NEXT Saturday, November 27th, is the opening day of the Fairyhouse Winter Festival, and you know it’s getting Christmassy because the track is hosting its annual Christmas jumper competition.

Racegoers are asked to jump into Christmas (geddit?) and dress-up in their finest festive regalia for the annual Christmas jumper competition.

Entry is open to anyone wearing a Christmas-themed jumper on Saturday and the winner will be selected by a panel of leading jump jockeys.

It’s worth giving your woolly a wash as the winner will receive an overnight stay for two in the four-star Dunboyne Castle Hotel & Spa including treatments in the award-winning Seoíd Spa.

Creative

Fairyhouse will also giveaway some Winter Festival goody bags to anyone who shares their Christmas jumper photos on their social media channels using the track’s hashtag

#Fairyhousechristmasjumpers and tagging the Meath racecourse – the more personalised and creative the jumpers, the better.

Party

Stable staff can’t miss out on the party and we all want to see your festive jumpers next Saturday. The prize for best turned-out horse in each race will go to the groom with the best Christmas knitwear.

Peter Roe, general manager of Fairyhouse Racecourse, said: “Our annual Christmas jumper competition has become a real tradition on the opening day of our Winter Festival and really kick-starts the two-day meeting. The creativity just gets better and better each year and creates a brilliant atmosphere in the enclosures.”

The Fairyhouse Winter Festival takes place next Saturday November 27th and Sunday, November 28th and features three Grade 1 races on Sunday, for a terrific second day of the jump racing spectacular.

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.fairyhouse.ie

DON’T hesitate to head to the Irish Horse Welfare Trust website and check out all the details of their online auction which runs until next Thursday, November 25th.

There are lots of great items to bid on including tickets and equestrian goods of all sorts; a trip to Jessica Harrington’s yard, racing days at the Curragh, Punchestown and Leopardstown, a high quality watch, horse feed, hay for your treasures, a wheelbarrow, an overnight stay with dinner vouchers for the Marlfield House, and a Glendalough Distillery hamper, among many other treats.

The IHWT runs very low on funds as we head into December and with normal fundraising all cancelled with Covid, why not have a look and if you are not bidding, please make a donation.

All the information is available at

app.galabid.com/ihwtauction and www.ihwt.ie.