Organisers of the Ballinasloe Horse Fair have decided to scale back the number of activities at this year's event, following disturbances at last year's festival, when racing was not facilitated.

While three days of horse sales will take place on the town's Fair Green as planned next month, other events are being cancelled.

The festival's organising committee says it has made the "difficult decision" not to hold lunging competitions on the opening weekend of the fair.

The official opening and music events will not proceed on Sunday 2 October either.

The decision follows disturbances at last year's fair when a number of people who wanted to engage in sulky racing competitions protested.

They demanded that "the trots" be allowed to proceed.

This was despite an instruction from Galway County Council that it could no longer facilitate the races, on the advice of insurers.

A number of people forced their way into the lunging ring in what one observer described as a "near riot situation".

It is understood that efforts to reach a compromise have not been successful and the lunging events, where sellers showcase their horses, have been cancelled this year.