The Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) today launched the 149^th Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank. This year’s Show will provide an exciting mix of food, farming excellence and showmanship alongside an exhilarating entertainment schedule from 10^th – 13^th May 2017.

With many new additions to the Show, news of a fourth day is proving the most highly anticipated development. Rhonda Geary, RUAS Operations Director commented “We are very excited to bring our amazing Show offering to a fourth day, on a Saturday, which has been called for, for many years. The four days of the Show will include all that is brilliant about Balmoral, grassroots agriculture alongside a mix of shopping, entertainment and attractions. We are delighted to see a marked increase in many livestock sectors including equine and beef, and are looking forward to a full house in May competing for prestigious Balmoral titles”.

Richard Donnan, Head of Northern Ireland, Ulster Bank, said at the launch “As we mark our 9^th year as principal sponsor of the Balmoral Show, Ulster Bank is proud of its continued partnership with one of the biggest events in Northern Ireland’s calendar. The Balmoral Show gives us the perfect platform to showcase our support for the agri-food industry and we want to let farmers and producers know that our expert teams are here to provide them with real and meaningful help for what matters as they continue to manage risk and seek out new opportunities.

Sponsoring the Show symbolises the key role that Ulster Bank plays in helping the sector develop and succeed – connecting with our customers, engaging with them, and highlighting the significant funding we have available. We look forward to welcoming visitors over the course of the four days and to a very successful Balmoral Show 2017.”

While the Year of Food and Drink has passed, its legacy remains and food is top of the agenda at the Show. The NI Food Pavilion will showcase over 100 local producers with 50 chefs cooking up a storm over the four days. 2017 will see the introduction of a new Health and Fitness Village which will appeal to gym buffs and outdoor adventurers alike.

A superb family day is on offer as food and fitness are served alongside farming, a jam packed entertainment programme and attractions. There will be live robotic milking served up alongside the SPAR Arena which offers a dedicated area for fun family entertainment. The Agri Pavilion provides a platform for businesses, where networking and business will be rife over the four days, complemented by impressive outdoor machinery trade stands.

Audiences around the Main Arena will be captivated by the Kangaroo Kid and his tantalising motorcycle display which will have Show goers watching through their fingers in anticipation. However if you prefer to indulge in retail therapy the Eikon Shopping Village is perfect for spending an afternoon browsing the goodies on offer.

The Downtown Radio Show Stage provides a platform for emerging and established local acts to take to the mike and provide musical entertainment. Animals are also aplenty from prize winning stock and International Show jumpers to the cute and cuddly inhabitants in the Children’s Farm and the Rare Breed Survival Trust stand. The Young Farmer’s Clubs of Ulster make a return as they encapsulate the energy and enthusiasm of the Show in their various activities from Tug of War to Tractor Handling.

The Healthy Horticulture Area at this year’s Balmoral Show will be a crowning glory. A revision of the Garden Village, the area has increased in size and scope. There will be a polytunnel with growing displays of fruit, vegetable and herbs as well as the Horticulture Forum’s ‘Grow Marquee’, housing local growers of apples, strawberries, mushrooms and cut flowers.

The Mighty Spud campaign will be in attendance bringing with them their Couch Potato chill out area as well as sampling freshly cooked produce. Greenmount College students will be planting a number of displays throughout the event and award winning former student Jonathan Gill will be building a feature show garden. Ulster in Bloom will also be creating a floral display giving visitors a sneak peak of some of the colourful exhibits ahead of this year’s competition.

The area will also feature displays of sports turfs, garden design, school gardens, scarecrows, miniature gardens, YFCU floral art and the RSPB, Ulster Wildlife and Ulster Bee Keepers will be in attendance. The Balmoral Park Wildlife Area will also be available to view with its wildflowers and bird boxes providing a tranquil natural area away from the bustle of the Show.

Rhonda concluded saying “We are indebted to our sponsors especially our over arching sponsor Ulster Bank and our five platinum sponsors Lidl, M&S, SPAR, Tesco and ABP.” She also commented that use of public transport was advisable and informed Show goers that details can be found on the Translink website.

Balmoral Show in partnership with Ulster Bank takes place at Balmoral Park, Lisburn between Wednesday 10th and Saturday 13th May 2017. Opening times are 9.30am – 6pm (Wed, Fri and Sat) and 9.30am – 8.00pm (Thurs). Admission charges range from £2 to £18 with discounted early bird rates available on our website. Children under 5 years are free when accompanied by an adult.

