Recommendations for horse shows to attend in US August 15-28 2022

[Olive]

Looking for some thoughts on good horse shows to bring my team to in the US next summer. Dates are the weeks of August 15 & 22. We normally attend the Vermont Summer Festival but the weeks don’t line up for us next year. Looking for:

• a wide variety of divisions - something for everyone… 2’ hunters/.8 jumpers and up (we did Lake Placid in 2016 and there weren’t enough lower divisions for my kids to get the ring time they needed)
• lots of space so we can get some schooling in on non show days (we did Travers City in 2019 and the rings went so late you couldn’t get in to do a quick lesson until dark)
• a nice place to visit - this will be a family vacation for many of them so things to do outside the show is important (love Manchester, Travers City and Lake Placid for this reason)

We are in Toronto, Canada so looking to stay east but currently checking out Kentucky and Culpepper - appreciate everyone’s thoughts!

Thanks!

[cbg]

Culpeper is absolutely not worth that kind of a drive! It’s one of the closest shows to me and I still don’t go there. I can’t speak for the hunters but the jumper schooling ring is not so hot in good weather - and if it rains it turns into a deep sloppy mess. Footing in the GP ring is fine but if you have lower jumpers they’ll go in the other ring which is straight bluestone footing and can be quite hard in the dead of summer.

And there’s really not much to do in Culpeper. It is, for sure, no LP, Vermont or Traverse City. Kentucky would be a much better choice all around.

[Olive]

thank you cbg!

[Tha_Ridge]

I’m not sure if they’re running on those exact dates, but Saratoga could fit the bill for you! Beautiful area, plenty of nice things to do in the area, the show grounds are nice and open, and you can easily school in the rings as needed.

[AmmyHunter]

The time frame you are looking at would at least partially overlap with the weeks that Kentucky hosts the Green Incentive Finals and International Hunter Derby Finals, so you would want to be aware that those weeks will be pretty busy, and would definitely want to check the prize lists to make sure they are offering all the things you would be looking for those weeks before you made the drive that far! I know in normal weeks they have things like the 2’ short/long stirrup, all heights of USHJA hunters and schooling classes, and some blue/red .80 schooling jumper classes, but we avoid the August time frame so I haven’t looked at those prize lists in particular.

[JenEM]

Does it need to be USEF rated? WEC in Ohio might have something–they have everything from beginners over groundpoles up to grand prix, but only some of their stuff is USEF.

[MHM]

Check out Fieldstone near Boston, Massachusetts, which might be less of a drive for you.

It’s a very nice facility, and the area is pretty as well.

[Olive]

thanks MHM - I’ll check it out!

[Olive]

thanks JenEM - good point - I’ll look into WEC

[Olive]

thanks for the info AmmyHunter - I’ll see what the prize list looks like for those weeks

[Olive]

perfect - thank you!

[Ponyplusaninch]

So WEC is absolutely lovely (just got back from two weeks there, actually) and run divinely. You could not ask for a smoother functioning horse show. Plus, the facilities are so horse friendly–great footing, enough space, good barns/stalls, etc.

HOWEVER, in terms of family vacation… there is not a lot else in Wilmington apart from those show grounds :-/ You will either need to head further south to Cinci or north to Columbus for fun stuff. Neither drive is impossible, but after a long day of horse showing, it may not be everyone’s preference.

Kentucky Horse Park is very close to Lexington and has a wide range of family activities in the city and nearby (all the bourbon distilleries, good hiking, the horse park itself, restaurants, Keeneland, etc).

[theinstigator]

We went to Saratoga this August, and the show rings were closed for hacking other than the first day of the show. It could’ve been because of all the rain that week, but we weren’t able to get in the rings as much as we anticipated, unfortunately.

[Tha_Ridge]

@theinstigator

We went to Saratoga this August, and the show rings were closed for hacking other than the first day of the show. It could’ve been because of all the rain that week, but we weren’t able to get in the rings as much as we anticipated, unfortunately.

Interesting, I was there for two weeks in May and they were allowing schooling, IIRC.

[fourfillies]

Swan Lake in Littlestown PA? Not a destination show but great footing, nice stabling and definitely something for everyone. Gettysburg Battlefield is right there and you are a very easy drive to Baltimore, DC/Middleburg and even Philadelphia. Would need to check USEF or ask Mary what they plan to run those weeks in 2022. Only one of those weeks this year was “A” or whatever we call them now.

[BITSA]

too bad Thunderbird is so far away, its my favorite venue