WHILE some Riding Club members are competing at next week’s Dublin Horse Show, others will be going along as spectators, supporters and zealous shoppers.

This weekend, that second cohort has the opportunity to compete themselves at the two-day North East Region Festival at the Cheval grounds outside Oldtown.

There is a prize fund of over €4,500 on offer thanks to the efforts of event secretary Sarah Richardson and her committee.

Today is devoted to dressage, judged by Maire Quinlan-Pluck (Dressage Ireland List 5) and Jean Halpenny (List 3), and handy horse competitions where participants will be assessed over, or around, a course of 10 ‘obstacles’ by Karen Gibney.

Tomorrow, Cormac O’Rourke, who had a busy few months building up to last weekend’s Tattersalls July Show and the preceding July Store Sale, will judge the 11 performance hunter classes, and their three championships, with Jennifer Byrne (ride) and David Kirkpatrick (conformation) taking charge of the extensive showing section. Entries for all sections are closed.