To keep up to date with the new four day 2017 Balmoral Show, check out our website balmoralshow.co.uk, Facebook: Balmoral Show and Twitter: @balmoralshow.

Jennifer Larkin with her horse Tullybawn rides along with Hannah Mackey 9yrs on her pony Brynoffa Jonquil pictured at the RDS during the launch of this years Dublin Horse Show, which takes place on Wednesday, July 20th to Sunday, July 24th. Now in its 143rd year, is one of the most prestigious and enduring events in the Irish equestrian calendar attracting crowds of over 100,000 across the 5 day event. For more information Visit www.dublinhorseshow.com. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland.

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD officially launched the Dublin Horse Show today June 15th at the RDS, Dublin.

The participation of many Rio-bound gold medal hopefuls at this year’s Dublin Horse Show means a change from the traditional August dates to July 20-24 for this summer institution. Despite the earlier date, the same great combinations will be on offer: International show jumping and the stylish Dundrum Town Centre Ladies’ Day, family entertainment and the best in Irish craft, as well as good food, great shopping and a social occasion like no other.

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Shane Ross TD officially launched the Show:

“After 143 years the Dublin Horse Show continues to be Ireland’s leading equestrian event drawing up to 100,000 horse enthusiasts and visitors from home and overseas. The show provides a full event programme which is being extended every year, ensuring there is something new for everyone and 2016 is no exception. This year is an Olympic year and carries with it the added excitement of witnessing up close Irish and international riders who will be bidding for gold in Rio.  I wish everyone taking part in the event every success and hope that those attending, whether from near or from far, enjoy the five days of sport, entertainment and Irish hospitality.”

From July 20 -24 the RDS showgrounds will host Olympic hopefuls who participate in the 14 international competitions. Last year Ireland won the coveted Aga Khan Trophy as part of the Furusiyya FEI Nations’ Cup™ series; Antrim-based Egyptian rider Sameh el Dahan cleared 2.20m to win the Land Rover Puissance; while American Kent Farrington went one better to win the valuable Longines Grand Prix. As always, the international riders will be warming up around the showgrounds next to competitors, young and old, who compete in the many national competitions for whom the Dublin Horse Show is the annual pinnacle.

Michael Duffy, RDS Chief Executive commented: “The last time we moved to July for the Show was in 1992 for the Barcelona Olympics. That year Ireland won the Aga Khan trophy so we hope that it’s a good omen. The Horse Show was originally founded to encourage and promote the Irish sport horse industry, as one part of the RDS philanthropic aims, and this continues to be the primary purpose, providing Irish breeders and producers with an international platform to showcase the very best of Irish sport horses. Equestrianism is just one of the areas that we specialise in, and we work in science, the arts, industry and agriculture throughout the year.”

One of the premier style events of the summer, the Dundrum Town Centre Ladies’ Day takes place on Thursday July 21 and this year has a brilliant prize of a €10,000 shopping voucher for the Centre. Thursday has been known as Ladies’ Day for well over 100 years at the RDS and this is the second year of sponsorship by Dundrum Town Centre. Gents won’t be left out with ‘Best Dressed Man’ competition sponsored by Louis Copeland.Other prize categories include the ‘Great Lengths Most Creative Hat’ and ‘Longines: Elegance is an Attitude’.

Speaking about the Horse Show, Head of Dublin for Fáilte Ireland, Keelin Fagan explained:

“The Dublin Horse Show is an important feature in the Dublin festival calendar demonstrating Ireland’s capacity for hosting international events. Sporting events and our ability to stage such spectacles, are a very important part of what Ireland has to offer as a destination. The Dublin Horse Show also adds to the strong event calendar which Fáilte Ireland has built up for Dublin – a calendar which allows us to pitch Dublin as a place where there is always something compelling and different to see and do.”

The Pony Club, the British Horse Society and British Showjumping announce new initiative!

The Pony Club is delighted to announce that a number of their Tests will now be recognised as suitable for direct entry to British Horse Society (BHS) and British Showjumping (BS) examinations, and those holding specified BHS and BS qualifications will be able to take Pony Club Tests at the level relevant to their experience.

The collaboration between the organisations means that eligible riders can use their existing qualifications to advance within another organisation’s training structure without having to start at the first level of the BHS Stage One, BS Five Star Performance Awards or The Pony Club D Test  and repeating subject matter already covered, saving both time and money.

