The MC is running around the grass, microphone in one hand, his jacket flapping in the evening breeze. The horses and riders gather, circle, try a few test fences and then... turn to face the bricks. Silence. A flutter of hooves. A gasp at take-off.
And then... Glory. Or failure. Clearance, or a clatter of bricks.
And the wall just keeps getting higher.
The Defender Puissance is one of the best sporting events in the world. You can watch it live on RTE, or you can - far better - get yourself along to the RDS in Dublin on August 8 where, as part of the Dublin Horse Show, once again the wall will be raised, and the horses and riders will seemingly defy gravity to leap one of the highest barriers in sport.
What is a Puissance?
It's one of the simplest competitions in all equestrian sport. Whereas showjumping events such as the Aga Khan Trophy (one of the most prestigious prizes in global sport, horsey or otherwise, and also part of the Dublin Horse Show) rely on points, penalties and some byzantine rules, or dressage requires intricate knowledge to understand the judges' decisions, Puissance is easier to grasp - it's all about height.
In a Puissance, there's a wall. In the case of the Defender Puissance wall at the Dublin Horse Show, it's a towering edifice of bright red bricks (made of foam of course, so no horse nor human can be injured) over which the horse and rider must leap.
If you make it over - following a couple of warm-up fences to build the jumping rhythm - then you're into the next round. The rounds continue until a single horse and rider combo is left.
It is an astonishing sight, especially when you're in the stands yourself, with tens of thousands of others, willing the horses onward and upward.
Some seem to spring mightily from their hind legs in a mad surge of animal power. Others seem to dance lightly up to the wall, and then apparently levitate over it effortlessly, as if gravity has momentarily popped out for a coffee. It is spectacular.
Oh, and the wall just keeps getting higher.
At the start of the Defender Puissance, the wall is set at 1.8 metres high. That's about the same height as an average man in Ireland in 2026.
The Defenders standing next to the wall - and gently driving back and forth with extra layers of foam bricks at the start of each new round - are 1,984mm tall as standard, so even the qualifying wall is akin to leaping over the roof of a big 4x4.
Oh, it gets taller. The wall. It just keeps getting higher. Every round it will be raised by a fraction of a metre until...
Well, in 2025 until it hit the heady height of 2.15 metres That, for reference, is taller than a Defender with air suspension stretched to its maximum height.
The winner in 2025, the only horse and rider who could surmount that towering obstacle was Rachel Proudley of Great Britain, with her horse Easy Boy de Laubry Z.
Interestingly, there's an odd motoring connection here, as Proudley became the first woman to win the Dublin Horse Show Puissance in 61 years. The last woman to win? None other than Pat Moss-Carlsson, with a none-more-appropriately named horse, Geronimo.
Yes, that's the same Pat Moss-Carlsson who won the 1960 Coupe Des Alpes rally in the fearsome Austin-Healy 3000 (a sports car that was once a stablemate to Land Rover in the dim and distant past...) and also won the 1961 Tulip Rally in The Netherlands in a Mini Cooper (again, a former Land Rover cousin).
You might recognise Pat's surnames - yes, she was the sister of Stirling Moss, and married to the great Swedish rally driver, Eric Carlsson. Clearly, sporting endeavour ran in the family blood...
Back to the Defender Puissance
This year, 2026, marks the 22nd year in which Land Rover has been involved with the Dublin Horse Show, and once again the mighty Defender will be taking centre stage at the event.
And that's not just hyperbole, either. Land Rover provides a fleet of 22 vehicles to the Dublin Horse Show for various tasks, including - as mentioned above - coming out onto the hallowed turf of the main arena - now refurbished with the huge new stands of the Laya Arena - with extra bricks for the Puissance wall and other fences.
Indeed, it's something of a neat demonstration of how well the big Defender spreads its weight that it's able to do so without tearing up the turf.
The fences and other paraphernalia are carried on trailers behind the Defenders in the ring, so it helps that they all have Trailer Assist fitted.
As well as acting as four-wheeled helping hands, Land Rover will also have the striking Defender Trophy Edition finished in Deep Sandglow Yellow on display at the Dublin Horse Show.
For those more at home at a lower altitude, Land Rover is also bringing the Mini Defender Drive Experience back to the RDS for a third year, and I can confirm that these miniature, battery-powered Defenders are the ideal way to keep any children you might have brought with you well and truly distracted.
Head behind the main arena to find the Family Area, and that's where you'll also find the Mini Defender obstacle course. No adults are allowed to drive, though. I tried...
Ahead of the 2026 event, Melanie McCourt, Marketing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Ireland, told us: "As we mark our 22nd year of partnership with The Dublin Horse Show, we are delighted to celebrate the return of the Defender Puissance to the new Laya Arena at the RDS. The Defender Puissance is one of the standout moments of the show, bringing together world-class showjumping and a vibrant social atmosphere. We look forward to cheering on the competitors as they take on the iconic Defender Puissance wall.”
We'll be there too. In the stands. Gasping. Cheering. Commiserating. And watching. Watching the wall. The wall that just keeps getting higher.