IN another excellent Nationwide feature bringing equine news into the homes of Irish viewers, Mary Fanning talks to the CEO of the Irish Horse Welfare Trust Sharon Power about the organisation and the important role it plays in the rehoming of retired racehorses, unwanted thoroughbreds and half-breds. The show airs next Wednesday, December 15th on RTÉ One at 7pm.

Poster boy

Mary has an audience with Queen Mother Chase winner Sizing Europe, who is a poster boy for the trust and their Christmas card star, a grey Irish cob called Curly.

Yard manager, Shelley Phipps shows how this very special cob was transformed in her care and tells Mary how a photograph taken of him by her brother, became this year’s fundraising Christmas card.

Shelley’s sister, Jackie, is a fundraiser and performs at Powerscourt with a Christmas choir and they will be making appearances all over Kildare and Wicklow to raise much needed funds for this very credible and worthwhile charity. A must see.