There is perhaps no sport that carries with it the prestige and class that equestrianism does. The training, the breeding, the talent and the skill that accompanies the various disciplines that make up the sporting class – from racing to show jumping, Western Riding to English riding – puts equestrians in a class all their own. Here in the US, there are countless equestrian events year-round. Below are six of the most prestigious and famous among them.
1. The American Gold Cup – One of America’s most celebrated show jumping events, The American Gold Cup takes place annually in September and features a whopping $250,000 Gold Cup Grand Prix. The show was founded in Cleveland and has since moved to Tampa, Philadelphia, Devon, PA and North Salem, NY.
2. Saratoga Classic Horse Show – June – The shows, inaugurated in 1927 and brought back to life in 1998, are a highlight of the early summer season in one of horse sporting’s most storied towns: Saratoga Springs. This top-level historic competition attracts many of the country’s best horses and riders, and benefits scholarships to local Skidmore College students.
3. World’s Championship Horse Show – This exciting and prestigious event, held annually in conjunction with the Kentucky State Fair every August, crowns world champion Saddlebreds in different divisions each year. The show attracts people from all across the country and the world including more than 2,000 horses competing for over $1 million in awards.
4. The AQHA World Show – Held every November, The AQHA World Show is the pinnacle event for American Quarter Horse owners and exhibitors around the globe. Competitors and their Quarter Horses compete yearlong to qualify for the honor of competing at this annual event.
5. Arabian & Half Arabian Championship Horse Show – Held in September in Lexington, VA, this is the only Sport Horse show offered by a breed association. From dressage to hunter jumper to pleasure carriage driving, and more, here is where you’ll see some of the best horse athletes in the industry.
6. The Georgia Arabian Horse Show – A sibling to Arabian & Half Arabian Horse takes place just a bit earlier in August at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers, GA (about 30 minutes from Atlanta city center). Incidentally, this was also the site of all equestrian events in the 1996 Olympic Games.
You might also be interested to know that if you are looking for a State-of-the-art facility in Georgia to house and train your horses for these prestigious equestrian events and live luxuriously in the Southeast Region, then Clarks Bridge Equestrian Estate is for you. This beautiful horse property is located in Gainesville, GA, just over an hour from the Georgia International Horse Park (see #5 above). At a cost of $12 Million to build, this Equestrian ranch is being offered at Luxury Absolute Auction, selling with no reserve, August 29th by Supreme Auctions in conjunction with Harry Norman Realtors. For more details, contact Supreme Auctions or call 866-929-2243.