Jenny Cowen, Training Officer for The Pony Club, said: “We are thrilled to be working in partnership with the BHS and BS to recognise Members’ previous knowledge and experience to enable better transferability between our training and exam systems.” Jenny continued “With ever increasing demands being placed on young peoples’ time, any support we can offer to make maximising their development easier is a really positive step.”

Gemma Portman, Development Programme Leader for the BHS, said the BHS recognises the value of Pony Club Tests.  Gemma commented: “The new direct entry scheme provides the opportunity for those who have achieved Pony Club Tests to access BHS/EQL qualifications.  We hope that those who start as Members of The Pony Club take the opportunity for career progression through the BHS examination system.”

Justine Naylor, National Director of Sport for British Showjumping, is thrilled that the awards members have gained within The Pony Club and British Showjumping are now recognised within each of the organisations. Justine said: “It will now be easier for riders to progress through each of the award structures and develop their learning and understanding whilst avoiding duplication.” Justine went on to thank The Pony Club for their help in getting to this point.

If you would like more information, or if you would like to apply for direct entry to an exam, please visit The Pony Club’s website www.pcuk.org/tests_and_achievements/efficiency_tests to check eligibility.

The final fixture of the Champion Headwear Pony Club Pony Racing series, held at Lingfield Park Racecourse on October 26^th 2015, saw sunshine and a special visit from The Pony Club’s Patron, HRH The Princess Royal. 

As a great turnout of over 400 Pony Club Members, supporters and family poured in through the gates ahead of the pony racing action there was the opportunity to visit the British Horseracing Education and Standards Trust (BHEST) andcareersinracing to have a go on the equicisors, try on real racing silks, get top tips and find out more about Racing as a sport and a career. Over in the paddock, the National Hunt racehorse Sire de Grugy was in fine form for visitors to admire, before taking to the course for a gallop!

As the day’s pony racing got underway, there was a bumper entry of near 100 Pony Club Members, competing for one of the Champion Headwear race titles at Novice and Open level over four, six or eight furlongs. The special ‘*Area 11 Training Stakes’ race title went to **Centre Member Sophie Manners (14), from London based Pony Club Centre, Park Lane Stables riding Derwent Dream Dancer who also won the tack and turnout for the class!

“The day has been such a great opportunity for our Members to get a feel for what it would be like to be a jockey” said Natalie O’Rourke, Proprietor of Park Lane Stables. “We must thank the Eridge Branch and The Pony Club for the opportunity to meet HRH the Princess Royal – coupled with our winner we have had the best day ever!”

With the occasion also marking the 80^th anniversary of the organising Eridge Hunt Branch of The Pony Club, HRH the Princess Royal met current Members from the Branch aged four upwards to find out more about them and their ponies, before kindly cutting into an amazing commemorative chocolate cake to be enjoyed by everyone.

“What an amazing day we had at Lingfield Park Racecourse today for The Pony Club Race Day!” said Joanna Tindall, Eridge Hunt District Commissioner. “A huge thank you to all those who helped us from Lingfield Park and the many others from other Pony Club Branches within Area 11. Everyone made it such a special day and one we will all remember for a long time”.

There was an additional surprise for Joanna, alongside Cherry Michell the former Pony Club Chairman,  as they were presented with their Cubitt Awards by HRH the Princess Royal, to honour their individuals commitment of over 20 years voluntary service to The Pony Club.

Before heading home HRH the Princess Royal was able to watch some of the pony racing action before stopping by at the prize giving for Race 5 to present the winners and receive a bouquet from Eridge Hunt Member, Theo Boyle.

“It was wonderful to have HRH the Princess Royal with us for our final pony racing fixture of the year” commented Pip Kirkby, Chief Executive of The Pony Club. “The day was such a great display of what The Pony Club is doing at grassroots level with racing as a sport, as well what our amazing volunteers achieve on our behalf”.

Andrew Perkins, Executive Director of Lingfield Park Racecourse, echoed the success of the day saying “Hosting the annual Eridge Hunt Pony Club pony racing event at Lingfield Park has always been a pleasure and it was great to see the occasion made even more special this year with the attendance of HRH the Princess Royal”.

If you would like to get in touch with us, please email info@equestriannewsni.co.uk and we will reply on our return.

Thank you for your continued readership as we promote and report on equestrian activities of interest to the local equestrian community.

Open Showjumping Team

Iveagh Pony Club have recently celebrated one of their most successful campaigns through the Area 17 Competitions, gaining 5 team and 10 individual qualifying spaces for the Pony Club UK Championships in August, hosted at Chomondely Castle in Cheshire.

