Equine competitors shine bright in the sunshine
Bringing you local equestrian news, reports, results and photos
Hi folks,
The weeks really are whizzing by - it’s hard to believe we’re heading for the end of March! We have had some lovely dry and bright weather this week (as you will see from the wonderful sunny photos accompanying each of the reports!), which always makes life a bit easier when tending to animals… Long may it continue, so that the ground can dry out and grass turnout can become a reality for those of us currently without it!
The eventing season proper kicks off this weekend - best of luck to all those taking part; I hope you have a wonderful day! The Northern Region event dates are in the Horse&Field calendar so if any of you haven’t experienced the excitement of an event, it makes a great day out as a spectator - or, even better, as a volunteer! There are also lots of other equestrian activities listed, so do have a look to find more dates for your horsey diary - it’s a useful tool to see if any dates are clashing.
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 details of a Schools’ show jumping competition being held by Route Hunt Branch of the Pony Club at RDA Causeway Coast Arena; the St Patrick’s Inter-schools’ show jumping, including a Balmoral team qualifier, at The Meadows; the SJI Horse Show at Portmore; SJI horse and pony and unregistered jumping at The Meadows; the Training Show at Connell Hill; the last of the dressage days at Hagans Croft; and week three of the show jumping league at Ecclesville.
Route Hunt Branch to host Schools' show jumping
Route Hunt Branch of the Pony Club is getting set to host Schools’ Show jumping at the RDA Causeway Coast Arena, Coleraine on Saturday, March 29, starting at 9am.
Saintfield students secure Balmoral Schools' qualifier at The Meadows
Continuing with their busy weekend schedule, the Meadows Equestrian Centre, Lurgan hosted their now annual St Patrick’s Inter-schools’ show jumping competition on Sunday, March 16.
SJI competitors show their talents at Portmore
Portmore Equestrian Centre, Aghalee held an SJI Horse Show on Sunday, March 16, with classes from 80cm up to 1.30m. It was a dry, bright day as horses and riders showed their talents over the testing track in the outdoor arena.
Tori victorious at The Meadows
It was a busy weekend at The Meadows Equestrian Centre, Lurgan, with SJI and unregistered show jumping on Saturday, March 15, followed by St Patrick’s Inter-schools’ show jumping on Sunday, March 16.
St Patrick's weekend got off to a flying start at Connell Hill
St Patrick’s weekend at Connell Hill Equestrian, Randalstown, got off to a flying start on Saturday morning, with competitors taking full advantage of this glorious spring weather to school their horses over tracks built to offer confidence, while aiming to progress up through the heights.
Dressage days conclude at Hagans Croft
Saturday, March 15 saw the last of Hagans Croft’s dressage events until the summer months. With this in mind, competitors learnt The Pony Club tests relating to their specific class and trotted up the centre line towards judges Barbara McMurray in the intro and newcomers tests and then to Coreen Abernethy for the prelim to medium tests.
Competitors take on challenge at Ecclesville
Week three of Ecclesville’s Show jumping League was another great success, with the number of entries staying at almost 80 and competitors enjoying taking on Raymond Caldwell’s challenging courses.
In equestrian and local news:
CosyGroup to sponsor Stableyard Canteen at Downpatrick Racecourse for 2025 Season
Downpatrick Racecourse is delighted to announce that CosyGroup has very generously agreed to sponsor the Stableyard Canteen, not just for one race meeting, but for the entire 2025 Season!
Breeders’ Elite NI set date for first stallion selection in Ireland
Breeders’ Elite NI has announced their first Stallion Inspection day in Ireland, scheduled for Saturday, April 5 at Kernan Equestrian Centre, Crossmaglen, by kind permission of Mr James Kernan. Assessors from Ireland and the UK will evaluate performance stallions aged two and a half years and above.
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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 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.
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