Washington International Horse Show

I went with my husband and we were so pleased with our seats- right up front. We were so surprised that the show lasted 4 hours! We feel as those we got our money's worth. Wonderful show!! Highly recommended!

The venue is great as a spectator as you can get pretty close to the equestrian athlete and see the action very well. The number and choice of vendors in the circular corridor could be improved.

Wonderful event. A little difficult to park because the street was closed. Afternoon was expensive and sparsely attended. Evening was terrific. My daughter was thrilled to meet people from so many different countries. Thankfully there was very little advertising on the big screen. Only problem was the sound system where voices were virtually impossible to decipher. It would have been nice to hear the introductions and the explanations. Maybe work it out next year?

What a way to spend your Friday night. The horses were amazing. The terrier races were so funny.

The ponies were so cute and the kids rode really well. The equitation course was great and they did a great job trying to put in a clean round.

I have been going to the International Horse Show for the last twenty years, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it more when it was in Maryland at USAIR Arena, or whatever it was called. The spirit changed when it moved to DC. That was the only evening I could attend. The dressage demonstration was amazing, and I love the terriers race. The puissance show itself was ridiculous: 5 riders. After the first round, the host announced that the riders had to jump only two obstackes: the wall of course and another one but they could practice on another one. He apparently came back on that but I did not hear it. 3 did not pass the second round, and the 4th one did a beautiful job, but did the practice - apparently I was not the only one to hear it! - and was disqualified. The only one remaining was from Venezuela, and refused to do another round alone with a higher wall. I never expected to leave at 9:25 pm the show!

Was a wonderful night of entertainment and beautiful horses.

Overall the show was great. I was disappointed that we had to pay an addition $15 to get in before the 7:00 show. And, very few vendors. A highlite of the day has always been shopping.

To have the opportunity to see some of country's -- if not the world's -- best riders is something that should not be missed. There needs to be a way to better advertise this event. Few people knew of it, but expressed to me they would have loved to see it. Hopefully next year more will be done to get the word out. Advertise earlier!

The Washington International Horse Show, Puissance Event, is breathtaking. The horses are incredibly beautiful and the grace displayed as they move throughout the arena is spectacular. Our hearts were racing as we sat anxiously watching each horse approach and gracefully move through the jumps. The terrier races were exciting and created such a belly laugh that tears would come to your eyes with laughter. They are so small and race like bullets (Washington Bullets) to their destination. Their personalties shine as they little fellows (and girls) eagerly chase the fox tail. An amazing evening!

The overall night was very enjoyable. I have gone to this event before and had a better time but I think the contestants this time around were not as up to par as before. The Puissance itself did not last longer then 2 rounds and only reached 6'1" as the height for the great wall. But the rest of the evening was definately worth the 2 hour drive into DC from PA. I would recommend the Metro however because Traffic was horrendous and paying 25$ for parking was not ideal. I would suggest coming into the city early and getting a meal at any of the fabulous restaurants and perhaps some cupcakes from Red Velvet before hand.

What a great experience to have in the nations capital. Seven days of all horses in the middle of the city. The biggest issue this year was that the Verizon Center would not let the public in early enough to spend time with the vendors.

The event was amazing. The jumping was very impressive and the terrier races were incredible.

High jump event was a big disappointment! They only went 2 rounds. It was impossible to get food or beverages the lines were super long. Numerous vendors made shopping fun.

There are so many local equestrian events which are free or cost very little. The Washington International Horse Show was a disappointment, at least for someone who is an equestrian. For the general public, especially if they have no contact with horses or equestrian pursuits, the show might be more palatable.

A great night of watching beautiful horses and talented athletes! Thanks!

If you are attending the Washington International Horse Show, be sure you know exactly what you are going to see. Wednesday's evening line-up of classes was dismal. One class -- ONE CLASS! A jumping class for amateur adults. There was also a really stupid exhibition of some abbreviated form of polo. Extremely disappointing. It wasn't worth the metro ride to the venue, much less the price of admission. When I used to attend this event in my childhood, each evening had six or seven classes and lasted until midnight. This was a real bummer. Definitely NOT worth my time or money.

Great exhibition. Show cases the ability and athletic skills of the horse and rider. Unbelievable at times....on the edge of my seat. We LOVE the show!!! This year international competition was bit less --- but still a great showing.

We go to this event, every year. Once again, it was a terrific night! Amazing horses, and riders. The Puissance event is so exciting! We were very disappointed that they didn't have the Jack Russel terrier races at half-time, this year. It is typically a highlight of our night!

