The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) is one of America's most elite horse shows, founded in 1958. The event took place every October for more than 20 years in the Capital One Arena in downtown Washington, D.C. for two decades. The 2022 event took place at The Show Place Arena, in neighboring Prince George's County, Maryland. The event is highlighted by international level show jumping, top show hunters, and two equitation championships. [1] The event is currently ranked as a CSI-5*-W International show jumping event, as well as a USEF Premier Hunter and USEF 6* Jumper show. [1] [2]
The Washington International Horse Show was founded in 1958 and quickly became a prestigious event for riders of all ages. [3] Over the years, many breeds and disciplines participated including Arabians, Cutting, Dressage, Walkers, Quarter Horses and Hunter/Jumper. [4] Additionally, the show was featured in the movie The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit in which scenes were filmed at the show, and premiered in 1968. [4] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the 2020 and 2021 (62nd and 63rd) WIHS was hosted at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C. [5] The 2022 event returned to the DC area and was the first one in Prince George's County for more than 20 years when it took place at The Show Place Arena. [6]
The event has been closely involved with the American presidency over the years, with the Presidential seal being given to the President of the United States Perpetual Cup by President John F. Kennedy in 1961. Honorary Chairmen have included First Ladies Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, Betty Ford, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, and Laura Bush. Ambassadors and other notable persons have also been honorary chairmen. [4]
The WIHS is a six day event that completely transforms the Capitol One Arena. The hockey rink is melted and the walls are removed, making way for carpeting and arena footing. Horse stables are erected on F and 6th streets, closing motor traffic down for the duration of the event. Horses are gathered at the nearby Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD where they can train and are then shuttled into the city for the specific days that they will be competing. [7]
Qualifying is required for this event. Hunter and national jumpers are selected by USEF National points acquired throughout the qualifying period, while international jumpers are selected using the FEI standard process. [8]
Hunter classes take up much of the daytime competition, with professional and amateur divisions running on Tuesday and Wednesday, and junior and pony classes taking place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. National championships for Child and Adult Hunter and Jumper classes are held. The WIHS Equitation Final takes place over Friday and Saturday, while the Pony Equitation Final occurs on Sunday. National and International show jumping are highlighted Thursday through Saturday in the afternoons and evening classes. [8]
The WIHS also features the WIHS Regional Championships allowing for regional riders to compete at their home show without accumulating the points necessary to compete in the elite divisions. [8]
The WIHS Equitation Championship is one of the most prestigious equitation finals in North America. It is considered one of the four major finals in the United States alongside the USEF Medal, ASPCA Maclay, and USEF Show Jumping Talent Search. Riders compete in a two-phase qualifying class throughout the qualifying period in which points are given based on the placing and the number of people in the class. The top 30 riders on the East Coast and top 10 riders on the West Coast are invited to the championship.
The final consists of three phases. The hunter phase is a hunter-style course while the jumper phase is a more technical jumper-style course. After each phase scores are given for each rider. The top ten riders with the most points across the two phases are invited back for the third round in which riders switch horses and complete a third course. Scores are not given for the final round until after awards are announced. [9]
The WIHS Pony Equitation Finals is one of the two major pony equitation championships alongside the USEF Pony Medal Finals. The top 25 pony riders from around the country based on points accumulated are invited to the show. Riders can choose any pony of any height to compete on. Small ponies jump at 2'3", mediums at 2'6", and large ponies jump at 3'0". The class consists of one round followed by a work-off round. [9]
Year | Horse | Rider | Owner |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Fleurette | Laura Kraut | St. Bride's Farm |
2018 | Breitling LS | Beezie Madden | Elizabeth Wexner |
2017 | Dsarie | Beat Mändli | Grant Road Partners GmbH |
2016 | Ohlala | Lauren Hough | Lauren Hough |
2015 | Emerald | Harrie Smolders | Axel Verlooy/Eurohorse BVBA |
2014 | HH Carlos Z | McLain Ward | Double H Farm |
2013 | Blue Angel | Kent Farrington | Robin Parsky |
2012 | Cylana | Reed Kessler | Reed Kessler |
2011 | Carlo 273 | Nick Skelton | Beverley Widdowson |
