ON duty as an FEI steward at the TerraNova event in Florida last weekend, Richard Nesbitt missed Saturday’s Eventing Ireland Northern Region awards ball in the Stormont Hotel, Belfast, where his wife Nicky had a busy night assisting the region’s events co-ordinator, Dora Beacom, with the distribution of prizes and acting as a ‘spotter’ for the auction.

Nicky passed the vast majority of the trophies and cups on to Jean Mitchell to present to the award winners, but she herself presented the Bright Outlook Memorial Trophy to Rhonda Hall. Rhonda, who competes the 12-year-old Amiro gelding Red Hot Chili Piper is very good at volunteering and at finding other helpers when they are needed at regional events.

Between them each season, Nicky and Richard decide on the winner of their award, which goes to the Eventing Ireland (NR) Sportsman of the Year, who fully embraces the amateur criteria and ethos.