This event was a lot of fun! It kept the kids as well as the adults interested. We were able to see Olympic competitors competing at the same level they would there. It was neat to see the set up and tear down and what the riders do prior to the course. The kids loved the dog racing in the middle too! I would recommend this event to everyone!

I found out about the event by chance, eating at a restaurant across the street. Bought a ticket on the internet which was a confusing process all by itself. I thought I was going to be able to attend on multiple occasions, but it was for the next morning only. Couldn't figure out the classes and judging so bought the only program available-$10 which I thought high. Eventually figured out which classes were being judged (scoreboard and announcer do not announce class numbers, only names of classes). I didn't find a place in the catalog that explained the judging and how the points are computed. Perhaps it is in there. Didn't realize until afterward that most of the participants are listed in the back although the classes are listed farther to the front . I think I would have enjoyed a second day more if I could have read the catalog beforehand. Couldn't tell if the 3'3" and 3'6" choice of jump was determined by the height of the horse or a choice made by the rider. I did like to watch the classes.

I was disappointed with the show for the price that I paid for the tickets. I don't mind paying more for good seats if I feel that I get my money's worth. Classes were very short & quick. Advertisements for this show is over rated.

Hadn't been to the WIHS is about 10 years. Although ferrying horses/ponies back and forth from MD is a challenge for trainers and riders, the overall efficiency should be noted. The security at the horse show was top rate. The event itself was fun, entertaining and a great part of the indoor season. Hope to make it back next year and see more top rate riders and horses.

The $125,000 President s Cup Grand Prix event at the 55th Washington International Horse Show was exciting and enjoyable. The competitors were top-notch world class riders. Even so, the jumping course was very tough and, as a result, there were only two clear no fault rides from the 25 riders. The two finalists in the one-on one jump off, Kent Farrington and Brianne Goutal, were both very impressive and Farrington's two flawless rides were quite exhilerating. In addition to the Grand Prix, there were other enjoyable events. The terrier races and barrel races are fun crowd pleasers. We enjoyed the event and recommend it even to those who are not avid horse entusiasts.

The WIHS was amazing! The Puissance entertained, as always, & it was a wonderful time to share w/ my nieces & their friends!

Great event! I would highly recommend people to attend next year. The show was entertaining and they had great booths. It was nice attending something different at the Verizon center and made for a great date night!

It was a good show. I was disappointed that in the entire 6 day show there was not a single dressage event scheduled and only one Jack Russell Terrier race.

First time at the show and I went Friday night because my husband performed in the Caisson Platoon exhibition show on military night. He is in the army and I was very proud of him! They did so great! The other events this night were very fun to watch as well! I enjoyed the excitement from the high jump competition, Klinger receiving his award, and the marine corps drill team. I especially appreciate the video for the caisson platoon to show people how hard my husband and his fellow soldiers work at their job in the honor guard. It's a small platoon and most people don't know about it as much so it was nice for them to touch on the high demanding aspects of their job. Their work is very important and should be valued. It was awesome to see them out their on their day off put on a show that demonstrated their unique riding style and disposition. They are a great team!

A horse jumpng a 7 foot wall !!!! The military slilent drill team !!! Unforgetable and really makes you humble and proud to be an American !!!!

I attended the Puissance Military Night and thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it! The show was very well run and stuck to a rigid timeline. The information provided on the Jumbotron regarding various show segments was very helpful (i.e. Caisson Platoon Exhibition).

My husband performed with the Caisson Platoon exhibition on military night he was the Swing rider. I was so proud of him and it was amazing to watch. The rest of the events too were very fun to watch!

We really enjoyed the evening and loved the military events had a great time

While I enjoyed watching the horses and riders compete, I was bored silly in between the horse-and-rider events. Granted, the amusing shetland-pony race had been the previous evening -- a GREAT idea, btw -- but c'mon! Can't organizers think of more creative ways to use the downtime? Show us dressage horses! Bring in a horse whisperer! DON'T show military men swinging around guns. How many people left their seats for that one? Whoever comes up with the alternative events needs to be sidelined and replaced by a millennial who knows what entertains today's audiences. Can we please get out of the 1960s?

The Puissance Military Night was exciting to watch. The "down-time" between events was filled with things to watch and enjoy. Not a single dull moment!

Amazing time! Great seats, and crowd interaction was a blast!

Great event. Thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and will definitely attend again!

