A crowd of some 100,000 is expected over the course of the show, which also includes other highlights such as the Land Rover Puissance on Saturday and the Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland on Sunday.

A highlight for many is also the Dundrum Town Centre Ladies’ Day that takes place on Thursday - with a €10,000 shopping voucher on offer for the overall winner.

The @Longines @FEI_Global Jumping Nations Cup at the @StenaLineUKIE Dublin Horse Show starts now!

With the first class beginning at 8:30am it should be a jam packed day for everyone here!

We can't wait to see you! pic.twitter.com/mZMErcXOSj

— Dublin Horse Show (@DublinHorseShow) August 8, 2018

New for this year, the Horseplay Hub will take over the RDS Concert Hall for each of the five days.

It will feature farriers, equine vets, historians and course designers to lend visitors a deeper understanding of what goes in to turning out an international show jumper, as well as the making of the show itself.

There is also the Keelings Kids’ Zone, where bouncy castles, pony rides and face-painting are all on offer, as is the interactive ‘Learn to Grow Gazebo’ where kids can learn the skills of seeding and planting.

Michael Duffy, CEO of the RDS said: "We have arranged the Horseplay Hub to speak to different audiences on different days of show.

"Not everyone who comes to the ahow has a deep knowledge of horses or show jumping, so Wednesday and Friday are tailor-made for them".