Virginia Horse Shows and Competitions

Virginia's horse show season is upon us, with May and June being the busiest months in the year. So where in the Commonwealth are you most likely to find a hunter, jumper, combined test, barrel race, or other horse event? The map below provides an estimate of the number of scheduled horse show event-days for each of Virginia's localities based on information compiled from event calendars listed in Horse Talk, Virginia Equestrian, Virginia Horse Journal, the websites of over 70 different national, state, and regional horse event sanctioning organizations, and the websites for popular horse show venues. All told, over 1,100 horse shows (both sanctioned and unsanctioned) for 2010 were identified this way.

The horse country of Northern Virginia clearly stands out as the most popular area for staging horse shows. But, the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington gives the Shenandoah Valley a big boost. Central Virginia and Hampton Roads are also well represented. Southside and Southwest much less so.

Why might this be important? Aside from providing recreational activities for area residents and contributing to the quality of life, Virginia's horse shows draw participants and spectators from throughout the east coast and the nation. These tourist dollars provide an economic stimulus to local economies. For example, an economic impact study of the Virginia Horse Center conducted in 2004 estimated that $14 million in earnings for the Lexington/Rockbridge County area could be attributed to the equine activities hosted by the Center.