Camphire International Horse Trials & Country Fair had its best year yet in 2014, with one-third more spectators and entries than ever before. Lucinda Fredericks, Joseph Murphy, Sam Watson, Camilla Speirs and Laura Collett are just some of the star riders who competed, alongside rising stars like Sophie How, American grand prix race car driver Elizabeth Halliday-Sharp, and the Under-18 Development Sqaud from Great Britain. The international field also included teams from Hong Kong, Qatar, Sweden and others. Whatever their results, everyone seemed to be having a great time, basking in the Irish sunshine in the magnificent Blackwater Valley in County Waterford. The mix of experienced and inexperienced riders competing alongside each other, while families and dogs enjoyed the country fair, having a day out – all in the spectacular setting of the riverside grounds of Camphire House – made for a celebratory atmosphere. It was one of my happiest summer weekends, and I wrote about it for Eventing Nation.