Equestrian Event Dream Trips

Whether you’re planning a trip around a certain horse show or looking for inspiration for your next horse-friendly vacation, we’ve got you covered on where to find the best equestrian events for horse lovers. From Kentucky to New York, great competition and the opportunity to witness history awaits you. Here are some of the best states to visit for the top equestrian events in America.

Kentucky Equestrian Events

The first leg of the Triple Crown starts with the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville. The winner of the Kentucky Derby has a chance to claim their spot in the history books if they go on to win the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. Head over to Louisville to witness history, Derby hats, and drink your share of mint juleps. 

Kentucky is also home to the Kentucky Three-Day Event, an eventing competition held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Lexington is also home to the Lexington Junior League Horse Show, which is the largest outdoor Saddlebred show in the world. There is plenty to do for horse owners and lovers in Lexington, which calls itself the Horse Capital of the World. Kentucky is synonymous with horses and you can’t go wrong with any of the equestrian events in the Bluegrass State.

Maryland Equestrian Events

Maryland is the home to the second leg of the Triple Crown, the Preakness Stakes, which is held in Baltimore at the Pimlico Race Course. Make your way to Maryland for the second most attended equestrian event in North America and witness the winning colt or filly receive a blanket of yellow flowers altered to resemble Maryland’s state flower placed across their withers. “The Run for the Black-Eyed Susans” is a race that should not be missed. Maryland also hosts the Capital Challenge Horse Show, another top equestrian event, that takes place every fall in Upper Marlboro.

New York Equestrian Events

New York is a premier destination for elite equestrian events. The third jewel of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, takes place at Belmont Park in Elmont. As the final leg, the audience at the Belmont Stakes has the opportunity to witness history if one of the horses wins all three legs. The winning horse is draped with a blanket of white carnations after the race, which gives the race its name as “The Run for the Carnations.” 

New York is also home to the American Gold Cup, which is hailed as one of the most prestigious and iconic equestrian sporting events in the world of International Show Jumping, and the Travers Stakes, an American Grade I Thoroughbred horse race. The American Gold Cup is held at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, and the Travers Stakes is held at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs.

Virginia Equestrian Events

As the birthplace of Secretariat, the famous Triple Crown Winner, Virginia has a lot to offer for horse enthusiasts. Virginia is home to the oldest horse show in America, the Upperville Colt & Horse Show, which is held at Grafton Farm in Upperville. Another noteworthy event to attend is the Virginia Gold Cup, a popular steeplechase race and celebration of hunt country tradition which is held at Great Meadow in The Plains. Don’t miss out on this horse competition which has been called the “world’s largest tailgate” and has drawn more than 50,000 spectators. The Virginia Gold Cup also hosts a popular hat contest, so bring out your best for race day. 

When it comes to the best equestrian events, you can’t go wrong with visits to any of these four states. The finest of competition and fun can be found at all of these races or shows.