Belvoir Castle to host spectacular Festival of the Horse

The Atkinson Action Horses set to appear at Belvoir Castle's Festival of the Horse
PHOTO E J Lazenby — The Atkinson Action Horses set to appear at Belvoir Castle's Festival of the Horse PHOTO E J Lazenby

Big crowds are expected to converge on Belvoir Castle this weekend for the spectacular Festival of the Horse.

Headlining the event, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday, will be the daredevil trick horse riders of Atkinson Action Horses which perform in many of the biggest TV series and blockbuster films, from Peaky Blinders to Netflix’s The Witcher.

A newly-announced act is Western Barrel Racing, an incredible display of a horse’s athletic ability and the horsemanship and skill of a rider as they compete to get around the barrels in the quickest time.

This year’s event see a new arena added to make three in total - The Granby Arena, Knights Arena and The Manners Arena - and new acts added to the exciting line-up.

Other acts include the Knights of Nottingham, where knights and horses combine for hard hitting Medieval jousting displays.

Audiences can also watch the 16th Lancers Display Team demonstrate the art of tent pegging, as they charge at full speed to collect pegs from the ground in the quickest time possible.

The Rearsby Lodge Riding Club Quadrille team will be putting on a beautiful display while scurry racing, a fast paced sport which sees two ponies pull a carriage and drivers round a course providing plenty of fast and furious entertainment.

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet soldiers and horses of the world famous Household Cavalry with the riders and horses appearing in their full ceremonial dress.

Tickets to the event also provide admission to the beautiful castle gardens.

There will be plenty of shopping and browsing opportunities at a wide variety of stalls, from craft drinks and artisan coffee to pet supplies, equestrian wear and lots of gift ideas.

Tickets are available at £25 per adult, £12 for children and young people aged four to 16. Gates open at 10am with the programme running each day from 11am until 5pm. Free parking for ticketholders is provided at the event and dogs are welcome on leads.

***The winner of our competition offering the prize of a family ticket to the event, worth £60, was won by Gordon Wilde, of Thames Drive, Melton Mowbray.