The Area Competitions ran for 3 consecutive weeks, with the first being the Area Dressage at Ballyarnet Country Park in Londonderry run by the North Derry Branch. Dressage not usually being one of Iveagh’s best disciplines, the weekly training sessions from some of the area’s best coaches helped the riders come home with some of the best dressage results the club has ever had. The first class of the day was the Open Class, the team of Laura King, Roisin Muirhead & Ciara Muirhead secured first place and a qualifying envelope to enable them to compete at the UK Championship Competition. Laura King also secured first place individually overall. Not to be beaten, the Intermediate Team of Lynn Clarke Hearty, Erin Burns, Caitie Slater and Laoise O’Farrell also secured first place (and a qualifying envelope) with Lynn, Erin & Caitie all securing top 3 positions in their arena’s. Vicky Campbell & Daniel Kehoe also managed to pull off qualifying scores to see them both heading to Cheshire for Individual Positions. Lastly, Katie O’Hare in the Novice Section also managed to ride a superb test to also gain her qualifying envelope to compete at the Championships.

Novice Showjumping Team

The following week brought a massive number of riders to Meadows Equestrian Centre for the Area Show jumping Competition, run by the Tullylagan Branch usually our top discipline Iveagh won all three sections to secure qualifying envelopes for 3 teams as well as 3 Individual Positions. The first class of the day was the Open Show jumping, with the Iveagh Team of Casey Webb, Rachel Chapman, Charlotte Eakon and Abbey Morton being the only team to finish with a clear score sheet and gain their qualifying envelope. Rachel Chapman also finished 7th individually and secured an spot in the individual class.This was followed by the Intermediate Competition. The Iveagh Team of Hannah Agnew, Hollie Smith, Hannah Rafferty and Kathryn Morton won and Hannah Agnes also qualified as an Individual. Next competition of the day was the Novice Show jumping, with Jasmine Crothers, Sarah Clarke, Harry Haire and Shanie Murphy also being the only team with a clear sheet at the end of the competition to secure their trip to Cheshire! Eva Kerton also secured herself an individual position.

Intermediate Dressage Team with Area 17 Rep Liz Lowry, Iveaghs Rose DeCourcey Wheeler & Declan Cullen of Pegus Horse Feeds

The final week was the Area Eventing held at the excellent facilities of Cloncaw Equestrian run by the Seskinore Branch, non-stop rain left for very tricky conditions with the Cross Country Phase having a lot of problems. However, 4 of our members managed to negotiating the testing weather and secure themselves qualifying spaces in August. In the Open class both Casey Webb & Carla Troughton both rode double clear to secure their trip to Cheshire, whilst in the Intermediate Class Ciara Muirhead took first place and Kathy McGaffin third to also secure their spots. Kate Shields and Jasmine Crothers also qualified as Novice Individuals. Kiara Lane was first in her ring but unfortunately cannot make the Championships.

On top of the above qualifiers, Tabytha Bonar secured her spot in Endurance, whilst Rebecca Mackey and William Armstrong both make the trip over for Polocrosse.

Open Dressage Team of Roisin & Ciara Muirhead & Laura King who also lifted the individual cup

In total, 31 riders & horses will make the journey to Cheshire for a week of competition between the 19 Areas of the UK Pony Club. As expected, everyone has been working incredibly hard towards qualifying and the work now begins towards the Championships. Nothing would be possible without the backing of some incredible trainers throughout the disciplines and the extremely hard work of the Iveagh Committee who keep everyone on the right track.

Sunday 12^th July – Laurel View Just Jumping, cashback for clear, winner goes free! Terms and conditions apply. More details available on www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649.  Jumping commences with 45cm at noon.

Sunday 19^th July – Laurel View Cross Country Go As You Please from 12 noon to 4pm, ground conditions permitting, check on the website www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649 before you load.

Sunday 26^th July – Laurel View Cross Country Go As You Please from 12 noon to 4pm, ground conditions permitting, check on the website www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649 before you load.

Sunday 9^th August – Laurel View Derby Day from 12 noon, variety of SJ, WH & XC style fences over 45cm, 60cm, 70cm, 85cm and 1metre courses. Telephone 028 9083 0649 for more info.

Sunday 16^th August – Laurel View Cross Country Go As You Please from 12 noon to 4pm, ground conditions permitting, check on the website www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649 before you load.

