Star of the Month
CONGRATULATIONS to Co Down dressage rider Courtney Akkari ,who was voted The Irish Field/Gain Equine Nutrition Star of the Month for January. Courtney’s nomination came off the back of a winning double at the first Dressage Ireland affiliated show of the year in January with the five-year-old gelding Bernabeo.
Sarah Angel RIP
THE passing of Sarah Angel (née Filgate), a former master and owner of the Louth Foxhounds, marked a sad end to the hunting season. A service was held at St Mary’s Church of Ireland Maynooth on Friday, February 28th, followed by burial at Charlestown Cemetary, Ardee. Sarah will be greatly missed by her children, grandchildren, her sister Eileen and her many friends.
Terry Sloane injury
WISHING a speedy and full recovery to Terry Sloane, who suffered a nasty fall last Saturday, while out with the Limerick Harriers from their meet at the Hunting Lodge. Now recovering at his home in West Waterford, he would like to send his thanks to paramedics and crew of the helicopter who looked after him with such care, expertise and attention, and also the members of the Limerick Harriers, who looked after him so well as first responders. He sends a special thanks to Corrine Hyde, who took care of his horse and delivered it safely back to his home that evening.
Balmoral entries open
THE Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) announced that livestock and equine entries for the 2025 Balmoral Show opened on Friday, February 28th at 10am. Following the introduction of a new entries system all exhibitors will be required to create a new account online before submitting an entry at www.balmoralshow.co.uk. Copies of the prize schedules are currently online, and entries will close on Wednesday, March 19th at 5pm. The Balmoral Show, in partnership with Ulster Bank, will return to the Eikon Exhibition Centre showgrounds from Wednesday, May 14th to Saturday, May 17th 2025.
Breeders’ panel
FRESH from hosting his successful Connect, Select and Grow event at Tullamore’s Bridge House Hotel on Thursday evening, Michael Doherty will now look to Wellington, Florida next week, where he will facilitate a new event. The Wellington Breeders’ Panel - presented by KeyFlow Feeds USA - is set to take place at Wellington International on Thursday, March 6th, from 6pm to 8pm in the Wellington Club. Designed to spark conversation and share valuable industry insights, the guest speakers will be Co Galway’s Andrew and Richard Bourns of Bourns Sport Horses; Dr Erin S Newkirk of WellGrove Equine and former Olympic champion and Irish chef d’equipe Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil. The talk is free to attend, but registration is required (www.michaeldoherty.ie/insights). A recording of the event will be made available on YouTube and the Big Talk For Breeders podcast after the event.
Connor fourth in Italy
ITALIAN-based Irish international rider James Connor scored 66.085% with the 12-year-old Westphalian gelding Vanotti, bred by Stefan Köhler, to place fourth in the Grand Prix Special at the three-star show in San Giovanni in Marignano, Italy on Saturday, February 22nd. Connor and the Chiara Olper-owned Vitalis mare made their international debut as a combination the day before, scoring 65.783% for fifth place in the CDI3* Grand Prix.
Gain launch new product
GAIN Equine Nutrition has launched its new Ultra Fibre Mash, a highly palatable mash, which is designed to support the health and well-being of horses. Ultra Fibre Mash provides enhanced nutritional benefits in an easy-to-use feed and is designed with optimal gut health in mind. The high-fibre, low-starch, quick soak formula is convenient and is ready to feed in just 15 minutes. It also includes a number of innovative ingredients from Alltech, a global leader in nutritional research and technology.
Phillip Gilligan, GAIN Equine Nutrition’s Sales Manager, highlighted the significance of the launch. “The feedback we have received from our customers across the sectors who have trialled this product has been really positive. They have reported it to be extremely palatable. It can be fed alongside any products in the Gain Equine Nutrition product range, making it highly versatile and suitable for horses and ponies in and out of work.”