Gambler's Choice was the feature of Barn Night. Riders dress in various Halloween costumes, which, of course, is great fun. But this main event of the evening is edge-of-your-seat exciting! Each jump has a different value, according to difficulty, so the "gambling" part is -- do you take all easier jumps, allowing you to get more jumps (it's a timed event), or do you go for the difficult, high-point jumps. Great fun and well worth the ticket!

I had a great time watching the equestrian events almost as much as my daughter did. This could be the start of an annual tradition. The event is well-organized, fun, and very family friendly. Highly recommended.

Welsh pony races made the event! Uber cute. A lot of great vendors there as well!

Amazing to watch some of the finest riders and horses compete in such a sport steeped in tradition. Was amazed to see the portable stalls down the middle of a busy DC street!

fun for everyone! went for the puissance, loved it all!

The jr. equitation jumpers were fun.The terrier races hysterical as usual.Guy McClean was astounding and fun.The presidents cup was breathtaking.Loved the whole show.Wish they would move it back to a suburb,like showplace arena, so more people could attend. We would certainly go more than one night and more vendors would attend also.

Great jumping competition! Entertainment between events was also super.

It was our first time experience to watch a live horse show. We enjoyed although it was a little boring for kids. I loved the dogs race show!! Thank you for coordinating this kind of shows.

The Sat evening events at the show were wonderul. First was the final for the junior equitation riders who had to swap horses and jump a course. That was a good show of skill. Then we had jack russell terrier races which were fast and furious and so funny. Next was an exhibition by an Australian showman with 4 horses- awesome! The big event was the President's cup, a huge show jumping course with many international riders and Olympic riders. Weheld our breath over each jump, and groaned when a rail went down. 9 made it to the jump-off and that was fast and a real show of horse handling skill and athletic performances by the horses. Best of all, my favorite, Reed Kessler, won. We couldn't stay for the awards because the Metro was going to close- next year I will drive in.

Took my kids to the event. We had great seats and a great time. Watching a horse jump a 7 foot wall is something you just have to see in person. The terrier races were great fun and Guy McLean was really cool.

Super exciting! Fun and family friendly :) Not to be missed my horse lovers of all ages and types.

International Horse Show was amazing, we thought the price was fair for a family of three but when we got there and saw the seats we were extremely happy. We were right there in front of the horses and the equestrians. Before the main event (tickets we bought) they had some free events for the kids where they gave us free tickets for the other competitions. We spent the whole morning in the show because it was espectacular!! We are planning to attend it next year!!!

I have been attending WIHS every year since 2010, and every year the competition is fantastic! Whether you are an avid equestrian or a sports fan, this horse show is one of the best. Horses in the city!

Having only 4 horses in the ring was disappointing

So sad to see this show has gone downhill through the years. Enormous amount of money to spend to watch very few riders and stand around for long intermission- the show needs to be revamped or the prices need to come down. I am a huge fan but refuse to waste money only four riders competed for puissance. Hunter Halloway was great.

Organization was excellent as usual in US sport events, top level of riders although I'd prefer to see more Europeans as well, but when you have 3 of the 4 Olympics medalists to see it's much more then enough. Very good and selective course, amazing the possibility to personal meet riders of this level walking around the arena and share a moment with them. I've seen several competitions in Europe and I really enjoyed the WIHS that I'd recommend to any equestrian and good life enthusiast.

This was our second year attending WIHS. It was absolutely fabulous. We had front row seats having purchased tickets two months early. The horses were beautiful and the jumping spectacular. It was exciting to watcxh the US Olympians ride.

Gambler's Choice is always a fun night at the WIHS!

I come to this show every year and this year was the best by far! The dressage exhibition was great (much better than the fillers in previous years) and I felt that this year the flow of the events was much better. It was exciting and the excellent announcers made it even more fun! I would highly recommend Friday or Saturday night of the WIHS!

I had really great seats, could see everything and was close to all the action. The course was really well done and competitive. Loved being able to see world class jumpers in DC.

Great show had a wonderful time. We go every year!

My daughter enjoyed herself. This was our first year attending, and we look forward to more of their events in the future. Our seats was perfect- Main Concourse, 5 Rows from the floor, can't beat it!

