Equestrian competitions and qualifiers aplenty
Latest reports, results and pictures from local equine activities
Hello everyone,
It was an exciting weekend in the equestrian world, with the first Balmoral qualifiers being held, alongside numerous other competitions.
This Horse&Field newsletter brings you reports, results and pictures from local competitions, as well as details of a few forthcoming events.

The 128 Under 10s qualifier, held at Cavan Equestrian Centre on Sunday, saw success for Ulster Region pony riders.
Friday night saw the second league of the year get underway at the Ecclesville Centre in Fintona, with a great turnout of competitors.
Connell Hill’s Training Show on Saturday included Pony Club qualifiers, which proved very popular, as did their normal classes, with some talented combinations across the board.
For those wishing to keep all four feet on the ground, Hagans Croft Equestrian, Bailiesmills, got their competition year off to a good start with their dressage league commencing on Saturday, hosting Equine Awards NI Rising Stars qualifiers alongside their usual range of classes.
NIVA recently held the first ever Equine Welfare Symposium on this island, with some thought-provoking presentations given by leading horse welfare experts.
As always, some impressive horses and riders turned out to jump at the recent registered horse show at Portmore, Aghalee.
Meanwhile, on the mainland, the National Equine Forum is fast approaching - it is being held this Thursday, March 6 and online tickets are still available.
In more general local news, anyone working in the hospitality industry may be interested to learn more about the NIHF Receptionist Awards.
More details on these and more are available by clicking on the stories below or visiting Horse&Field and having a scroll through!
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 currently lists shows and events right up until the Autumn, so if you know of any events that aren’t yet listed, please let us know!
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Thank you for reading!
In the news
Here are some of the latest articles on Horse&Field…
Please click on each story to read the article and see more photos:
Round of applause for Tim and 'Crackerjack'
There was great excitement in the pony ranks, as the first Under 10s qualifier for this year’s Balmoral Show in May was held at Cavan Equestrian Centre on Sunday. Six-year-old Ulster Region pony show jumper, Tim Morton and his very talented eight-year-old pony, ‘Parkhill Crackerjack’ did it; this skilful pair won the first Balmoral Under 10 qualifier!
Super start for Ecclesville’s Show jumping League
Ecclesville Centre, Fintona started the second of their Show jumping Leagues for 2024 on Friday evening, March 1. The organisers were delighted to welcome the many competitors, especially those who had braved travelling from the snowy conditions in Co Fermanagh!
Connell Hill Training Show attracts riders from all over
Saturday, March 2 saw Connell Hill’s Training Show spring into action in Randalstown, along with qualifying classes taking place for the Pony Club Barrier Animal Health Spring Festival. Riders were represented from all over and the first three classes of the day saw the junior riders going home with lovely rosettes, sponsored by Doagh Equestrian.
2024 events begin at Hagans Croft Equestrian
Hagans Croft Equestrian, Bailiesmills, kick-started their events schedule on Saturday, March 2 with a Dressage event. This was an extra special event, as not only did Hagans Croft hold their usual Intro to Medium level classes, they also hosted The Equine Awards Rising Star Qualifiers.
NIVA hosts Ireland’s first Equine Welfare Symposium
On Thursday, February 22, the North of Ireland Veterinary Association hosted over 100 vets, paraprofessionals, equine industry leaders, horse-owners, academics and politicians at the island of Ireland’s first Equine Welfare Symposium. Delegates came from the length of Ireland and from across the UK for a packed afternoon of thought-provoking presentation…
Please visit Horse&Field to read more on each of these stories and others!