The Goldilocks principle evident as summer equestrian season beckons
Bringing you local equestrian news, reports, results and photos
Hello everyone,
Equestrianism in Northern Ireland certainly is an extreme sport… Aside from the many dangers for horses, riders and handlers, we seem to go from the extreme of wading through mud and gutters to, more recently, assessing if the now bone-dry ground is too hard and whether it needs to be watered before riding on it! It’s a bit like Goldilocks looking for things to be ‘just right’…
As I write this, there has been a little bit of rain, with some more likely over the course of the weekend, but it could take a substantial rainfall to restore the water table to an appropriate level to encourage grass growth and for safe riding. But, we are in Northern Ireland, so I’m sure we won’t have to wait too long!
As well as Balmoral Show (coverage and results of which will follow shortly!), there were multiple equine activities on over the past week or so, including the last of the spring season events at Hazeldene, an ILDRA ride at Baronscourt and several show jumping fixtures. The great selection of activities is set to continue, with Balmoral heralding the commencement the summer show season. The Horse&Field calendar lists many of the local activities you can choose from in the coming weeks and months.
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 SJI show jumping at Portmore; show jumping at The Meadows; the second and concluding event of the spring season at Hazeldene; sponsorship announcement for the Eventing Ireland National Championship; the Training Show at Connell Hill; week two of Hagans Croft’s show jumping league; the final of the latest league at Ecclesville; the NI Riding Clubs’ show jumping championships; Strule Valley Riding Club latest; the recent ILDRA ride at Baronscourt. Meanwhile in news, road safety tips from Blue Cross; new whiskeys from Hinch Distillery; details of information evenings on Lough Neagh.
Jodie claims victory at Portmore
SJI Horse Shows have continued at Portmore Equestrian Centre, Aghalee over the past two weekends, with classes running from 80cm to 1.30m.
Quality day for Caves at The Meadows
It was Paul Caves’ day at The Meadows on Saturday, May 17, when he secured a double, winning both the 1.20m and 1.30m classes.
Curtain comes down on another fabulous Hazeldene event
Sometimes it’s difficult to capture the essence of a particular day and this sentiment definitely rang true when reflecting on the past two weeks at Hazeldene.
Connolly’s RED MILLS announced as Title Sponsor of 2025 EI 120 National Championship
Eventing Ireland is proud to announce that Connolly’s RED MILLS will be the title sponsor of the 2025 Eventing Ireland EI 120 National Championship, set to take place as part of the prestigious Millstreet International Horse Trials, from May 29 to June 1. The highest placed EI member in the Connolly’s RED MILLS CCI4*-S competition will be crowned the 20…
Clear skies and clear rounds at Connell Hill
Clear skies and clear rounds were the order of the day at Connell Hill Equestrian, Randalstown, on Saturday, May 17, as Thomas Forbes had a royal finish on ‘Prince George’ in class one and Ingrid Scot, on her young horse, embraced the outdoor arena jumping around clear with ‘Sunshine’.
Competitors moving up the levels at Hagans Croft show jumping
Saturday, May 17 saw the second week of Hagans Croft’s six-week show jumping league being held. With another day of wall-to-wall sunshine forecast, the cross-poles class got under way, with all three competitors achieving double clear rounds and without any assistance - it is brilliant to see such confident riders coming through the ranks!
Elvis is King of the Ring at Ecclesville
The Final of the third of Ecclesville’s Show jumping Leagues for 2025 was held on Friday, May 16 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!
Glorious sunshine for NI Riding Clubs Show jumping Championships
Northern Ireland Riding Clubs held their Show jumping Championships on Sunday, May 11. Members from all over Northern Ireland travelled to Knockagh View Equestrian Centre in Greenisland to take part. There was glorious sunshine all day and everyone had a great day.
Helen placed for Strule Valley club at NIRC show jumping championships
Strule Valley Riding Club member Helen Badger and ‘Gamble on Cruise’ recently competed at the Northern Ireland Riding Clubs’ Show jumping Championships at Knockagh View Equestrian Centre, Greenisland, and took two excellent placings of fifth in the 85cm class and fourth in the 95cm class.
Baronscourt’s beautiful blooms grace ILDRA’s Endurance Ride
ILDRA (Irish Long Distance Riding Association) headed to the north-west of Northern Ireland to the popular and scenic venue of Baronscourt Estate, located outside Newtownstewart, near Omagh on Sunday, May 11. Nestled in the foothills of the Sperrins, the ride takes in stunning views of the County Tyrone landscape across mountains, valleys, forested area…
In local and equestrian news:
“We Were Lucky That Day”
Two years ago, Suffolk horse rider Alyson Lock and her horse ‘Mylo’ were left injured and shaken after a car passed them on a narrow country road, ignoring repeated pleas to slow down. Startled, ‘Mylo’ jumped sideways and fell into a ditch with Alyson underneath him. She suffered a ruptured hamstring, while ‘Mylo’ strained his back. The driver didn’t st…
Hinch Distillery launches inaugural Single Malt Whiskeys
Hinch Distillery has proudly launched two new whiskey products, Hinch Single Malt and Hinch Peated Single Malt, marking the first time the County Down distillery has released whiskey made entirely from its own spirit.
Connected Landscapes: How your local river impacts Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater lake in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Measuring over 392 sq km, it contains enough water to fill seven million swimming pools.
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!