THE Northern Ireland Shows Association (NISA) championships kick off this weekend at Ballymena and go on through the summer with the A.N. Irwin & Sons Clydesdale championship running on a league basis to the end of the show season.

There are 10 classes, plus a championship, scheduled for the Clydesdale section at Ballymena (plus a wide variety of classes for horses and ponies) while the heavy horse will also be well catered for next Saturday, the second day of the North Antrim Agricultural Association show at Ballymoney.

There, the first round in this year’s Down Royal Racecourse Racehorse to Riding Horse series of classes will be held with Hilary Gibson as judge. Through their northern representative Robin Marrs, equine health company Forans will present a perpetual cup.

The winner of the open class for thoroughbreds who have raced on the track or in points can enter the former racehorse class at the Dublin Horse Show.

There are also former racehorse classes next Saturday at Lurgan Show.