The Central Park Horse Show 2017 is set to return this fall from September 20th to 24th. It is the first outdoor sport of its kind to be held in New York City. The show takes place in Wollman Rink and attracts the best riders in the equestrian world. Learn more about the horse shows and the scheduled program of events by reading on!
Central Park Horse Show 2017
The Central Park Horse Show is one of the most popular equestrian events of the year. It features a program that spans over five days of exhibits of different horse breeds. It also showcases the best world riders as they participate in U.S. Open competitions in disciplines such as jumping, dressage, and puissance. The program truly shows the finest talent in the equestrian community.
This year’s edition also introduces a new feature into the scheduled program which is called Gladiator Polo. This thrilling sport will be presented by the U.S. Polo Association. Gladiator Polo is an exciting game that also brings some of the best polo players to the same field. The rules in this unique sport are slightly modified to keep the game moving at a faster pace.
Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg, won the inaugural edition of the show in 2014. She will be one of the noted riders to participate in this year’s competitions. The #1 ranked equestrian rider in the world, Kent Farrington, and the runner-up, McLain Ward, are also expected to attend.
The Central Park Horse Show partners up with local not-for-profit organizations for the main events. The organizations chosen dedicate their resources towards providing opportunities to children residing in disadvantaged areas. Some of the ones included for this year’s partnerships include Central Park Conservancy, New York City Children’s Chorus, New York State Horse Council, and the Police Athletic League as well as many others.
Check out the headlining events prepared for this year’s scheduled programs on the following pages!
September 20th:
The inaugural day’s main event is the U.S. Open Arabian Horse Show. It will be presented by Aljassimya Farm. The show begins at 6.30pm but make sure to arrive half an hour early once the gates open at 6pm.
September 21st
A grand three-part event will kick off with junior and amateur 1.20 speeds calls. This will be followed by the U.S. Open $40,000 FEI speed class showcasing jumping. The U.S. Open $50,000 Puissance ends the program for the day with a high jump exhibition. The gate also open at 6pm with the first competition expected to kick off at 6.30pm.
September 22nd
Catch the U.S. Open $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix featuring the best of the best in show jumping. The awaited U.S. Open $216,000 FEI 3* Grand Prix presented by Rolex will also follow shortly thereafter. This competition will also be aired on NBC Sports Network at a later date.
September 23rd
The U.S. Open $50,000 Duchossois Cup presented by The Gochman Family takes place at 1.30pm. In the evening, the U.S. Open $50,000 CDI Freestyle presented by Axel Johnson Group in dressage will start at 6.30pm.
September 24th
The events on September 24 (Sunday) are free and oriented towards families and children. It is also considered to be Family Day. Some of the events happening on this day will feature equestrian demonstration and also other types of interactive presentations. Activities such as hobby horse for the little ones will also take place between 12pm and 3pm.
Free! More info here.
Wollman Rink
830 5th Ave.
Google rating: 4.1/5.0 out of 337 reviews
The Wollman Rink is once again the center stage for the Central Park Horse Show. From October to April, it also turns into the city’s most iconic ice skating rinks. During the winter, many Upper West Siders also make it a point to come out to the rink as part of an annual tradition. The rink opened in 1950 and is 33,000 square feet in size. The location of the rink also provides great panoramic views of NYC’s skyline. As a result, it has been used a setting for scenes in beloved films like “Serendipity” and “Home Alone 2.”
