Autumn sun shines on equine activities
Reports, results and photos from local equestrian competitions and more
Hi folks,
The sun came out last weekend, with Sunday in particular being a perfect day to be out with one’s equine friend! It is remarkable how a bit of nice weather can have such a positive impact on our whole equestrian experience; it is all so much easier and more pleasant to get ready and ride on a dry day than when the rain is pelting down - particularly for those of us who do not have the luxury of an indoor arena on a regular basis.
Competitions over the past week or so once again catered for a wide range of tastes and levels of ability… including Working Hunter, dressage, show jumping and even a bit of Combined Training! This coming weekend also has a wide range of activities to choose from, with some leagues getting started and others continuing across the disciplines. There is an added bonus this week, as Eric Pele is running one of his popular Jump Cross competitions. More details of events can be found in the Horse & Field calendar by clicking the link below.
Fingers crossed that the dry spell continues for us this weekend!
This Horse&Field newsletter brings you the latest equine news, as well as reports, results and pictures from local competitions over the past week or so, including the first leg of the Winter Working Hunter league at Ardnacashel; week one of the four-week dressage series at Lusk’s; week two of the Indoor Winter show jumping League at Connell Hill; the first week of the latest show jumping league at Ecclesville; a round-up of last week’s results from Mossvale; the Combined Training and DAFM Autumn Development Series at The Meadows; and coverage of a veterinary conference held at the Killyhevlin in Enniskillen.
Winter Working Hunter league off to a fantastic start at Ardnacashel
What a fantastic first day it was on Sunday, November 10 to launch the Winter Working Hunter League at Ardnacashel Equestrian, Comber!
Keep a deep seat at Lusk’s dressage
The first of the four-week dressage series at Lusk Equestrian, outside Lisburn, took place on Sunday, November 10, under the supervision of events director Sarah Whiteside, while daughter Maisie, now six months old, was cared for by all and sundry in the White Horse Cafe.
Show jumping success at Connell Hill
Week two of Connell Hill’s indoor winter league was held on Saturday, November 9 and kicked off with the pony cross-poles class, with all competitors taking part picking up pretty rosettes. kindly sponsored by Doagh Equestrian.
A fantastic start for Ecclesville’s Show jumping League
Ecclesville Centre, Fintona started the last of their Show jumping Leagues for 2024 on Friday evening, with a very impressive 108 entries. The organisers were delighted to welcome back many familiar faces and a few new combinations.
Mossvale Riding Club results round up
The Mossvale Riding Club pairs league got underway on Thursday, November 7 and the first round was won by the Marvellous Murphys. Congratulations to Eva Murphy and Michaela Murphy!
Future eventing stars shine at The Meadows
Sunday, November 3 saw a Combined Training and DAFM Autumn Development Series competition being held at The Meadows Equestrian Centre, Lurgan. Combined Training classes ran from EI80 up to EI110 and were open to all ages of horses, while the DAFM Development Series classes were AE90 for four-year-old horses, AE90 for five-year-old ponies, AE100 for five…
Autumn Conference for AVSPNI
The Association of Veterinary Surgeons Practising in Northern Ireland (AVSPNI) is the largest vet association in Northern Ireland, with over 530 vets in practice as full members. AVSPNI represents vet practitioners at a large number of stakeholder groups, providing pragmatic and practical input from the ‘coal-face’ of the veterinary profession on a wide…
In case you missed them, the latest two Straight From The Horse’s Mouth podcasts were chats with coach, Sonya McAleer and rider, Cara Mae O’Connor:
Straight From The Horse's Mouth: Sonya McAleer and Cara Mae O'Connor
Hello and welcome to the 20th Straight from the Horse's Mouth podcast on Horse and Field!
and with coach, Serena McLoone and rider, Rebecca McMonagle:
Straight From The Horse's Mouth: Serena McLoone and Rebecca McMonagle
Hello and welcome to the 21st Straight from the Horse's Mouth podcast on Horse and Field!
In local news and, dare I say, looking ahead to Christmas:
Christmas at the Cathedral with Malachi Cush
Christmas at the Cathedral returns to Armagh on Thursday, December 12 and Friday, December 13 for the eighth year to celebrate the true essence of Christmas through the beauty of music and song.
All systems go for Ballydugan Retail Park
Developer Celpark Ltd has warmly welcomed the decision by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council to grant planning permission for its application to replace the existing Asda superstore at Ballydugan Retail Park in Downpatrick.
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The Horse&Field calendar lists local equine activities and is updated on a daily basis. We are trying to make the calendar as comprehensive as possible and it currently lists shows and events right up until the end of the year, so if you know of any events that aren’t yet listed, please let us know!
Horse&Field Calendar
Calling all horse enthusiasts! As the seasons change, so does the equestrian calendar, filled with exciting events and competitions that bring the equestrian community together.
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