Don’t waste a moment of the Christmas break with these great horsey days out
Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you are enjoying your day, but there is no time to waste — make the most of your time off between now and the New Year with these shows and training opportunities.
Christmas show
Date: 27 December
Venue: Leamside Equestrian, Houghton Le Spring
Details: “There are a huge range of classes available to enter including in-hand and ridden sections, with a variety of qualifiers.”
Indoor arena cross-country clinic
Date: 27 December
Venue: Downe Farm Event Centre, Tiverton
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Details: “An opportunity to train with Tim Cheffings who is a highly thought of professional four-star event rider. This clinic offers a variety of heights to train over from 70cm to 90cm.”
Grid work clinic
Date: 28 December
Venue: Buryhill Competition Centre, near Cirencester
Details: “Take part in this grid work clinic with Alicia Hawker, a four-star eventer who trains and competes her own horses. She can coach at all levels and is very enthusiastic about her training. This event will be grid work only and heights on offer range from 60cm to 1m.”
Unaffiliated dressage
Date: 28 December
Venue: Felbridge Showground, East Grinstead
Details: “There are a range of classes available from walk and trot tests and prelim to elementary with rosettes from first to fifth.”
Pony British Showjumping
Date: 28 December
Venue: Keysoe, Bedfordshire
Details: “Classes from clear round and 128cm/138cm springboard handicap to 148cm restricted open.”
Christmas holiday showjumping
Date: 28 December
Venue: Beaver Hall, Leek
Details: “A great variety of classes on offer from cross poles and 45cm to 90/95cm.”
Festive arena event
Date: 29 December
Venue: Greenfields of Avondale, Strathaven
Details: “The courses at this event are a mixture of showjumps, working hunter fences and portable cross-country fences. Classes range from 50cm to 1m with rosettes to sixth place. There is also a prize for the best fancy dress rider and best fancy dress horse. This competition will be run between indoor and outdoor arenas which are both on an all-weather surface.”
Christmas New Year show
Date: 30 December
Venue: Jenky Farm, Shadoxhurst
Details: “A huge range of classes available from cross pole showjumping to lead-rein and ridden showing classes. Plus, enter three classes and get a discount price.”
Visit equo.co.uk for full competition and training listings
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Gemma is an experienced journalist, who was a member of H&H staff from 2014 to September 2025. She is passionate about all equestrian sports, including racing and point-to-pointing. She has enjoyed riding out for top trainers Nicky Henderson and Charlie Appleby and took part in a charity Flat race at Epsom in August 2018. Gemma’s has reported from numerous five-star events around Britain and Europe, as well as European championships.