Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Are you a budding amateur equine photographer? If so the National Equine Forum (NEF) is inviting you to showcase your artistic talent by entering a special competition to find a cover star for the NEF 2026 programme.
All amateur photographers are eligible to enter, by submitting a picture of their own horse, pony, donkey or mule, or one they have received permission to photograph, subject to terms and conditions.* Submitted images will also be included in the BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) 2026 calendar competition on request.
“Our cover star competition is becoming quite renowned,” said NEF honorary publicity officer Sarah Shephard. “We received more than 100 entries last year and it’s usually quite a struggle to find a winner, given the creative talent and photographic skill of the participants. Judging the entries is a real highlight for the committee and reflects our mission to bring the equestrian community together in celebration of our equine friends.”
The winner will follow in the footsteps of last year’s chosen image of rescued Shetland pony, Arthur, taken by Amy Newton, a volunteer at Munchkins Miniature Shetland Rescue. The winning image will feature on the programme cover for the National Equine Forum, which takes place on Thursday 5 March 2026 (#NEF26), as well as in other #NEF26 contexts.
The image should be of a horse, pony, donkey or mule (singular or multiple), or a creative headshot or other anatomical area. It can also feature the horse’s environment in the background. It should not include any image of an identifiable person.
Entrants will also be given the opportunity for their image and details to be passed to the BETA (British Equestrian Trade Association) 2026 Calendar Competition. From all the winning entries for the calendar competition, one image will be judged Best in Show and the successful entrant will receive a luxury hamper. Further details can be found here.
To enter the NEF programme cover star competition visit https://www.nationalequineforum.com/cover-image/
The deadline for entries is Monday 15 September 2025. Terms & Conditions apply.