This is my second year attending the Washington International Horse Show, and I wish I had known about it earlier because it is an amazing, one of a kind event! If you love horses, you won't want to miss this special event that is a DC tradition! This year I went to the junior show jumping championship on Wednesday night, which was fun and exciting. The horses are absolutely beautiful and majestic. I have also attended the Saturday night international jumping championship and Shetland Pony steeplechase, which is quite a treat! There are also lots of great vendors in the halls selling any and all horse items you can imagine - it's a great holiday gift-shopping opportunity! Don't forget to stop by the horse stalls outside the Verizon Center, where you may get an up-close look at the horses!

Wished the people working the desk in front row would have sat down for the pony races. We all had their heads in our photos. I wish I could of picked my seats since I like to take photos. Could not see the big jump on Friday night by 4 feet or so, not the end of the world but disappointed.

It still needs to move out of DC. The traffic is horrendous. The Jr. Equitation was a little boring. We all missed the terrier races but the Shetland pony races were a big hit.

This is the only event of it's kind in the DC local area.

I thought that Washington International Horse Show was thrilling! I love the drama and anticipation that a good jump-off creates. The shetland pony racing was also so much fun! I only thought that the Chinese dragon dancers were a bit out of place at this event.

The show was great when the riders and horses were actually competing. There was too much down time between events. The dragon show could have been cut. Also, if I'm going to pay $50 for a ticket to a horse show I want to see a horse show, not an award ceremony for all the people involved with putting the show together.

We had a great time! I always used to go with my dad to WIHS when I was a little girl. Now we are carrying on the tradition with my daughter. She loved it!

If you are a fan of equestrian sports, this event is wonderful. The venue is comfortable and the level of competition is world class. Employees were for the most part very helpful. Only negative ....the food options. Nothing healthy and mostly tasteless fare.

I always love going to the Washington International Horse Show! From the exciting Puissance to the Grand Prix, it's a thrilling atmosphere watching the riders compete in such a narrow ring requiring such tight turns. It's a totally unique experience! This is not even to mention the amazing shopping and the thrill of seeing horse stabling out on the streets of DC! I highly recommend this event and I haven't missed it in 10 years.

Was an amazing experience!! Loved to see the horses taking over the city!!! :)

I was disappointed with the puissance only 5 entry's only 4 jumps. The last time I went was in the 80s at the capital center. I even saw the record get broken back then it was a great event. Not many people were there I understand now. This has gone down hill. I expected much more like it used to be i.e... terrier races, draft hitch, dressage horses or cutting horses one year. Even less vendors with way expensive stuff. For the price of tickets I am very disappointed. It was even better when at the armory.

Thought it was well run and enjoyable. I really missed not having the terrier races!

Great way to see amazing horses up close! And without having to leave the city!

This event was absolutely amazing. The Puissance was so exciting you could hear a pin drop when teams attempted "The Wall".

Horse Show was enjoyable if you really like to watch horses perform.

We had great seats, the evening was good, and the two five year olds we had with us loved it.

Jumping competition was excellent and well organized. Verizon staff were very courteous and helpful. Only complaint...the background music before the competition started, and between setting up the two events was unnecessarily loud!

Up close and personal with many icons of the sport. WIHS was really incredible - the venue many not have been the best for the riders and horses but we got to meet some many right on the street. Pretty cool.

Love going to WIHS - super fun and love that they let us down to the arena this year to see how big the jumps actually are.

Great job at putting this night together - the dog races and Australian Cowboy were also really run to watch Well organized event!

EVERYTHIG WAS PERFECT. THE PUISSANCE CONTEST WAS AMAZING AS WELL AS ALL THE RIDERS, THE HORSES AND THE GUY MC LEAN EXHIBITION

Puissance night is my favorite. Hats off to the riders who are not afraid to come down the other side of a seven foot jump. The horses looked magnificent and my seat was right in front of a jump. The announcer was well heard and at a remote it's hard to do at times.

A nice mix of events, with the speed class first, followed by the sheer height of Puissance. The exhibitions were also fantastic, including the terrier races.

I love to watch the top riders compete in costume in a fun jumping competition. That was the highlight of the show, even thought there were only a few top riders. I was anticipating a good variety of venue, but was disappointed. The Junior/Amateur jumping was long and not exciting. Mutton busting is fun, but where were the terrier races or casson exhibition? I have been going almost every year for the past 20 years, and this is the first time I was truly disappointed. I will be going to the Presidents Cup event for now on.

Gambler's Choice is always fun at the WIHS. The costumes are great! A fun night watching the jumpers compete in costume!

Two events held during the Sat evening show. The entire family 2 adults, 3 elementary age children all enjoyed the show. Set up for the second event could have been quicker to keep the show moving, but the terrier show at half time was very entertaining. We will go again next year.

