THE postponement of Balmoral Show from May to August because of the Covid-19 pandemic was announced by the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) on Monday afternoon.

Most exhibitors were understanding of the move with many appreciating the fact that the organisers made their decision well in time and in advance of the entry closing date two days later.

Should Balmoral Show go ahead on the proposed dates of August 19th to 22nd, the qualifiers for the young event horse classes will be held on the four Tuesdays in July at the venues previously scheduled.

With so many of the county shows already being cancelled, successful Dromore young horse producer Dessie Gibson is hoping that Dublin soon declares its position as that will determine the number of horses he will have at Balmoral.

“We are in a bit of a limbo situation,” said Gibson who is a member of the RUAS horse committee. “If Dublin goes ahead that’s fine, at least then between it and Balmoral we will have two big shows to aim at. However, if Dublin doesn’t run, I see no point in working away with the yearlings and two-year-olds. I’d put them back out and concentrate on the three-year-olds who I’d hope to sell.”

There has always been strong support for Balmoral from some of the top show horse breeders in the south and Tinahely’s Derry Rothwell asserts that he will be travelling up in August.

“I feel Balmoral had no choice but to move,” said Rothwell. “They’ve made a move to support/protect the community so we will definitely try and support them, on their new date. If foals were sold from Dublin they will still be on the mare until October so there’d be no issue with the proposed dates for mares and foals.”

Jane Bradbury, who partnered Daphne Tierney’s Bloomfield Aristocratic to victory in last year’s supreme hunter championship, says that they too will support the show on its new date.

“We had planned on entering four horses for the show in May, three for the ridden hunter section and one led three-year-old. We would always regard Balmoral as the beginning of our season but, in these strange times, it will be the end. We are all waiting to hear what they are going to do with Dublin as it will be very difficult to get three shows into our four-year-olds to qualify.”

With their season’s highlight, the Royal Highland Show, having been cancelled on Tuesday, Clydesdale exhibitors are one group who will be targeting the rescheduled Balmoral.

“We’re obviously disappointed that Balmoral won’t be going ahead in May as we have spent all winter keeping the horses in show order,” said Yvonne Hanna of the Ballymoney-based Macfin Clydesdales. “Hopefully the show will go ahead in August. I think it could help with the entries as there will be more foals on the ground.”

The new dates for Balmoral will cause conflict for pony exhibitors as the Connemara Pony Festival in Clifden runs over the same four days.