64th Annual Washington
International Horse Show
Dear Prince Georgians:
Today, we hosted a press conference to officially welcome the 64th Annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) to the Show Place Arena at Prince George’s Equestrian Center from Monday, October 24, through Sunday, October 30. We are thrilled about the horse show’s return because this event has a long, storied history in this region. While this will be the first one hosted at the Show Place Arena, the WIHS previously spent nearly 25 years in Landover before relocating to Washington, D.C. in 2000.
Considered one of North America’s most prestigious and competitive equestrian events, the WIHS features competition for international, professional, amateur, junior, and child riders. This event brings together some of the world’s most talented horses for Olympic-qualifying equestrian competition and entertainment, exciting exhibitions, as well as family-friendly community and charity events.
We embrace the WIHS’ return because Maryland’s close relationship with equestrian sports makes our state the ideal home for this prestigious show. The horse industry has a $2.1 billion impact on the state’s economy. In addition, thousands of young people are reached by Maryland’s equestrian educational programs each year.
I often say that greatness grows here in our County, but we want our residents to know that Prince George’s County is horse country! Greatness in equestrian sports runs deep here, and we have a lot of young riders currently training with horses. In fact, Upper Marlboro’s own Morissa Hall recently achieved the title of Maryland High School Rodeo All-Around Champion and is now known as the “Rodeo Queen.” We also have Nic Jackson, who is also from Upper Marlboro and comes from a horse training family. Nic was recently crowned the Junior World Bull Riding Champion.
For more than 60 years, the WIHS has been a source of entertainment for our local horse lovers and for our residents who otherwise would not have an opportunity to experience these animals up close. Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena could no longer accommodate the show, so it was temporarily relocated to North Carolina. We recognized what the WIHS has meant to our region, and we were determined to show our commitment to bringing this important part of our history back home – not just to the capital region, but to horse country right here in Prince George’s.
As the Crown Jewel of Maryland, our County is a natural destination point for visitors across the globe, and we believed that this world-class event would also feel at home here, so we eagerly jumped into action, partnering with the State and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) and pledging to modernize the Show Place Arena if the WIHS was brought here. As a result of our efforts, the WIHS officially returns home next week, even more highly acclaimed than ever, as it is now recognized as the only World Cup qualifying five-star event in the nation.
Our local economy will also feel a significant impact from the WIHS’ presence. In 2019, the last time the show was hosted in Washington, D.C., the city grossed approximately $11 million during the six days of competition, and we are so proud that riders and fans from all over the world are bringing their talent and enthusiasm to Prince George’s County.
We want to take this opportunity to thank the WIHS’ leadership and Board of Directors for partnering with us to bring this show to Prince George’s County. We also want to thank M-NCPPC, Experience Prince George’s, and the Maryland Horse Industry Board for their hard work and efforts throughout this process. Lastly, we want to give a very special thank you to Sheila Curry from our Office of Strategic Partnerships, who worked so hard to bring this event to Prince George’s County.
We are extremely excited about this new chapter in the history of the WIHS, and it is our honor to be the host for this special event. We encourage all fans, horse lovers, and interested residents to come out and experience this prestigious horse show over the next week. For those who don’t know much about horses and equestrian sports, this week is the perfect time to interact with the experts, learn, and have fun. For more information on the WIHS, including a schedule of events and details to purchase tickets, visit their website here.
Yours in service,
Angela Alsobrooks
Prince George’s County Executive
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