2010 | Sapphire | McLain Ward | McLain Ward & Blue Chip Bloodstock |
Year | Rider | Horse |
---|---|---|
2021 | Dominic Gibbs | Cent 15 |
2020 | Tessa Brown | Davide |
2019 | Sam Walker | Waldo |
2018 | Elli Yeager | Copperfield 39 |
2017 | Taylor St. Jacques | Di Samorano |
2016 | Hunter Holloway | Any Given Sunday |
2015 | Victoria Colvin | Patrick |
2014 | Michael Hughes | Finnick |
2013 | Meredith Darst | Soldier |
2012 | Elizabeth Benson | San Remo VDL |
2011 | Chase Boggio | Massimo |
2010 | Lillie Keenan | Uno |
Year | Horse | Rider | Owner |
---|---|---|---|
2019 | Cameo | Scott Stewart | Betsee Parker |
2018 | Bastogne | Hunt Tosh | Ceil Wheeler |
2017 | Private Life | Scott Stewart | Betsee Parker |
2016 | Catch Me | Scott Stewart | David Gochman |
2015 | Boss | John French | Laura Wasserman |
2014 | Mindful | Kelley Farmer | Glefke and Kensel, LLC |
2013 | Quotable | Kelley Farmer | D. Larry Glefke & Dr. Kenneth Garber |
2012 | Enjoy | Scott Stewart | Rose Hill Farm |
2011 | Garfield | Scott Stewart | Alexandra Crown |
2010 | Francesca | Maggie Jayne | Pony Lane Farm |
Show jumping is a part of a group of English riding equestrian events that also includes eventing, hunters, and equitation. Jumping classes are commonly seen at horse shows throughout the world, including the Olympics. Sometimes shows are limited exclusively to jumpers. Sometimes jumper classes are offered in conjunction with other English-style events. Sometimes, show jumping is but one division of a very large, all-breed competition that includes a very wide variety of disciplines. Jumping classes may be governed by various national horse show sanctioning organizations, such as the United States Equestrian Federation or the British Showjumping Association. International competitions are governed by the rules of the International Federation for Equestrian Sports.
A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer for major, all-breed events or national and international championships in a given discipline or breed. Most shows consist of a series of different performances, called classes, wherein a group of horses with similar training or characteristics compete against one another for awards and, often, prize money.
The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) is a nonprofit organization composed of men and women of all riding levels and offers individual and team competition in Hunter Seat equitation and Western horsemanship with around 400 members from colleges and universities. Members of the IHSA participate in horse shows. Students compete at eight levels, from beginner through advanced, with provided horses. Founded in 1967 by Bob Cacchione, it has 10,000 members in 47 U.S. states and Canada. IHSA college and university team participation is represented through varsity athletics, academic departments and club sports.
Equitation is the art or practice of horse riding or horsemanship.
The United States Equestrian Federation is the national governing body for most equestrian sports in the United States. It began on January 20, 1917, as the Association of American Horse Shows, later changed to the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA). In 2001, the organization changed its name to USA Equestrian (USAE) and, in 2003 it merged with the United States Equestrian Team (USET). In 2017, USEF rebranded as US Equestrian. In 2019, USEF outsourced its laboratory services to the University of Kentucky.
The Hunter division is a branch of horse show competition that is judged on the horse's performance, soundness and when indicated, conformation, suitability or manners. A "show hunter" is a horse that competes in this division.
Hunt seat is a style of forward seat riding commonly found in North American horse shows. Along with dressage, it is one of the two classic forms of English riding. The hunt seat is based on the tradition of fox hunting. Hunt seat competition in North America includes both flat and over fences for show hunters, which judge the horse's movement and form, and equitation classes, which judge the rider's ability both on the flat and over fences. The term hunt seat may also refer to any form of forward seat riding, including the kind seen in show jumping and eventing.
George H. Morris is an American equestrian. He won team silver in show jumping at the 1960 Rome Olympics and is considered a founding father of hunt seat equitation. He was chef d'equipe for the United States show jumping team, which won Olympic gold under his leadership, from 2005 until 2013. He also served as chef d'equipe for the Brazilian show jumping team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Throughout his career, Morris has been a "proponent of the forward seat" and wrote several books on the subject, including Hunter Seat Equitation. Morris trained students at his Hunterdon Stables and traveling clinics, producing nationally and internationally successful riders, including Olympic champions. In 2019, after a United States Center for SafeSport investigation, Morris was banned for life from the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) due to sexual misconduct with minors. Morris is likewise banned from coaching international teams for any country.
