UP in Area 17 of The Pony Club (Northern Ireland), the East Down Branch is holding its popular Holmestead Saddlery Derby on Easter Monday at Tyrella where, today (Saturday), the Northern Region of Eventing Ireland is staging the last of four spring one-day events at the seaside venue.

Next Saturday and Sunday, April 26th and 27th, members will be heading across to the other side of the Area for the second running of the dedicated Barrier Animal Health Spring Festival at Castle Irvine, Necarne.

Two of the dressage championships, the Preliminary PC70 and the Grassroots PC80, take place on Saturday with the rest of the dressage programme scheduled for Sunday. All four show jumping championships (80cm to 1.10m) will be contested on Saturday while the four arena eventing competitions (70cm to 1m) all take place on Sunday.

A mini Spring Festival was held last Sunday at Danescroft Equestrian Centre, Lisburn where funds were raised in aid of the Area’s Royal Windsor games team.