WITH the new hunting season fast approaching, the Government's ban seems to have had little effect on the demand for horses to ride to hounds.

At Brightwell's annual Festival of the Horse sale at Malvern's Three Counties Showground - the biggest event of its kind in the country - there was still a "healthy demand" for hunters, according to Andrew Elliott, the firm's equestrian manager.

"Horses are a growth leisure industry and the hunting ban has certainly not put anyone off," he said. "All the local hunts are preparing to go and test the law to its limits and I have heard reports of large numbers of riders out already for the time of year."

However, buyers were selective about where they spent their money.

"Prices in 2005 have generally cooled off a bit," Mr Elliott added, "but they were climbing at an unsustainable rate. Purchasers are now not so free and easy with their money and are a bit more selective about what they buy."

More than 180 horses and ponies went into the Three Counties sale ring, 30 up on last year.

"We were absolutely delighted with the way things went," said Mr Elliott. "The top price of 7,000gns was paid for a horse sold by Robert Oliver - the top show horse producer from Upleadon, near Gloucester.

"Ridden horses were particularly in demand with an average price of 3,000gns and the size of the crowd was greatly up on last year.

"The only area where trade was slow was for two-year-olds.

"Untried three-year-olds sold well, but the best demand was for ridden horses.

"Horses were brought down from Scotland to be sold and horses went back to Scotland with new owners, that just shows how far people were prepared to travel for the Festival of the Horse.

"We started well with the first horse going for more than 4000gns and kept up the tempo throughout. Although generally trade has been cautious this year, at this sale it really picked up."