Latest news with #JimRodgers
The Advertiser
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
All the photos from the 45th Scone Horse Festival
The 45th Scone Horse Festival, a celebration of the Upper Hunter's affinity for prime equine bloodstock, began on Thursday night with a prayer. Some 10,000 people were expected to attend the 10-day festival in the heart of Hunter horse country, which was slated to begin in earnest on Friday, May 9, but which opened with a religious service at St Andrew's Uniting Church on Thursday night, exalting the region's passion for its industry. This year, organisers said, would be the first to include a stand-alone booking in the schedule acknowledging women in racing, attended by Magic Millions equine auction house founder Katie Page as a special guest. The event, the centrepiece of which is the annual street parade scheduled for Saturday, has taken the theme "home is where the horse is" in its 45th iteration, and includes daily social and industry events, from equine demonstrations to farrier exhibits, a high tea at Gwandalan Stables to working dog trials. The festival was established in 1980 to pay homage to all breeds of horses, including thoroughbreds, Australian stock horses and draught horses, as well as the men and women who work with them. Jim Rodgers, Mike Pritchard, Barry Chapman and Brian Russell created Horse Week 45 years ago, and at the weekend Mr Rodgers said he was astonished at what the event had become. "A lot of people back then thought we were crazy," he said. "Some people liked the idea, others didn't but I don't think anyone would believe what it has become today." Festival President Jason Hill lauded the event and said it celebrated the region's deep ties to the best Australian horse lineages. "Scone is the birthplace of over 50 per cent of Australia's Thoroughbred racehorses, and the Hunter Valley is internationally renowned as a champion breeding ground, recognised alongside Kentucky and Ireland," he said. "That success, along with a community dedicated to showcasing their unwavering love of all things equine has undoubtedly helped to elevate Scone as the horse capital of Australia." The two-day Scone Cup Carnival will round out the roster, beginning on Friday, May 16, at the Scone Race Club, touted as Australia's richest country racing carnival. It offers more than $2.5 million in prizemoney and a standalone metropolitan status, drawing punters from Sydney into the region. Fireworks are expected to close the event on Sunday, May 18. The complete festival program is available via the event's website. The 45th Scone Horse Festival, a celebration of the Upper Hunter's affinity for prime equine bloodstock, began on Thursday night with a prayer. Some 10,000 people were expected to attend the 10-day festival in the heart of Hunter horse country, which was slated to begin in earnest on Friday, May 9, but which opened with a religious service at St Andrew's Uniting Church on Thursday night, exalting the region's passion for its industry. This year, organisers said, would be the first to include a stand-alone booking in the schedule acknowledging women in racing, attended by Magic Millions equine auction house founder Katie Page as a special guest. The event, the centrepiece of which is the annual street parade scheduled for Saturday, has taken the theme "home is where the horse is" in its 45th iteration, and includes daily social and industry events, from equine demonstrations to farrier exhibits, a high tea at Gwandalan Stables to working dog trials. The festival was established in 1980 to pay homage to all breeds of horses, including thoroughbreds, Australian stock horses and draught horses, as well as the men and women who work with them. Jim Rodgers, Mike Pritchard, Barry Chapman and Brian Russell created Horse Week 45 years ago, and at the weekend Mr Rodgers said he was astonished at what the event had become. "A lot of people back then thought we were crazy," he said. "Some people liked the idea, others didn't but I don't think anyone would believe what it has become today." Festival President Jason Hill lauded the event and said it celebrated the region's deep ties to the best Australian horse lineages. "Scone is the birthplace of over 50 per cent of Australia's Thoroughbred racehorses, and the Hunter Valley is internationally renowned as a champion breeding ground, recognised alongside Kentucky and Ireland," he said. "That success, along with a community dedicated to showcasing their unwavering love of all things equine has undoubtedly helped to elevate Scone as the horse capital of Australia." The two-day Scone Cup Carnival will round out the roster, beginning on Friday, May 16, at the Scone Race Club, touted as Australia's richest country racing carnival. It offers more than $2.5 million in prizemoney and a standalone metropolitan status, drawing punters from Sydney into the region. Fireworks are expected to close the event on Sunday, May 18. The complete festival program is available via the event's website. The 45th Scone Horse Festival, a celebration of the Upper Hunter's affinity for prime equine bloodstock, began on Thursday night with a prayer. Some 10,000 people were expected to attend the 10-day festival in the heart of Hunter horse country, which was slated to begin in earnest on Friday, May 9, but which opened with a religious service at St Andrew's Uniting Church on Thursday night, exalting the region's passion for its industry. This year, organisers said, would be the first to include a stand-alone booking in the schedule acknowledging women in racing, attended by Magic Millions equine auction house founder Katie Page as a special guest. The event, the centrepiece of which is the annual street parade scheduled for Saturday, has taken the theme "home is where the horse is" in its 45th iteration, and includes daily social and industry events, from equine demonstrations to farrier exhibits, a high tea at Gwandalan Stables to working dog trials. The festival was established in 1980 to pay homage to all breeds of horses, including thoroughbreds, Australian stock horses and draught horses, as well as the men and women who work with them. Jim Rodgers, Mike Pritchard, Barry Chapman and Brian Russell created Horse Week 45 years ago, and at the weekend Mr Rodgers said he was astonished at what the event had become. "A lot of people back then thought we were crazy," he said. "Some people liked the idea, others didn't but I don't think anyone would believe what it has become today." Festival President Jason Hill lauded the event and said it celebrated the region's deep ties to the best Australian horse lineages. "Scone is the birthplace of over 50 per cent of Australia's Thoroughbred racehorses, and the