The Best Guide for the NG16 Area

Once again, the fields surrounding Belvoir Castle will be filled with magnificent horses of all colours and stripes and their skilful riders for an incredible action-packed weekend of equestrian entertainment. 

This year also sees the event getting bigger and even more spectacular with addition of a new arena with three in total - The Granby Arena, Knights Arena and The Manners Arena - and new acts added to the exhilarating line-up of entertainment.

New this year will be daredevil trick riding from the Atkinson Action Horses, the Yorkshire based family run enterprise that has been providing highly trained horses and riders for TV & Film for more than 25 years, including Peaky Blinders, Ridley Road, All Creatures Great and Small and many more. 

Led by Ben Atkinson, the highly skilled horses and trick riders, actors and combat performers will thrill with their high energy stunt shows taking place twice each day. The displays will include the beautiful art of Liberty, so called as the riderless horses perform tricks and moves in response to verbal commands with no lead or reins used so are ‘at liberty’, as well as Classical Dressage and Cossack Trick Riding. 

Alongside his father, Ben excels in the live performance industry and was Roman riding -  where the rider stands with one foot on the back of two horses driven as a pair - in his first display aged eleven. He built his own show team of riders and horses when he was 16 and two years later was performing at some of the biggest shows in the UK, including The Horse of the Year Show. 

Other new acts for this year are the Jubilee Quadrille; Scurry Cart Racing - a fast-paced equestrian sport in which a pair of ponies pull a carriage around a course of cones in an attempt to get the fastest time - and Les Ecuyers d'Histoire from France bringing history to life with their costumed display. 

The popular jousting tournament presented by the Knights of Nottingham is coming back 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. 

Emma Stenning, Belvoir CEO, said: “The whole story of Belvoir Castle is entwined with horses so it really is the most perfect setting to stage this wonderful weekend of equestrian entertainment. It really is the most amazing sight to be able to get up close to watch these wonderful horses in action, and there’s even more to see and do this year.”

Away from the main action, there will be a good choice of food and drink available and shopping opportunities from a curated selection of stall-holders offering a whole range of produce and gifts. 

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/