Christmas cheer to all equestrian peers
Local equine news, reports, results and photos from across the disciplines
Hi folks,
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…! Last weekend saw numerous equine competitions being held, thankfully without any extreme weather, as various leagues came to a conclusion before the centres take a well-earned break for Christmas. There was a definite festive vibe, as many competitors got into the Christmas spirit, with a multitude of Santas and Elves among the fabulous photos this week!
This coming weekend will be a quieter one, with only Hagans Croft’s Christmas Dressage Finale scheduled for Saturday; aside from that, it should give everyone an opportunity to get organised for Christmas next week. Meanwhile, Boxing Day will see racing at Down Royal and hunts taking place and that following weekend there are some post-Christmas shows in the Horse & Field calendar.

There was some lovely feedback on the article on Lily and Ellie Murphy and, as a result, it is hoped to do more articles and podcast interviews to celebrate our local equestrian talent over the coming weeks and months.
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 Working Hunter League final at Ardnacashel; the dressage league final at Gransha; the penultimate round of the Hagans Croft dressage league; the Christmas Show and Indoor Winter show jumping League final at Connell Hill; the dressage show at Ardnacashel.
League champions decided at Ardnacashel Working Hunter
Sunday, December 15 saw Ardnacashel Equestrian, Comber, hosting the final of their Winter Working Hunter League. Organisers were delighted to welcome back judge Megan Norton, who brought her expertise to select deserving champions.
Festive theme as Gransha holds dressage league finale
Gransha Equestrian Centre was host to Santa’s elves, Mrs Claus, Christmas trees, Grinches and even a snow-lady on Saturday, December 14, as riders embraced the festive theme for the final of their Autumn Dressage League, generously sponsored by Cryotherapy Ireland.
Hagans Croft gets ready for Christmas Dressage
There were some hints of the festive season on Saturday, December 14 at Hagans Croft's third week of their now four-week Dressage League. The festive sparkly rosettes gave an idea of what is coming up next Saturday, as Hagans Croft prepares for their Christmas Dressage Finale and their final event of 2024.
Competitors sparkle at Connell Hill Christmas Show
All roads led to Randalstown over the weekend, as Connell Hill Equestrian held a glittering Christmas Show combined with the Final of their Indoor Winter Show jumping League 2024. Joining the party was Mid Antrim branch of the Pony Club to host the next leg of their Barrier Health Spring Festival Qualifiers and everyone was smartly turned out and well e…
Christmas Dressage at Ardnacashel
It was an exciting weekend at Ardnacashel Equestrian, Comber, as they first hosted a ‘Dressage With A Theme’ Show.
In local and equine news:
Gordons Chemists raise vital funds for Action Cancer
Staff and customers of Gordons Chemists branches across Northern Ireland have come together once again to raise an incredible £16,570 for Action Cancer.
Success for equine feed manufacturer’s Slimmers’ Club
A leading feed manufacturer has reported on the success of its equine slimming club, launched three years ago as part of a mission to help combat equine obesity in the UK.
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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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