Come and meet the new faces at Open Day, CAFRE Enniskillen Campus

The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is delighted to announce dates of on campus Open Days this April.

The Open Days are being hosted across CAFRE from Tuesday 9 – Saturday 13 April 2024. Students and their parents are invited to book to attend the Equine Open Day at CAFRE, Enniskillen Campus on Saturday 13 April 2024.

Book to attend and meet students and staff, who will guide you around our fabulous equine facilities, and introduce you to a few new arrivals. During the tours you will get the chance to ask questions and gain an insight into life at CAFRE.

Enniskillen Campus is located three miles outside Enniskillen town in the lakeland county of Fermanagh. Enniskillen is about 100 miles from Dublin, 30 miles from Cavan, 30 miles from Monaghan, 40 miles from Sligo and 80 miles from Belfast.

CAFRE offers BSc Honours Degrees and Foundation Degrees in partnership with Ulster University. To apply to study on a degree course applications are made through the UCAS system. It is not too late to apply through UCAS for our Equine prorammes for entry in September 2024 as we process applications received through UCAS after the initial January deadline.

The College offers Certificate (Level 2) and Extended Diploma (Level 3) courses alongside Apprenticeships and Farriery courses. Courses are structured to offer students the opportunity to progress on to higher level study, upon successful completion.

Why students want to study Equine at CAFRE

CAFRE’s ethos is very much ‘learning by doing’. At each campus, our highly qualified, experienced staff use the superb practical facilities to demonstrate the latest science, technology, innovation, and business management techniques to students. Approximately 60 horses are kept on site at Enniskillen Campus and this provides equine students with stimulating opportunities to benefit from hands-on experience. Students work with a range of horses in the equine breeding, equitation, racing, farriery, and student horse livery units.

The college also works very closely with the industry to secure student bursaries, business visits and placement opportunities. These industry connections give our students exposure to key personnel from the equine sector early in their careers. As a result, many students secure employment before they graduate.

Equine students are encouraged to travel to study and work outside Ireland to experience different cultures. CAFRE has developed prestigious collaborations with a wide range of Thoroughbred and Sport Horse businesses worldwide. Students and graduates benefit from the excellent relationships the equine team has developed with among others Coolmore, Godolphin, Juddmonte and Watership Down Farms in Ireland, England and USA.

Over 300 students live in college accommodation across CAFRE, with over 70 living on site in Enniskillen. Our competitively priced residential facilities offer a friendly, supportive environment, where students can pursue social and sporting interests and make new friends.

What CAFRE students say

Shauna Rudden from Enniskillen graduated from CAFRE with a Foundation Degree in Equine Management in June 2022. Shauna decided to continue her studies on the BSc (Hons) Degree in Equine Management course at Enniskillen Campus.

Shauna says: “I am so glad I chose to study at Enniskillen Campus. The staff and facilities are fantastic. The college has developed long standing relationships with the equine industry and offers us excellent opportunities to connect with it. I feel lucky to have been able to leave school and apply for the Foundation Degree which gave me a great basis to progress on to the Honours Degree programme. I am expanding my knowledge and skills and know that when I graduate, I will be well equipped to develop my career in the equine industry.”

CAFRE Open Days are being offered on a booking only system. To attend you must book tickets for a tour through our website, please visit the CAFRE homepage for more information: www.cafre.ac.uk

You can find out course information on our website: www.cafre.ac.uk or email: [email protected] or call free on 0800 028 4291