It’s just one month to the return of the spectacular Festival of the Horse at Belvoir Castle on September 10-11 2022.
The packed timetable of entertainment has now been released for the three arenas and can be viewed at www.belvoircastle.com/festival-of-the-horse-2022. Gates open 10am with the action kicking off at 11am, with around 20 shows in total throughout the Saturday and Sunday.
Headlining will be the daredevil trick horse riders, led by Ben Atkinson, from the Yorkshire family farm that trains horses for many of the biggest TV series and blockbuster films being produced today.
The thrilling high energy show – which features everything from fast and furious Cossack riding to the beautiful art of Liberty where the riderless horses perform in response to verbal commands – is a stunning celebration of the horse.
Ben said:
We created the show from the things that inspire us most about horses around the world such as roman riding where the rider stands upright on the horses – I end up working with nine! We’re big fans of Spanish horses so we celebrate classical dressage and the ‘airs above the ground’ of their great leaps and kicks. The Cossack riding is the fastest paced part of the show, and we perform along with high tempo dance tracks for maximum impact.
My passion is the art of Liberty, seeing what can be achieved in both spectacle and beauty when horses are completely free. This part of the show sees the horses move in formation, and even laying down together, with no rein or lead in sight.
Throughout out it all, you will see our training philosophy in action which is to start with young horses and find out what they are good at – you don’t judge a fish by how well it can climb a mountain and it’s the same with horses. The Liberty horses are very inquisitive and intelligent, Spanish horses are hot and wild while the Cossack horses have the need for speed and are brave and bold.”
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. The horsemanship on display from the soldiers is even more remarkable given many will never have ridden before embarking on their 20-week training. The course is designed to take someone who has never seen a horse and provide them the skills needed to ride one-handed in 20kg of state kit in front of Her Majesty.
Another highlight will be the popular jousting tournament presented by the Knights of Nottingham returning for a second year. Filled with thrills and a few spills along with swinging swords and battle cries, the two-times World Champions and the original British Medieval Jousting Display team are a crowd favourite.
Alongside all the action will also be artisan food and drink vendors with something to suit all tastes from Woodfired Pizzas to Mexican and Greek cuisine, including veggie and vegan options. There will be also be a good selection of drinks on offer from the two bars on site.
A wide variety of stalls will provide plenty of shopping and browsing opportunities from craft drinks, cakes and cookies, food hampers and artisan coffee to pet supplies, grooming accessories, equestrian wear, wellbeing products, clothing, homewares and lots of gift ideas just to name a few.
Tickets are available at £25 per adult, £12 per 4-16 year olds. 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.
For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit https://www.belvoircastle.com/festival-of-the-horse-2022/
Suzanne Ashton, Founder of Everything Horse (Est, 2012), has a BA Hons in Marketing Management and a Diploma in Equine Science. Suzanne has ridden and owned horses all her life and has twelve years of experience in marketing, writing, design, SEO, and website creation.