The Horse of the Year Show - also known as HOYS - was founded to be a culmination of the British equestrian events year. The Show was the idea of Captain Tony Collings and was realised by the then Chairman of BSJA, Mike Ansell. As it was to be the end of Season Finale the show needed to be held indoors, making it a unique event.
Elizabeth Madden is an American Olympic champion equestrian competing in show jumping. She has two Olympic golds and one silver in team jumping, and an individual bronze. She won the FEI Show Jumping World Cup twice; won two silvers and two bronzes at World Championships; and won two golds, one silver and two bronzes at the Pan American Games. She was the first American to break into the international top three show jumping ranking, and the first woman to win over one million dollars in show jumping prize money.
The Ontario Collegiate Equestrian Association (OCEA) is a university equestrian league in the province of Ontario, Canada. It was developed to give Ontario post-secondary students an opportunity to participate in equestrian sports while continuing their education. The OCEA welcomes riders of all skill levels, offering hunter seat equitation classes from beginner to advanced riders. The OCEA is team-focused, but allows for personal growth and learning. It allows any post-secondary student to participate in horse shows regardless of the rider's beginning skill level, financial status, or past riding experience. Both men and women are eligible to compete. There are 18 participating universities. Two colleges, Cambrian College and Georgian College, joined for the 2016–2017 season. The league was modelled after the American IHSA.
Palatine Stables is a recreational horseback riding facility located in Palatine, Illinois. Palatine Stables is owned by the Palatine Park District and managed by head trainer Toni Bruns.
William "Will" Coleman III is an American equestrian. At the 2012 Summer Olympics he competed in the Individual eventing and Team eventing. At the age of six, Coleman's family moved to Charlottesville, VA where he started riding. His first horse was a Shetland pony that arrived in the bed of a pickup truck. Coleman soon started riding in the hunt fields of Virginia Piedmont Hunt where he learned the fundamentals of horse back riding. His father was his first show jumping coach, being an avid fox hunter and horseman in his own right. As his love for eventing grew he started training with Olympic veterans Karen and David O’Connor regularly. After graduating from Woodberry Forest School in 2001, Coleman took an apprenticeship with the O’Connors.
Jessica Rae Springsteen is an American equestrian. The daughter of musicians Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa, she is a show jumping champion rider who has represented the United States Equestrian Team in international competition and won a silver medal in the Team jumping at the 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021 in Tokyo.
Junior Hunter Finals is a two-day national championship held by the United States Equestrian Federation at two different coasts of the United States in the summer of every year. It is held for qualifying Junior Hunter riders who show at either the 3'3" or 3'6" height.
Lucy Davis is an American show jumping competitor and 2016 Olympian.
The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) is a nonprofit organization that gives youth in grades 4-12 the opportunity to compete in team and individual equestrian competition without the financial burden of owning a horse. IEA offers competition across three disciplines: hunt seat, western, and dressage. Within each discipline, there are divisions for beginning through advanced riders. Since all riders compete on horses unfamiliar to them, there are regulations for the placement of riders new to IEA to account for the unique format. IEA was founded in spring of 2002, and has since grown its membership to 14,500 members across 46 states. Teams can be formed through a school or barn.
The United States Equestrian Federation Pony Finals is an annual championship for pony hunters, jumpers, and equitation. The event takes place over six days and is typically held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. More than 600 ponies compete at the championship every year.
Sydney Shulman represents Israel in show jumping competitions, primarily in the United States and Europe. She is known for running a hunter jumper training and sales business, Syd Shulman LLC, which is based in Wellington, Florida, as well as working with her family business, Back Country Farms, of Greenwich, Connecticut.
Lillie Carmichael Keenan is an American show jumping rider. As a junior rider she won the ASPCA Maclay Finals, the USEF Medal Finals, and the Washington International Horse Show Equitation championship, as well as the USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals and double gold at the North American Young Rider Championship.