A "show-stopper" is a bit of a cliche but anyone at the opening day of the Kerrygold Dublin Horse Show at the RDS saw a real show-stopper in action.
It started with a growl of thunder which cleared its throat from around the top of the Three Rock Mountain to somewhere east of the Kish lighthouse.
Then, at around 4 p.m. the sky opened and for a few minutes the storm literally stopped the show, something foot-and-mouth had failed to do.
In the showers the horse-handlers scurried with their well-groomed animals for cover and stared in amazement as the rain filled up the brims of their bowler hats.
In the jumping rings, the riders and horses ploughed on through the worst of the storm until sanity prevailed and the activity was stopped for a few minutes. The deluge created an instant problem for the course builders, who overnight had to build courses for today's jumping events which would not cut up the sodden ground and destroy tomorrow's set-piece, the Kerrygold Nation's Cup.
An on-form Irish team is expected to win this competition which is the jewel in the show's crown but is only one of 10 international and 35 national horse and pony show-jumping competitions this week.
The storm drove the crowds into the bars, restaurants and even the stables. The remainder crammed into the exhibition space for shelter.
But hail, rain or shine could not stop the crowd enjoying themselves at a show which had been under threat because of foot-and-mouth.
People who had not seen one another for months because of the cancellation of many shows crowded into the grounds and renewed old friendships.
And with Irish horses on form and top riders from all over the world already in situ, there was the kind of buzz around the grounds which has been absent for the last few years.
Dublin's Lord Mayor, Councillor Michael Mulcahy, opened the event in bright noon sunshine and praised the work being done by the RDS and the fidelity of the people of the city to the event.
With almost 1,600 horses and ponies on the grounds for the week it was business as usual at the show which had the heaviest booking for the jumping competitions for many years.
There was also an instant buy-up of exhibition space when it became available after the organisers were given the go-ahead by the Government to stage the event.
As the sky cleared, anxious female eyes looked skyward to try to predict how the weather might impact on their finery later today, Ladies' Day.
An attempt to take the sexism out of the event by renaming the day "Fashion Day" has already failed. It died on the anvil of the conservatism of the society which is, in a sense, part of its strength.
Yesterday was, after all, the 128th time the show has been held - and who can argue with that?