Although there will be two National Horse Shows this year, neither one of them will be in Las Vegas.
The Metropolitan National Horse Show will be held for the second year on Pier 94 in New York City, Nov. 3-7. The National Horse Show Outdoor Championships will be held for the third year at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Fla., Dec. 1-5.
But show officials have dropped the National Indoor Championships in Las Vegas from the calendar due to the lack of staffing, they said. The inaugural Las Vegas show was cancelled in 2003 because of the wildfires in Southern California that disrupted exhibitors’ schedules.
Stadium Jumping Inc., which manages the shows, formed committees of trainers and exhibitors who attended the first Metropolitan to offer suggestions for improvements.
And some changes are in the works. The show ring, which riders considered long and narrow, is being widened by 15 feet, and all stabling will be on one side of the pier. There will be designated VIP seating, with tables and chairs around the ring. Management is working with the famous New York City restaurant Tavern On The Green to cater the VIP seating area. There will also be new seating sections for general admission and exhibitors.
The Metropolitan Cup, a World Cup-format division, is still on the schedule for junior/amateur-owner jumpers. The ASPCA Maclay Finals schedule has been changed so there’s no break between the first and second rounds, as there was last year for the pony hunter classes. The Maclay will start at 11 a.m.
The schedule for The National Horse Show Outdoor Championships remains the same. The Victor Hugo-Vidal NHS Equitation Championship will draw equitation riders, the NHS Hunter Championship will return under the lights on the Internationale Grand Prix Field, and there will be a dressage competition. The $100,000 NHS Jumper Championship is scheduled for Friday evening, accompanied by a black-tie affair called “Jumping Under the Stars.” The $100,000 AGA Championships will be held on Sunday, Dec. 5.
The National Horse Show Board of Directors is meeting in June and will finalize the details for each show at that time. Tickets should be available for both shows by the beginning of August.
