Hello folks,
It was another weekend of equestrian excitement, as local venues held a great range of registered and unregistered show jumping, dressage and Working Hunter competitions. We are fortunate to have some wonderful venues with indoor arenas, which we may be very glad of during the winter months, and some shows are now making the move indoors.
Elsewhere, it may be a case of braving the elements and taking on the challenge of the weather, as well as the competition!

Looking ahead:
If you fancy a night out for a good cause, then click below to find out more about a Grand Gala Charity Ball that is being held next month, in aid of children in Uganda:
Grand Gala Charity Ball approaches
So far, this has been a massive year for The Saintfield Charity Horse Show, which was a huge success in August and now two exciting events are coming up, with a Grand Gala Charity Ball in November and a fantastic new venue for the forthcoming annual Saintfield Christmas Charity Ride in December.
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 SJI Horse Show at Portmore; dressage at Ardnacashel; Working Hunter at Hagans Croft; the Autumn Training Show at Connell Hill; the show jumping league final at Ecclesville; Connell Hill’s charity show in aid of Air Ambulance NI; Valerie Westfield’s trip to Alexander Park Harness Racing in Auckland, New Zealand; and news of a free series of nutrition webinars.
Portmore show jumping moves indoors
Portmore Equestrian Centre held their first indoor show of the season last Sunday, with a great turnout of competitors across the classes, which ran from 80cm up to 1.30m.
Competitors brave the weather at Ardnacashel
It was a wet but enjoyable day at Ardnacashel Equestrian, Comber on Sunday, October 6 for leg two of their Autumn Dressage League, sponsored by ‘Dugan Agri Services’.
Katie and 'Darkies Boy' take Pony Champion at Hagans Croft Working Hunter
Hagans Croft saw the start of their five-week Working Hunter League on Saturday, October 5, with a jam-packed schedule of classes and NIF qualifiers for both horses and ponies. The morning started out at 10.30am with the horse classes and the 60cm and four-year-old class. Willie Irvine and 'Willow' kicked off the day with what was their first-ever compe…
Autumn Training Shows continue at Connell Hill
There was a great performance from all competitors in all classes at Connell Hill Equestrian, Randalstown on Saturday, October 5. Setting off at 10am with the pony cross-poles were winning riders, Lucy Maybin on ‘Piccola’, Lucy Maybin on ‘Ash’, Sorcha Maher on ‘Angel’ and Sarah Kirkpatrick on ‘Volvo’, with Sarah and Sorcha bravely moving up the heights …
Isobel and Bess do the double at Ecclesville
The Final of the fourth of Ecclesville’s Show jumping Leagues for 2024 was held on Friday, October 4 and it was again very competitive. The qualified competitors were definitely up for the challenge of Raymond Caldwell’s courses, as they twisted and turned to achieve the fastest times possible!
Air Ambulance NI benefits from Connell Hill Charity Show
Connell Hill Equestrian Centre in County Antrim opened its doors to over 150 competitors on Saturday, September 28 to raise funds in support of Northern Ireland’s Air Ambulance.
Equestrian news:
Valerie has a 'reiki' in New Zealand
Valerie Westfield of Westfield Equine Reiki was at Alexander Park Harness Racing in Auckland, New Zealand recently.
Equine feed manufacturer announces new webinar series
The SPILLERS™ Brand has announced a new series of free nutrition webinars designed to elevate horse owners’ understanding of equine nutrition and wellbeing.
In case you missed it:
The latest podcast interview was with coach Penny Sangster and the rider whom she has nominated for a training day through the Equine Development Academy, Karen Jeffrey - if you haven’t yet listened, just click below!
Straight From the Horse's Mouth: Karen Jeffrey - Equine Development Academy
Hello and welcome to the 15th Straight from the Horse's Mouth podcast on Horse and Field!
And, in local news:
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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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