Action-packed weekend as Belvoir Castle holds Festival of the Horse
The Festival of the Horse brought a spectacle of equestrian entertainment to Belvoir Castle over the weekend.
Across the two days of the festival, on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, a minute's silence was held at 11am as a tribute to the Queen who passed away on September 8.
Emma Stenning, Belvoir chief executive, said: "We were delighted with the response to Festival of the Horse. Beginning each day with a moment of reflection on the life and service of the Queen gave our visitors a chance to frame the day in remembrance, and to celebrate Her Majesty by enjoying one of her greatest pleasures – horses and horsemanship.
"The acts were simply wonderful, from the daredevil tent peg racing, to the historic splendour of the Cavaliers, to the stunning impact of Ben Atkinson’s performance.
"We were so happy that people chose to come and gather together as a community, in the beautiful setting of Belvoir Castle."
The Duchess of Rutland Emma Manners, shared her condolences to the Royal Family prior to the event.
She said: "The Queen had such a profound love of horses, and we feel that the festival will provide a welcome opportunity for our community to come together in recognition of Her Majesty’s 70 years of service to the country and Commonwealth.
"Her Majesty dedicated herself to service and duty. As members of her larger family, we feel an extraordinary loss that she is no longer with us."
This year the event grew as there was the addition of three new arenas including The Granby Arena, Knights Arena and The Manners Arena.
Audiences witnessed the daredevil tricks from the Atkinson Action Horses, a Yorkshire-based family run enterprise which has provided its highly-skilled horses for TV and film for over 25 years.
Ben Atkinson led the horses as they performed their stunts.
Other new acts for this year included the Jubilee Quadrille showcasing scurry cart racing, a fast-paced equestrian sport where pair of ponies pull a carriage around a course of cones as fast as they can.
Les Ecuyers d'Histoire, from France, also performed as they brought history to life with their costumed display.
For a second year in a row, the Knights of Nottingham held a jousting tournament, filled with their signature swinging swords and battle cries.