Hunter Valley is internationally renowned as a champion breeding ground, recognised alongside Kentucky and Ireland," he said. "That success, along with a community dedicated to showcasing their unwavering love of all things equine has undoubtedly helped to elevate Scone as the horse capital of Australia." The two-day Scone Cup Carnival will round out the roster, beginning on Friday, May 16, at the Scone Race Club, touted as Australia's richest country racing carnival. It offers more than $2.5 million in prizemoney and a standalone metropolitan status, drawing punters from Sydney into the region. Fireworks are expected to close the event on Sunday, May 18. The complete festival program is available via the event's website. The 45th Scone Horse Festival, a celebration of the Upper Hunter's affinity for prime equine bloodstock, began on Thursday night with a prayer. Some 10,000 people were expected to attend the 10-day festival in the heart of Hunter horse country, which was slated to begin in earnest on Friday, May 9, but which opened with a religious service at St Andrew's Uniting Church on Thursday night, exalting the region's passion for its industry. This year, organisers said, would be the first to include a stand-alone booking in the schedule acknowledging women in racing, attended by Magic Millions equine auction house founder Katie Page as a special guest. The event, the centrepiece of which is the annual street parade scheduled for Saturday, has taken the theme "home is where the horse is" in its 45th iteration, and includes daily social and industry events, from equine demonstrations to farrier exhibits, a high tea at Gwandalan Stables to working dog trials. The festival was established in 1980 to pay homage to all breeds of horses, including thoroughbreds, Australian stock horses and draught horses, as well as the men and women who work with them. Jim Rodgers, Mike Pritchard, Barry Chapman and Brian Russell created Horse Week 45 years ago, and at the weekend Mr Rodgers said he was astonished at what the event had become. "A lot of people back then thought we were crazy," he said. "Some people liked the idea, others didn't but I don't think anyone would believe what it has become today." Festival President Jason Hill lauded the event and said it celebrated the region's deep ties to the best Australian horse lineages. "Scone is the birthplace of over 50 per cent of Australia's Thoroughbred racehorses, and the Hunter Valley is internationally renowned as a champion breeding ground, recognised alongside Kentucky and Ireland," he said. "That success, along with a community dedicated to showcasing their unwavering love of all things equine has undoubtedly helped to elevate Scone as the horse capital of Australia." The two-day Scone Cup Carnival will round out the roster, beginning on Friday, May 16, at the Scone Race Club, touted as Australia's richest country racing carnival. It offers more than $2.5 million in prizemoney and a standalone metropolitan status, drawing punters from Sydney into the region. Fireworks are expected to close the event on Sunday, May 18. The complete festival program is available via the event's website.
Belfast Telegraph
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Decision on Kneecap gig in Belfast due ‘within 24 hours' as shows in Germany axed
A number of scheduled performances, including three shows in Germany, have been cancelled by organisers amid calls for the band's slot at Glastonbury to be axed. It comes as a Scotland Yard probe into footage appearing to show a member of the west Belfast group saying: 'The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP' at a show in November 2023.. Ulster Unionist Party councillor Jim Rodgers told BBC Radio Ulster's The Nolan Show that Belfast City Council should ban the band from performing at Belfast Vital. 'Serious consideration should be given to not allow them to use Boucher Road playing field for their events in the next few weeks,' he said. "I brought it up a few days ago, so I'm waiting on the officers' response.' Kneecap's gig at the Eden Project in Cornwall has already been cancelled with a ticket site for gigs in Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne stating that the shows in Germany have been axed. Police are also investigating video footage from a second concerts in November 2024 in which a member of the band appeared to shout 'Up Hamas, up Hezbollah' — groups which are banned as terrorist organisations in the UK. On Monday, Kneecap issued an apology for any offence caused to the families of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, both of whom were murdered while serving as MPs. The band claimed their comments had been 'deliberately taken out of all context'. However, Mr Rodgers said Kneecap's contrition, branded as 'crocodile tears' by the leader of the DUP, did not go far enough. "Under no circumstances, can we in Belfast City Council permit the use of Boucher Road playing field – we have a responsibility to make sure that people abide by the law whenever they're using any of our facilities and quite clearly if we were to allow them to proceed you would open the floodgates to others doing the same thing,' the veteran UUP representative said. "I've already spoken to some council officers and I'm hoping all the necessary steps are taken - we can't allow people to go on our land and do whatever they like and I would be disappointed if no action was taken,' Mr Rodgers said. Kneecap is set to preform at Belfast Vital on August 29 and tickets for the concert are still available on TicketMaster. The Belfast Telegraph has contact MCD Promotions – Belfast Vital's promoters. The band's manager Daniel Lambert told RTÉ's Prime Time on Tuesday that "moral hysteria" had taken hold and that the band is being held to a higher standard than elected politcians as he addressed calls for acts to be cancelled. "It's not for us to worry, it's for us to have the strength of conviction that we did the right thing." 'The balaclava has slipped'. Gavin Robinson reacts to Kneecap's MP comments Mr Lambert also claimed the band has become subject to a "concerted campaign" which is "solely about de-platforming artists' after their Coachella sets. He expressed no regret about the US performances insisting that taking part in the US festival was the right move. "It's about telling the next young band both through the music industry and through the political class that you cannot speak about Palestine," MrLambert added. A spokesperson for Belfast City Council previously said use of the Boucher Road venue for the scheduled Kneecap gig 'is managed via a legal agreement between the council and the promoter'. "Events programming remains a matter for the organisers,' they added.
