Hurrah for the Easter holidays! We're excited about the impending chocolate fix, yes. But there are plenty other horsey reasons to get us in the holiday mood as well...
1. Take a sneak peek at a top racing yard
Due to heavy rain Lambourn Open Day has had to cancel the opening of all yards on Good Friday (30 March 2018) and the afternoon activities — but the good news is that Nicky Henderson’s historic Seven Barrows stable will still be open to the public, from 9am-1pm. The entrance charge will be £5 per person and if you have prepaid tickets you will be given £5 and a free programme for each ticket already bought. So get ready to spot some of the biggest stars to come out of this year’s Cheltenham Festival, including Buveur D’Air and Altior. Visit: lambournopenday.com
2. Head north for the Middleham Open Day
Don’t miss out on your racing fix if you’re based further north, with the Middleham Open Day in North Yorkshire, also on Good Friday (30 March 2018). Twelve trainers are opening their doors to the public for the event from 9.30am — and make sure you don’t miss the swimming demonstrations at Mark Johnston’s Kingsley House yard. There will be a parade of Bedale West of Yore foxhounds through Middleham at 11am and the Retraining of Racehorses (RoR) musical ride at 1.30pm. Adult tickets cost £10 and children under-16 are free. Visit: middlehamopenday.co.uk
3. Pack a picnic for a point-to-point
Dust off your hamper and round up a group of friends for your local point-to-point over the weekend (and if the heavens open, it will give you a perfect excuse to succumb to the burger van…). Fixtures are as follows:
Saturday 31 March 2018
Ashford Valley Tickham, Charing, Kent
Avon Vale, Larkhill, Wiltshire
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Cotley, Somerset
Dart Vale & Haldon Harriers, Buckfastleigh, Devon
Kimblewick, Kimble, Buckinghamshire
Middleton, Sheriff Hutton, Yorkshire
Monmouthshire, Monmouth Showground
North Staffordshire, Sandon, Staffordshire
Puckeridge, Horseheath, Cambridgeshire
Woodland Pythchley, Dingley, Leicestershire
Monday 2 April 2018
Aldington Races (East Kent with West Street), Aldington, Kent
College Valley & North Northumberland, Alnwick, Northumberland
Four Burrow, Trebudannon, Cornwall
Hurworth, Hutton Rudby, Yorkshire
North Cotswold, Paxford, Gloucestershire
North Shropshire, Eyton-On-Severn, Shropshire
Old Berkshire, Lockinge, Oxfordshire
South Notts, Lydstep, Dyfed
Taunton Vale Foxhounds & Harriers, Kingston St Mary, Somerset
Searching for Easter eggs becomes a whole lot more credible if a horse or pony is involved. Contact your local Pony Club (pcuk.org) to find out what Easter egg hunts they have planned. Or if you’ve made the trip to the Big Smoke for the Easter break, head to the Household Cavalry museum (householdcavalrymuseum.co.uk), where you can hunt around the stables in search of the Royal golden egg.
5. Get out competing
With a few days off, this is the perfect opportunity to buck up the courage to get out competing. Whether it’s clear round showjumping you’re after to dust-off the winter cobwebs, or something more demanding, head to Equo Events at equoevents.co.uk to find out what is happening at your nearest show centre.
For the ultimate holiday experience without leaving the country (or your horse behind), box up and head to the coast for a gallop along the beach. Get up to speed with staying safe by the sea and check out some of our readers’ top spots here.
For all the latest equestrian news, reports and analysis, don’t miss the latest issue of Horse & Hound magazine, out every Thursday
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A graduate from Durham University, Madeleine joined H&H in 2011 and became Features Editor — producing content across the magazine and website, including the popular inside back cover article ‘The horse that made me’ and the weekly ‘The best of my fun…’ interview. She has written on topics as diverse as hay making and headcams, to hot totty in the horse world and circus horses. Madeleine now works as a freelance feature writer for Country Life, The Telegraph, Horse & Hound, cntraveller.com, The Spectator and The Field, as well as writing obituaries for The Times.
