Now in its 171st year, the oldest horse show in the country, the Upperville Colt & Horse Show kicks off today, June 3, in Upperville, Virginia.
And this year, the historic show offers something new: At 6 p.m. today the public is invited to “Conversation with the Course Designer,” a free educational seminar. The seminar will feature course designers Nick Granat, Tommy Brawley, Paul Jewell and Nancy Wallis, who will discuss the fundamentals of hunter and jumper course design. The two-hour seminar will help participants learn to analyze courses and develop strategies for tackling challenging courses successfully. Sign up here to participate.
The show’s Grafton and Salem Farm Show Grounds straddle U.S. Route 50 in Virginia, offering spectators a choice between watching the hunters on one side, under the iconic oak trees of Grafton Farm, where the show has been held since 1853, or jumpers on the other, set against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
The show’s headline events are the $226,000 Upperville Jumper Classic CSI4* on Sunday and the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby on Thursday, but Upperville also is known for the traditional classes it offers, like the family class, leadline and side-saddle classes. The show also has a Thoroughbred division and a breeding division alongside everything from ponies to amateurs.
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When: June 3-9
Don’t miss:
• On Tuesday and Wednesday, some of the best professional hunters, including Scott Stewart, Michael Britt-Leon, Hunt Tosh and Amanda Steege will take the stage for the professional divisions. The $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby runs on Thursday, June 6.
• Thoroughbred jumpers get their time to shine on Thursday in the Take2 Thoroughbred Jumper class and the Upperville Thoroughbred Jumper Classic.
• The amateur-owners and adult amateurs will show from Wednesday through Friday under the oaks, and the Best Amateur-Owner Hunter Rider will be named on Friday.
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• Saturday will feature side-saddle, breeding, leadline, junior hunters, ponies and the family class.
• The show culminates on Sunday with the $226,000 Upperville Jumper Classic CSI4* beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern Time.
How To Follow Along:
The show is being livestreamed on USEF Network, powered by ClipMyHorse.TV. Click here for the jumper livestream, and click here for the hunter livestream.
Important Links:
Upperville Horse Show website / Order of go and results / Complete schedule of classes
