THE Liverpool International Horse Show will return in 2018 despite the unfortunate end to last week’s show when a massive fire broke out in the nearby multi-storey car park, president of the show Nina Barbour pledged this week.

The four-star horse show, in its third year at Liverpool’s Echo Arena, ended abruptly on New Year’s Eve when a car went on fire above the stable area, sparking off a raging blaze which destroyed 1,300 cars.

The Merseyside Fire and Rescue services were called at 4.42pm on New Year’s Eve and were at the scene within 10 minutes.

Speaking to Tadhg Ryan of Bit-Media, Galway show jumper Sven Hadley praised the show for their actions in the emergency.

“I was in the office sorting out my account and I heard a radio come through that there was a fire in the stables and I ran down.

“They told us there is just one car on fire and not to worry, but we heard the bangs and obviously more cars were going on fire and we got the horses out. Security were trying to stop us bringing the horses out when the fire was getting very bad and the smoke was very bad and they wouldn’t let us bring the horses out, they wouldn’t close the road, but the show officials did an unbelievable job to keep it all under control,” Hadley said.

The stable area was very badly damaged in the blaze and was a foot under water on Monday afternoon, when the rescue services, who worked hard to retrieve as much tack and equipment as possible, were evacuated due to parts of the ceiling caving in.

Nina Barbour vowed the show will return in December.

“I would like to express my immense thanks and gratitude to the emergency services, the Echo Arena staff, riders, grooms and support staff, the general public and the City of Liverpool following Sunday night’s events. We are not going to let go of what we achieved in the first five sessions of the show, and we will be back to do it again next December.”