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Princess Royal visits stables during Northern Ireland visit

Ross McKeeand
Kelly Bonner,BBC News NI
News imageBBC The Princess Royal (left) in blue jacket, with grey hair, beside man in blue jacket, grey hair and glasses. To the right, is Dr Esther Skelly-Smith, a woman with brown hair and striped black jacket.BBC
The Princess Royal met Dr Esther Skelly-Smith (right) during her visit to Katesbridge

The Princess Royal's decades-long association with horses has been reflected during a visit to Northern Ireland.

The princess, who is Vice Patron of The British Horse Society, was shown around stables in Katesbridge, County Down, and spent time with the horses before planting a tree.

She visited Shanaghan Veterinary Services and was welcomed by equine vet, and one of the owners of Shanaghan Hill Farm, Dr Esther Skelly-Smith.

Skelly-Smith said she was "honoured to welcome the princess to Katesbridge".

News imagePress Eye The Princess Royal, a woman with grey hair and wearing a blue jacket, greets Emma Little-Pengelly, a woman in a red dress, who has dark hair. There are other men with grey hair in the photo.Press Eye
The princess met Northern Ireland deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly during a visit to the Sense Hub in Belfast on Friday

In 1976, the princess became the first member of the Royal Family to compete in the Olympic Games, when she took part in the equestrian three-day event.

Her daughter, Zara Tindall, followed in her mother's footsteps by competing in the equestrian three-day event at the 2012 London Olympics.

"For me as a horsey child, who watched Princess Anne and Zara over the years compete, it is a real honour to have her here," Skelly-Smith told BBC News NI.

"We breed event horses ourselves and for me it is an absolute honour and privilege to have her here at the farm, but also she does amazing work with world horse welfare and the British Horse Society, so it is a real encouragement for the equine community volunteers here on the ground here in Katesbridge."

Earlier in the day, the princess met adults and children with complex needs during a tour of the Sense Hub in Belfast.

She was greeted by Northern Ireland deputy first minister, Emma Little-Pengelly and the health minister, Mike Nesbitt.

News imagePress Eye The Princess Royal, a woman with grey hair, wearing a blue coat, puts her hand up to a boy in a black top, being held by a man with a white top.Press Eye
The princess took time out to engage with the public during her time at Sense Hub