Sunday 23^rd August – Laurel View Summer Dressage League (4 of 5) full schedule available on www.laurelview.co.uk  Entries by noon on Thursday 20^th August by email to laurelview01@btinternet.com or ring 028 9083 0649.

Sunday 30^th August – Laurel View Cross Country Go As You Please from 12 noon to 4pm, ground conditions permitting, check on the website www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649 before you load.

Sunday 6^th September – Laurel View Just Jumping, cashback for clear, winner goes free! Terms and conditions apply. More details available on www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649.  Jumping commences with 45cm at noon.

Sunday 13^th September – Laurel View End of Summer Show featuring Coloured Horse & Pony classes commencing at 10am, full schedule posted on www.laurelview.co.uk

Sunday 20^th September – Laurel View Summer Dressage League Final (5 of 5) full schedule available on www.laurelview.co.uk  Entries by noon on Thursday 17^th September by email to laurelview01@btinternet.com or ring 028 9083 0649.

Sunday 27^th September – Laurel View Cross Country Go As You Please from 12 noon to 4pm, ground conditions permitting, check on the website www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649 before you load.

Sunday 4^th October – Laurel View Winter Dressage League (1 of 6) full schedule available on www.laurelview.co.uk  Entries by noon on Thursday 1^st October by email to laurelview01@btinternet.com or ring 028 9083 0649.

Wednesday 7^th October – Laurel View Pounds for Points Show Jumping League (1 of 12), starting with 45cm at 6pm, with classes up to at least 90cm. For more details see www.laurelview.co.uk or ring 028 9083 0649.

Over 100 players applied to take part, in a selection process involving a written application and observation of players by managers and coaches across the country. Standards were high, with selected junior sections for England, Scotland and Wales teams containing five of players recently named in the UK Polocrosse Association’s own Under 16 team; Ruaridh Gillanders (Scotland), Annabel Mahoney (Scotland), Annabel Twinberrow (Scotland), Jack Brown (Wales) and George Parrish (England) have also all been named as part of the UK team that will play against Zambia in a test match series in early August.

England Manager and Pony Club ambassador Chris Milburn comments, “The standard of play and the level of competition for spaces was incredibly high across all the Nations. All the managers and coaches have said how hard they found it to make their final team selection.  I would like to congratulate all the successful players and I look forwards to a very close contest in July.”

The selected teams are:

The unique format for the competition sees each Nation’s team consisting of one section of *Minis, one section of **Juniors and one ***Open section, meaning that players of all ages will take to the field during the weekend. Each section within the teams’ consists of three players, but with an option for Nations to select four players in each age group and swap the players in each section around between chukkas.

Each Nation will play each other once, with six matches over the weekend each consisting of nine chukkas, at six minutes each. After each chukka the sections of the teams will change over, meaning that each of the three sections will play three chukkas in each match and get twelve minutes of rest for each six minutes of play; this structure, with built in rest periods, means that each player will only have to use one horse during the weekend.

Jan Whitehead, the Chairman of Pony Club Polocrosse, comments “It is wonderful that 23 years after it was first introduced as a Pony Club discipline, Polocrosse has now grown and developed to a point where we can select strong and competitive teams from all four Nations within the United Kingdom. We hope this will be the first of many competitions of this nature, and with the sport continuing to grow both within Branches and Centres, we would love this event to act as an inspiration for up and coming players all around the country.”

All the teams involved are also benefitting from support towards their clothing and equipment from Redrow Homes, Ollard Westcombe and Polocrosse Extreme.

Further information about the Pony Club Polocrosse Home Nations can be found on www.pcuk.org

The Ebony Horse Club Young Equestrians group launched the programme with a riding lesson and ice breaker where they discussed ideas for the future; including activities such as tree climbing, bike riding, horse riding on the beach, hacking out and cookery to name but a few!

Natasha, aged 14, a member of the Ebony Horse Club Young Equestrian group said “It was a fun and factual afternoon and I enjoyed being able to spend some time getting to know the rest of the group. I am looking forward to trying out Polo and Polocrosse.”

The eighteen teenagers at Red Piece Equestrian Stables kicked off their Young Equestrians group with fun Mounted Games and Show Jumping competitions.

The riders plan to give Polocrosse a try at their next fortnightly session, and have already made plans for the future which include a gymkhana, archery and a mud-filled obstacle course.

Lydia, who took part in the event, commented: “Young Equestrians is a great new experience. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to try new activities; especially when you don’t own a horse so would never be able to try these things by yourself.”

