Dalius Mikalauskas has watched enough marquee tournaments to know that the best ones reward two kinds of attention at once. As a tennis follower who closely watches the biggest grass-court events, he has noticed that spectators at tournaments like Wimbledon do more than dress for the occasion. They settle in for the day, following the action with the same attention they give to their own appearance. In his view, that balance between fashion and sport is part of what makes major events memorable.
The Dublin Horse Show follows much the same pattern. With a €10,000 cash prize on offer in this year’s Best Dressed Competition, the event encourages visitors to arrive in their best attire while staying to enjoy the sport itself. Mikalauskas notes that people who spend the day discussing potential Wimbledon surprise contenders often approach occasions like this in exactly the same way—treating the event as something to experience rather than simply photograph. He believes that combination is what elevates the day beyond a simple photo opportunity.
“At those big fixtures, the competition is half the draw. The crowd dresses up, but they also stay to watch. That’s what makes a day like Dublin feel complete.”
Ladies Day at the RDS: The Competition in Full
The Best Dressed Competition takes place on Thursday, 6 August, as part of the Gallagher Dublin Horse Show at the RDS, according to RTE.ie. The day functions as Ladies Day for the show, and the overall winner walks away with €10,000 in cash. TV presenter Laura Woods hosts the proceedings, anchoring a competition that frames personal style as a public performance assessed by two judges under the scrutiny of the full showground crowd.
This year’s panel brings considerable weight. Limerick fashion designer and Poretti Ireland judge Aoife McNamara joins Bairbre Power, a fashion expert entering her seventh consecutive year on the judging panel. Between them, they represent both the craft side of the industry and a seasoned eye for what actually reads well in an outdoor, full-day setting.
What the Judges Are Actually Looking For
Power’s criteria are both specific and, at their core, harder to manufacture than any single garment. She wants detail — fit, accessories, grooming — but places something less tangible above all of it.
“Every year I’m impressed by the creativity and individuality on display,” Power said. “The entrants who really stand out are the ones who stay true to their own sense of style rather than following every trend. Attention to detail is always important, from the fit of your outfit to your accessories and grooming, but confidence is what ties everything together. If you feel comfortable and carry yourself well, it always comes across.”
McNamara’s approach leans into narrative. Where Power reads the surface, McNamara wants to know what is behind it.
“I’ll be looking for someone who has a story to tell us through their look, from its fabrics, sustainability and the inspiration of each detail, but most importantly, someone who looks comfortable and ready for a day at the Show,” she said.
Together, the two criteria converge on a single point the competition has built itself around — celebrating individuality, elegance, and the power of personal style. Neither judge is chasing trend-followers. Both are looking for someone who has made genuine choices and can inhabit them for a full afternoon.
Five Awards, Not One: Every Category on the Day
The €10,000 prize draws the headlines, but the full award structure gives entrants multiple ways to be recognised. Each category has its own sponsor and its own distinct reward.
The Best Dressed Runner-Up prize, sponsored by InterContinental Dublin, is a two-night stay in a one-bedroom suite, with dinner for two on one evening at Simmons, their new restaurant. A strong second-place finish, in other words, is not a consolation.
The Most Creative Hat award, sponsored by Ireland’s Blue Book, carries a €2,000 voucher for stays and dining across Ireland’s Blue Book portfolio of properties. Given the centrality of headwear to the Dublin Horse Show aesthetic, this category draws serious contenders of its own.
The Irish Heritage and Sustainability Style Award, sponsored by Jack Murphy, comes with a €1,500 wardrobe voucher for Jack Murphy. The category rewards entrants who have thought carefully about provenance and longevity in their choices, aligning with McNamara’s judging criteria almost exactly.
New this year is Best Classic Elegance, sponsored by Cashel Palace Hotel. The winner receives an overnight suite stay for two with dinner at the Michelin-starred Bishop’s Buttery restaurant, plus a €100 voucher for The Boutique at Cashel Palace. Its arrival signals that the competition is widening its definition of what a standout look can be, making room for restraint alongside spectacle.
The Hat Fitting Rules That Can Cost You Points
Dublin-based milliner Aoife Harrison has a clear position on headwear for the show: go ambitious. She also has two concrete tests that should happen before the day.
“For a unique event like the Dublin Horse Show, I would really go all out with your headpiece,” Harrison said. “It is one of the few events where you can wear a truly special hat, and there are amazing prizes for Best Dressed and Best Hat. When choosing your hat, make sure to try it on with your sunglasses to ensure it sits properly. Hopefully, it will be a sunny day, but sunglasses can sometimes throw off the symmetry of a piece.”
The sunglasses test is not a formality. A hat positioned correctly without glasses can shift its sightline entirely once frames are added. Trying both together, at home and in good light, is the only reliable way to check. Harrison’s second rule is equally precise.
“Always leave one finger of space above your eyebrow when tilting a hat on your head,” she said. “You want to see some skin between your eyebrow and the brim, but be careful not to wear it too far back.”
Too far forward and the hat overwhelms the face; too far back and it loses its structure. The finger-width test gives a physical reference point that does not depend on memory or guesswork on the morning of the show.
A Look Built for the Full Day
The thread running through both judges’ comments and Harrison’s practical advice is the same one that makes Dublin different from a red-carpet appearance. The competition is not a moment — it is a day. A look that photographs well at noon but becomes unwearable by three in the afternoon is not a winning look. What Power calls confidence, and McNamara calls readiness, both describe the same thing in different terms: an entrant who has dressed for the whole occasion, not just the judging.
Entrants who approach 6 August with that in mind — testing their hat with glasses in advance, choosing fabrics they can move in, and building an outfit that reflects something genuine about their own taste rather than a trend assembled for the camera — will arrive at the RDS already ahead.