Summer spectacular at Meadows Equestrian Centre

With an increased prize fund for the third running of the four day spectacular, and in true championship style, the total prize fund will be in excess of £27,000.

The Lurgan venue will see the very best in national show jumping taking centre stage with various classes to suit all levels of rider. Hosting the dramatic climax to the Ulster Region TRI and Baileys Summer Tour Series, spectators will witness the crowning of the 2017 1.35m Grand Prix Champion.

Additionally, for the third consecutive year, international selectors will be attending the Meadows as they close the curtain on the 2017 Irish Sport Horse (ISH) Studbook classes, where the valuable final points will be on offer to help appoint the Irish representatives for the FEI Young Horse Show jumping Championships in Lanaken.

The MEC team are also delighted to announce the continuation of the Four-Year-Old Championship for third consecutive year with a fantastic prize fund on offer for the eventual winners in 2017.

To be eligible for the final, the top 20 four-year-old horses from qualifiers on the Thursday and Friday will go through to the grand final on Saturday, August 19.

Friday, August 18, will also see The Meadows host the Northern Ireland qualifier for the HSI Foal Championships, where foals will be permitted to enter one regional qualifier but will not be confined to entering the qualifier in their own region. €3,000 in prize money will be on offer at each of the qualifiers where four foals will be selected for the Final; the best show jumping type colt and filly, and the best eventing type colt and filly.

The final venue is set to be announced in the next few days, however it will be a special event where a pot of €10,000 will be on offer and two champions will be named, champion show jumping foal and champion eventing foal. There will also be a special prize for the overall best traditionally-bred foal.

Organisers are expecting the very best riders from Ireland to attend the four-day extravaganza, which comes hot on the heels of Dublin.

A spokesperson commented: “We are hopeful that some riders who have been on recent International duty will attend to enthral spectators with some of the very best horses and riders that Ireland has to offer.”