Equine greetings on St Patrick's Day!
May the luck of the Irish grace your equestrian pursuits
Top of the mornin’ to you, folks…
‘Tis St Patrick’s Day, so here’s a slightly adapted Irish blessing!
May your troubles be less,
and your (equine) blessings be more,
and nothing but (horsey) happiness
come through your door.
This email brings you more equestrian reports, results, photos and news from the week ending March 8 and 9. There was such a lot on, including two, two-day shows with qualifiers, and what’s more, the standard of competition was really impressive for so early in the season! There is such great promise for the year ahead!
And there will be plenty of opportunities to get out and take part, in whatever discipline you prefer… Whether that be in competition, schooling or coaching! For more dates for your horsey diary, have a look at the Horse&Field calendar.
This Horse&Field newsletter brings you the second instalment of equine news, as well as reports, results and pictures from local competitions and events over the past week or so, including the two-day Ulster Region TRI Spring Pony Tour at Portmore; two days of show jumping at The Meadows; the first week of the Working Hunter league at Ardnacashel; the Working Hunter show at Connell Hill; news of Bluegrass sponsorship at Balmoral Show; and fundraising news from Down Royal Racecourse.
Two days of pony jumping as Portmore hosts Spring Pony Tour
Registered pony show jumpers had two days of intense competition as the Ulster Region TRI Spring Pony Tour was held at Portmore Equestrian Centre, Aghalee over the weekend of March 8 and 9.
Show jumping under sunny skies at The Meadows
The Meadows Equestrian Centre, Lurgan, hosted its first Show Jumping Ireland shows of 2025 under sunny skies, with two days of competition on March 8 and 9.
Working Hunter league gets underway at Ardnacashel
Sunday, March 9 saw the start of the Working Hunter League and NIF Qualifiers at Ardnacashel Equestrian, Comber. Each class was judged by Mr Brian Murphy, who was assisted by steward, Miss Adele Huddleson.
Working Hunter 'Sun-day' at Connell Hill
There was spring sunshine for the Working Hunter Show at Connell Hill, Randalstown on Sunday, March 9. As the sun moved in, the jumping moved out into the splendour of Connell Hill’s outdoor arena, with purpose-built working hunter fences to suit all levels.
Bluegrass increase sponsorship ahead of 2025 Balmoral Show
Bluegrass Horse Feeds, developed in Eglish, Co Tyrone, has been dedicated to producing nutritionally sound and innovative products to their customers across the UK and Ireland for over 25 years.
Down Royal racegoers raise £12,925 for Friends of the Cancer Centre
Down Royal racegoers have raised an incredible £12,925 for Friends of the Cancer Centre, helping support cancer patients and families across Northern Ireland.
In equestrian and local news:
Record attendance for National Equine Forum
This year’s National Equine Forum broke previous attendance records. It was enjoyed by more than 630 people, with the face-to-face event at Westminster, London, at capacity and a record 417 people watching the livestream from around the world.
New Script for Mental Health framework receives MLA endorsement
MLAs from all the main political parties have endorsed the New Script for Mental Health Give 5: Steps to a Wellbeing Rights Framework. The human rights framework is grounded on United Nations and World Health Organisation human rights standards and highlights essential steps that New Script for Mental Health is urging government to take in order to prot…
Malachi Cush to headline St Patrick's Day celebrations in New York
Renowned singer-songwriter Malachi Cush is set to headline the St Patrick’s Day celebrations in New York, with a series of special performances throughout the weekend.
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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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Thanks for reading!