Nearly $1 million in prize money is on the line this week as the Washington International Horse Show returns to The Show Place Arena at Prince George's Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, running October 19 through 25. The 68th annual edition of the five-star jumping and equitation event brings riders and horses from nine countries to compete, with world No. 2 Kent Farrington leading an international field stacked with Olympic medalists.
According to a release detailed by prnewswire.com, nine countries are expected to be represented in the international jumper division this year. Joining Farrington are fellow American Olympic medalists Laura Kraut and McLain Ward, along with Rodrigo Pessoa, Shane Sweetnam, Nina Mallevaey, Daniel Bluman and Daniel Coyle. As reported by The Baltimore Banner, the show offers cash purses ranging from $50 to $340,000.
Marquee Events and Prize Money
The show's centerpiece is the $340,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Washington CSI5*-W, scheduled for 8:30 p.m. on October 24, per the same prnewswire.com account. That class sits within a $530,000 CSI5*-W International Jumper Division, according to wihs.org's prize list page. The event also features the $50,000 FEI Jumping CSI2* Ambassador's Cup Grand Prix, the organization notes.
Earlier in the week, Thursday, October 22 brings the $63,000 Welcome Stake and the $63,000 Stars and Stripes Speed Stake at 6:30 p.m., the prnewswire.com release states. wihs.org's event schedule page notes that the 2025 show offered nearly $1 million in prize money, when the same $340,000 World Cup class capped the week on October 25.
A Beltway Tradition Since 1958
Established in 1958, the Washington International Horse Show is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and an official USEF Heritage Competition, per prnewswire.com. The Baltimore Banner reports the show has been a Beltway tradition ever since, moving through locations in Washington, D.C., and Maryland — including the Capital Centre in Landover and what is now Capital One Arena — before returning to the Prince George's Equestrian Center and Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro in 2022. WIHS President Vicki Lowell has said the show evolved over 67 years and five different locations, according to wihs.org.
That history now has a longer runway: WIHS reached an agreement with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission to secure its home at Prince George's Equestrian Center through 2028, the organization's site notes. For 2025, that same commission joined as a Platinum-level sponsor investing in new footing described as meeting high standards of safety, comfort and performance, wihs.org reported.
Free Daytime Admission, Family Activities
Daytime admission is free throughout the week, and parking is free every day, including during ticketed evening events, according to the prnewswire.com release. The Baltimore Banner reports that Kids' Day, a free event featuring pony rides and educational activities, takes place Saturday, October 24, with Lowell saying the day was expanded with more activities, demonstrations and horses for children to give them a positive first experience with horses. An Opening Night Salute to Service also offers half-price tickets to military service members and first responders, per the Banner's reporting.
For comparison, a historical account from eq-am.com describes the show as attracting more than 26,000 spectators annually, with prize money that has totaled more than half a million dollars. The event also offers points toward qualifying for the Fédération Équestre Internationale Jumping World Cup; the Fédération Équestre Internationale is based in Switzerland, as the Banner notes — giving this week's Upper Marlboro competition stakes that reach well beyond the Beltway.
