The North American Riders Group has put together a list of the best horse shows in North America by numerically evaluating them based on a number of criteria.

“This inaugural effort took hundreds of volunteer hours resulting in an ordered list of North America’s top 25 competitions,” states the introduction to list.

“Via a collective and unified voice of top riders and trainers, the goal of the NARG Top 25 aligns with our mission to make show jumping in North America rank among the greatest in the world. Certainly we, as riders and trainers, have a responsibility to reach and maintain the top level of the sport through our skill, commitment, devotion, competitive drive and the ability to develop top horses. However, to achieve this status should not require riders to leave North America to find the best competition. It is mandatory that a select group of our North American horse shows be considered world class, not only for the benefit of our riders but also to draw riders from around the world to this side of the ocean to compete.”

Download the NARG Top 25 for 2010 here.

Reprinted with permission of NARG. To learn more about NARG, check out the article in the Feb. 14, 2011, Show Jumping Issue of the Chronicle of the Horse.