Blair Castle International Horse Trials

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The country fair tents with blair castle as the back drop

Blair Castle International Horse Trials and Country Fair.
Double click on any on the images below to enlarge!

We will give you a flavour of what is on offer in our own words and any tips or advice that might help you get the most out of the event.

The event was very well organised and well laid out. It was easy to get from your car to the main area where everything was happening. There were scouts and army personnel showing you where to go, so you did not get lost. The grounds were kept amazingly clean by regular emptying of the bins. There were plenty of well kept toilets, so no queuing! A large screen allowed you to watch images of the main contestants while your kids played in a fabulous children’s play area (very popular with adults and kids a like- - kept the kids occupied). Over the Saturday and Sunday there was a climbing wall – it was amazing to see how fast some of the youngsters (who had never been near a climbing wall before) were able to get up the wall. I hasten to add they were all securely tied to ropes and held by trained climbing rock climbers.

People brought their four legged friends by the score. Yes dogs were every where and all very well behaved too. I overheard a lady saying, “Training kids is just like training a good gun dog. The first two years is what it is all about, if you do that properly the rest is easy!”

We loved the terrier racing where the shear joy shown by the terriers was really great to see. They obviously absolutely love racing each other and entered in to the spirit of the event much to every ones amusement. These were the spectator’s dogs, so take your terrier along for some fun too!

First of all it is much more than horses. Yes there are lots and lots of horses and events going on the whole time, you will have to decide what to see and where as there were four arenas that we were aware of. Not all horses all the time, other events taking place as well, (we go in to that a little later on).

The four arenas had a continuos programmes of events going on all day. Two had horse jumping in different classes from what I could see. Another arena had different events from how to fly fish, to terrier races, old tractors from the year dot, highland pony demonstrations to all things out door and to do with the country. The main arena had the main three day events plus many other horse type events, from stunts to side saddle riding in Elizabethan costume and much more.

Buying a programme was crucial to knowing what was going on where. It also had a very good map of the whole set up with all the cross-country jumps clearly described with sketches too.

The tented village or ‘Country Fair’ is just that with lots of different businesses showing their wears, from the large craft tent full of individual small businesses making things from jewellery, clothes, glass ornaments, pottery, to bird boxes and fancy squirrel feeders and much more …..

Every day all the stalls were open by 8.30 am to 6 pm. A good full day, so make sure you get yourself along early to see the stalls and then enjoy the many events all day long.

The different stalls had lots of course to do with horses from trailers, vehicles, sadle blankets, food, matting you name it. There were fishing tackle merchants, binoculars, walking sticks, camp chairs, tents, you name it they had it.

There were lots of really excellent deals on out door clothing, shoes, one that caught my eye was a back pack picnic set with all the plates, cutlery, glasses, thermos flasks for two, four and six. Starting at £20. What a deal. Yes if you took your time there were many bargains to be had.

The food hall was another great place to go. Stalls with locally ground flour and baking at the Blair Atholl Water Mill, (the last working water mill in Perthshire), to organic meat from the Atholl Glens, to chocolates, coffee, and what I loved most of all was the freshly baked cornish pasties, made on the premises. Yes I had one every day. At £2 they were a meal in themselves and by far the best value walk round food at the event.

Thursday and Friday - It is a four-day event, starting on the Thursday. The Thursday and Friday are the quieter days, (before the weekenders arrive) where you can take your time and get individual attention when visiting the various stands. It also allows you get first shot at what is on offer before the popular things have sold out at the weekend.

Guests of ours, staying in our self catering cottage, having travelled up from England for the first time to the event, told us they regularly go to these type of events in England. I asked how the Blair Castle International Horse Trials compared with the other events they had been to. They said “The setting and location can not be bettered anywhere. The layout and organisation was first class. It is like Burghley but with out all the hordes of people. You can actually get in and see things without having to queue and jostle all the time. A first class event!” They said they would be returning again next year.

The Saturday is the Cross Country event, where you will see the top riders and horses taking on massive jumps. Bring along a picnic, one of those collapsible chairs which have straps for your to through them over your shoulders and spend the day working your way down the course at the various jumps of your choice. The water jump is always the most popular jump, even here it is quite easy to get a good position to see all the action without having to push and shove for a good site.

Sunday is the show jumping. If you are early enough you can get seats in the grandstands over looking the main arena or sit in your portable chair or on one of the many benches around the arena. Those watching were mesmerised by what was going on. A chance to get in to the tented shops for those end of show bargains. But it is surprising how many people had sold out of the more popular items.