Excellent horse show! The sound system was a detraction - could not understand announcers.

The horse show was amazing .....as always. I came with my barn 20 years ago and fell in love with the event. I have now been able to attend the last four, and love it as much as I always have. The horses are spectacular. You can sit up close, you can hear the riders, see the nostrils of the horse...........AMAZING! I am disappointed they no longer do the dressage on Friday night. We drive four hours every year and would gladly spend two nights in the hotel if we could see dressage! The exhibitors were great. The food though was really bad. I spend over $10 for a hamburger that was cold.

Greatly enjoyed the whole evening. As usual the horses and riders were riveting to watch and the terrier races were a hoot. I'm glad the puissance has a final round at 7 feet. It was too nerve racking before when the final horse and rider could attempt to break the record. It's still exiting to watch and now I don't worry about a bad accident happening. I love the WIHS and will definitely return next year. I brought a friend with me and it was her first horse show ever. She's a convert now.

The event was very well done. Drawbacks -- it took a long time to change the field between events. It would have been nice to have an intermission called while they did that so we could go see the vendors on the concourse. Seats were actually a bit too close. It was tough to see the entire show jumping course.

My family thoroughly enjoyed the night. My son is a jumper so it was nice for him to see what he can look forward to. The riders were great and horses were beautiful.

I always have a good time. Having been going since the 70's

EXCELLENT!! everyone who loves horses should go and enjoy this experience

The jump-off for the invitational was incredible did not expect the two in the begining to go the jump-off

If you are a horse lover, this is a wonderful even to attend! If you are not a horse lover, it is still a good time! It was a good competition and the terrier races were very entertaining. A great chance to see some very impressive horses and their riders...

We took our nice for her birthday. She takes riding lessons and loves jumping. She love it and we enjoyed it as well. I would would do this again but not bother with the VIP tickets. Sitting in the front row was too close and wasn't the best view.

Really enjoyed the show. Will go again next year, but on friday night instead.

The W.I.H.S. was amazing, the demonstrations were well thought out and appropriate. The athletes did amazingly well considering the temperature outside and having no way to warm up. The terrier races were amusing, even though some went home because of the weather. I would suggest that a sound check be done by the main announcer since there was a bit of feed back/echo while he spoke. All of the floor speakers and everyone else sounded nice and clear except the main announcer. Also the timing for the video display while going over the course should have been paid attention to, since they were not in sync while explaining. I would also check into the Verizon Center having vendors stay open to serve something to drink while the show is still going on. Concessions were closed and during an intermission and there was nothing to drink. Since you can't walk out into the lobby and be let back in this was ridiculous.

This was our first time at the WIHS and we loved it. We attended the big Saturday night show. We bought tickets the night before and got great seats in the lowest price range that turned out to be in the tenth row at almost the center of the arena. Amazing! We parked for free two blocks away and walked right in. So easy. The competitors - equine and person - were top notch. There was never a dull moment or a lag in the entertainment. My husband is not a rider and he even enjoyed the night. I wish all events were as well run, affordable, easy, and simply enjoyable as the WIHS!

The show was fabulous. Seats were great. Loved it.

I attended this event with my mother and younger sister who is an Equestrian (beginner/amateur). We were so impressed with the professionalism of this event. Being from the DC area, it was amazing to horse stables on 6th street! We have already decided that we're coming back to see WIHS next year and we will be going to more than one event.

I grew up attending horse shows at the New York State Fair. I couldn't imagine what a show could be like in Washington, DC at the Verizon center. Expecting to see rider after rider and a few ribbon ceremonies...this was far more than that. The terrier races were so fun to watch. Guy McLean demonstrated amazing skill with un-bridled horses. The video on transforming the hockey rink to a jumping ring was very interesting. The 4-horse wagon demonstration was interesting too. And of course watching horses jump a wall over 6 feet tall was impressive. The most disappointing aspect of the whole evening was the noise. It was very difficult to understand the announcers...mostly because there was music playing quite loudly, with lyrics, in the background. Some people have an easy time filtering one from the other, but with the echo of the arena it made it nearly impossible to understand the announcers at times. I would highly suggest they cut out music with lyrics and just stick to music or nothing at all. What's wrong with just people talking? That's the only big negative about the evening. I would have enjoyed being able to see the riders warm up or walk through the stables...but oh yeah, this is the Verizon Center in the middle of a city.