A retirement home for horses based near Sennybridge has been nominated for a prestigious national award.

Happy Horse Retirement Home has been shortlisted as a finalist for the Best Livery Yard in the UK category of the Equestrian Business Awards.

The family-run business aims to create a haven where horse owners have the opportunity to retire their beloved, loyal friend with maximum care and attention, for a cost covering livery.

The facility, located in Crai, opened in 1989 as the first private retirement home for horses in the UK, and is managed by Nicky van Dijk.

Reacting to the news, Nicky said: “We feel honoured to be in the final of such a prestigious national competition - to be shortlisted out of 18,000 nominations in various categories is fantastic for ourselves and all the staff that work for us.

“We are against some top class livery yards in the final but will do our best to show our dedication over the years. Let’s hope we can bring the award back to Wales!”

The business has won a hatful of awards in recent years, such as the Welsh Assembly Best Small Business in Wales and Best Apprentice in Wales. They are known worldwide for their retirement service and have received horses from not only across Europe, but as far as Dubai and Bermuda.

The Equestrian Business Awards aim to recognise the hard work and achievements of equestrian businesses in the UK.

Happy Horse Retirement Home will now go through to the final judging phase over the next few months before winners are announced during a gala evening in November.