Young Equestrians Participants can log their sessions at www.youngequestrians.club, where they can record their activities and achievements as well as access training materials offered by The Pony Club.

Originally developed by Hoof, the British Equestrian Federation’s (BEF) participation programme, the Young Equestrians scheme is being delivered through The Pony Club and will target riding schools across England. Thanks to Sport England funding, riding schools who deliver the Young Equestrians programme will be given access to virtual tools to help them establish their club that include example session plans, marketing materials and a host of different ideas on how to retain teenagers in equestrian sport.

If you are a riding school or young person and want more information on how to get involved in the programme please visit www.youngequestrians.club.

The Pony Club’s advanced e-learning website, www.PonyPrep Plus.org, has been updated to include an exciting new feature! The site now offers the opportunity to upload video content for set ‘Challenges’, furthering the opportunity for young riders to practise and improve their horse care whilst being a part of the wider Pony Club community.

Launched at Olympia, the London International Horse Show, in December 2014 PonyPrepPlus is the next level up of The Pony Club’s e-learning site www.PonyPrep.org, which has been enjoyed by over 200,000 users and won a prestigious e-learning award.

PonyPrep Plus has been created around the same concept as PonyPrep but has content with the look, feel and interactivity designed for The Pony Club’s C+ Efficiency Test and associated age bracket upwards.

In addition to the existing ‘Skills’ area that offers bite size learning and the ‘Profile’ feature, users can now take part in virtual competitions in the newly launched ‘Challenges’ section, which enables users to upload video content of them completing a specified task. Entries can be marked by other users against set criteria, providing valuable feedback for both those taking part in the Challenges and those assessing them. A different Challenge will be available for users each month, with the inaugural Challenge being to correctly and safely apply a stable bandage, and the highest ranking entries going into a draw to win a set of grooming products kindly supplied by NAF.

As part of the ‘Profile’ function PonyPrep Plus includes a ‘Timeline’ feature, where users can ‘Check In’ and record their mounted, dismounted and volunteering activities; the Timeline also records activity in the Skills and Challenges sections, building up a complete picture of progress for users.

There is also a social aspect as users can follow Branches or Centres, enabling them to see what others users following those Branches or Centres have achieved across the country.

Issy, aged 14, is a Member of Pony Club linked Centres Park Lane Stables, in Teddington, Middlesex has been using PonyPrep Plus since its launch to help her train towards Pony Club Tests and comments “I have been using PonyPrep Plus to answer lots of questions that arise, and I find it great to be able to find answers in a quick and easy way.”

www.PonyPrepPlus.org is available for anyone to use, not just Pony Club Members, free of charge.

Johnathan Mulligan ,Van Campbell (Iveagh DC) Declan Cullen (Pegus Horse Feed) Kids of Iveagh Pony Club

Area 17 of the Pony Club are pleased to announce that Pegus Horse Feed are sponsors of theArea 17 Championships. The Championships  are held each year by different Pony Clubs throughout Area 17 covering disciplines  Dressage, Eventing ,Showjumping, Tetrathlon mounted games, Polo cross and Endurance for all ages from 4 to 25 years of age

. Liz Lowry when asked “this is so exciting to have a major company like Pegus Horse Feed to support our Area Championships. All the pony clubs work so hard to put this on each year for the kids and we are so pleased of this support.” Pegus Horse Feeds have been the corner stone of the Equine Feed industry in N.Ireland for over 30 years manufactured by John Thompsons in Belfast.Declan Cullen of Pegus Horse Feed said “ this involvement really started last year when  Cariad Mcalpine asked Pegus Horse Feed  to support the Showjumping with Seskinore Branch in Omagh and I was so impressed that day , I decided we needed to support the grass roots of our Pony Club, it’s just a fantastic organisation and now my own daughter has joined it’s even more relative” Pegus Horse Feed as part of their service offer a free phone help line number for anyone looking advice on feeding their ponies or horses. For more information on the championships contact your local pony club on www.pcuk.org and for further information on Pegus Horse Feed  Free Phone Helpline       R.O.I.= 1800-378463  UK =  0800 011 4182

The Pegus Pony Club area 17 Championships

Games North Down 30 MAY

Dressage North Derry 13 July

Tetrathlon East Down 9&10 July

Showjumping Tullylagan 19th Huly

Eventing Seskinore (Monaghan) 26th July

Endurance Downpatrick 27th June

Polocrosse 8,9 April

Home Championships Mid Antrim 29 August