Crammed calendar for equine fans
Local equestrian reports, results, photos and news to keep you up to date
Hello everyone,
Another week has been and gone, but my goodness it is so great to see the sun is still with us and there’s also a welcome stretch in the evenings… The temperatures over the past couple of days have been more like July than April, which has been so lovely! It’s looking like there could be a change to that next week, so make the most of this weekend… The Horse&Field calendar is crammed full of local equine activities, not only for this weekend, but also for the weeks and months ahead, so be sure to get some dates into your diary!
The past week or so has seen such a breadth of competition taking place locally, from show jumping to Working Hunter, from dressage to a charity ride and from eventing to the IPS Northern Area Spring Show! The reports, results and photos are testament to the efforts and the talent of all those who took part - well done to all.
This Horse&Field newsletter brings you the latest equine news, as well as reports, results and pictures from local competitions and events over the past week or so, including the Spring Working Hunter League final at Ardnacashel; the Derby and RUAS Balmoral Performance Horse qualifiers at Lusk’s; the Spring Show and Young Horse Challenge at The Meadows; the IPS Northern Area Spring Show at Knockagh View; the Winter Dressage League final at Laurel View; the Antrim Chase charity ride at Shane’s Castle; the latest Training Show at Connell Hill; the second leg of the Working Hunter league at Hagans Croft; the second EI Northern Region event at Tyrella; the SJI Spring League at Connell Hill; and the final of the Paul Johnston Memorial League at Knockagh View, as well as news of new equestrian sponsors for Balmoral Show and an opportunity to vote for a local entrant in a global hotel award!
Happy Working Hunters at Ardnacashel
On Sunday, Ardnacashel Equestrian, Comber, held the final of their Spring Working Hunter League. A huge well done to all of the competitors, who participated in each of the five weeks.
Great competition at Lusk's Derby and Balmoral Qualifiers
Lusk Equestrian, near Lisburn, held a Derby over 70cm, 85cm and 1m courses on Sunday, April 6 to complement the RUAS Balmoral Performance Horse Qualifiers. The derby classes were well-supported and saw great competition, with the top spot going to the fastest rider.
Spring Horse Show challenges at The Meadows
The Meadows Equestrian Centre, Lurgan held their Spring Horse Show and Young Horse Challenge on Saturday, April 5, with classes from 80cm up to 1.30m.
Perfect conditions for IPS (NA) Spring Show
The Irish Pony Society (IPS) Northern Area (NA) held their Spring Show at Knockagh View Equestrian Centre (Greenisland) on Saturday, April 5. With not a cloud in sight and sunny skies, competitors kicked off the showing season in perfect conditions.
Winter Dressage winners declared at Laurel View
Laurel View’s Winter Dressage League drew to a conclusion on Sunday, March 9, with another great day of competition. There were lots of different winners throughout the winter, but when the best scores were added to those at the final competition, the league winners were revealed.
Antrim Chase ride at Shane's Castle raises funds for NI Hospice
Following the very sad passing of their dear friend and colleague, George Graham, it was Antrim Chase’s desire to raise funds for the amazing work NI Hospice provides to families facing the difficult journey with cancer. NI Hospice receive 37% of their funding from the government, so it is great to be able to support this organisation.
Competitors shine in the sun Connell Hill Training Show
The popular County Antrim venue, Connell Hill Equestrian, saw a host of competitors arrive on Saturday, April 5 to jump in the outdoor sunshine. This pleasurable day opened with a bright start for Caroline McKeown on ‘Dusty’, who achieved a lovely double clear round in the pony cross-poles, followed by another clear round in the 50cm class, where Sarah …
Champion day for Katie and Eva at Hagans Croft
Saturday, April 5 saw the second leg of Hagans Croft’s Working Hunter league and Northern Ireland Festival Qualifiers taking place. The day began with a confidence-building course situated in the field arena, which is open to everyone wanting to give Working Hunter a go, with classes running from cross-poles up to 70cm. All competitors completed the cou…
Wall-to-wall sunshine for Tyrella 2
Tyrella 2 took place against a backcloth of beautiful blue skies, perfectly silhouetted mountains, glistening sea and wall-to-wall sunshine on Saturday, April 5. Some of the 312 competitors and their support teams were experiencing the stunning scenery of this Co Down venue for the very first time, and they were absolutely captivated.
Fun in the sun for Connell Hill's SJI Spring League
The SJI Spring League continued at Connell Hill Equestrian Centre, Randalstown on Thursday, April 3, with a good turnout across the classes and the metre class seeing a very pleasing number of clear rounds.
Paul's legacy rewards dedicated competitors at Knockagh View
Thank you, thank you, thank you! All at Knockagh View Equestrian Centre, Greenisland are incredibly grateful for the amazing support they received for their Paul Johnston Memorial League.
In equestrian and local news:
Sponsors jump at the chance to join the ‘Balmoral Buzz’
Ahead of the 2025 Balmoral Show, event organisers, the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS), are delighted to announce several new sponsorships across their equine and show jumping classes.
Cast your vote for Titanic Hotel Belfast
Titanic Hotel Belfast, which has been awarded Northern Ireland’s Leading Hotel for seven consecutive years since opening its doors in 2017, has been nominated for a prestigious global award recognising its unique design.
Just click anywhere on this email to open the Horse&Field page or click on any individual story to read it in full and see the fantastic images that accompany each of them!
Feel free to like the stories and share the links and do follow Horse&Field on Instagram: horseandfield2023 and, please note, the podcasts are now available on Spotify, as well as on the Substack page!
Further details on the above and more are available by clicking on the stories or visiting Horse&Field and having a scroll through - there are now over 1,000 articles to choose from, with a search facility to find what you wish to read!
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 spring, so if you know of any events that aren’t yet listed, please let us know by emailing: horseandfield@gmail.com!
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.
To new subscribers, welcome! You will receive this newsletter twice each week, as well as occasional emails in between - we want to keep you informed, but do not want to overload your inbox!
Please remember that Horse&Field will be updated on a regular basis and you can visit it at any time to find out what is happening. If you wish, you can download the Substack app; you can search online for: horseandfield.substack.com or, if you are subscribed, just click on the email.
If you have any articles or photos to contribute, queries or suggestions, or if there is someone you think deserves to be featured in Horse&Field, please do send an email to horseandfield@gmail.com
Thanks for reading!