Brighten up your day by watching the Shetland Pony Grand National heats

Guaranteed to bring a smile to your face.

Fri, 25 Mar, 2016 - 15:07

Grainne McGuinness

This is all just too cute for words.

Forget Cheltenham, the best horse-racing action to be had is at the Shetland Pony Grand National heats.

Just check out the first heat today at Lambourn.

Here's a teaser from the first heat of the ATR Shetland Pony Grand National @LambournOpenDay pic.twitter.com/9Byc5FDRHi
— At The Races (@AtTheRaces) March 25, 2016

The Shetland Pony Grand National is actually an organisation that raises money each year for a nominated charity - for 2016 it is the Bob Champion Cancer Trust.

The jockeys involved are all children aged between 8-13 years old and they and a collection of Shetland ponies run heats in different venues across the UK.

By December jockeys and ponies either qualify or get selected to compete at The Olympia Horse Show in London.

Want to see more? Of course you do.

Here’s the second heat - also filmed at Lambourn this afternoon.