THE College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is hosting a series of campus open days next week – for the intake of students next September – with the open day for those interested in equine studies taking place at the Enniskillen Campus next Saturday, October 15th.

CAFRE offers BSc Honours Degrees and Foundation Degrees in partnership with Ulster University. To apply to study on a degree course applications are made through the UCAS system. The College also offers Certificate (Level 2) and Diploma (Level 3) courses alongside apprenticeships and farriery courses.

CAFRE’s ethos is very much ‘learning by doing’. At each campus, highly-qualified, experienced staff use the superb practical facilities to demonstrate the latest science, technology, innovation and business management techniques to students.

Approximately 70 horses are kept at Enniskillen Campus providing equine students with the opportunity to benefit from hands-on experience.

Students work with a range of horses in the equine breeding, equitation, racing, farriery, and student horse livery units.

As we read and hear each day of the huge difficulties facing students securing accommodation in large City universities and colleges throughout Ireland, prospective CAFRE attendees will be pleased to learn that over 300 students live in college accommodation across CAFRE. The competitively priced residential facilities offer a friendly, supportive environment where students can pursue social and sporting interests and make new friends.

The open days are being offered on a booking only system through the CAFRE website (www.cafre.ac.uk) where prospective students can access more information on the courses available, bursaries and internships plus work placement opportunities.

TOTALLY stymied by his poor draw, there was no repeat victory in the Group 1 Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp last Sunday for the Hot Streak four-year-old A Case Of You, but at least his Co Armagh owner, Gary Devlin, had a bit of funding for his Paris trip following the win of Reigles at Bellewstown the previous Thursday.

Like A Case Of You, the two-year-old Havana Grey filly, who landed the near-mile nursery by half a length, is trained by Ado McGuinness whose stable apprentice, Cian MacRedmond, was on board the 5/1 shot.

Devlin owns Reigles in partnership his good friends Nigel O’Hare and Joe McCrory plus the north Co Dublin-based Kabin Racing Syndicate.

At Galway on Tuesday, the Noel Meade-trained Affordable Fury landed the concluding bumper in the hands of Pat Taaffe, seeing off the 2/1 favourite, Allibaba, by four and a half lengths.

The debut winner of a four-year-old geldings’ maiden at Ballycahane on March 6th last, when trained by Gary Murphy, the Affinisea gelding was subsequently led out unsold (£95,000) at the Cheltenham Festival Sale just days later.

On his first start since, Affordable Fury won on Tuesday in the colours of Downpatrick’s Phily Polly who is well-known in the construction industry; his company Cosy Roof was one of the main sponsors at Downpatrick’s Family Race Day in July.

Phily also has a horse in training with Gordon Elliott and one in England with Gordon Richards.