The World’s Championship Horse Show (WCHS) announced today that the Equine Sports Council (ESC) has been selected as the governing body ahead of the 2024 event. In February, the Kentucky State Fair Board unanimously approved the change, recognizing the importance of operating with Saddlebred-competition-tailored rules and standards emphasizing integrity, sportsmanship and safety for the non-Olympic horse industry. Qualifying requirements for WCHS remain unchanged.

Numerous additional levels of protection come with ESC governance, including:

• Drug testing will adhere to international guidelines and penalty standards, offering ISO-certified drug labs. All blood samples will be collected by a licensed veterinarian. Performance enhancement drugs are strictly prohibited, and ESC ensures the correct administration of therapeutic medications. ESC and WCHS will ensure state and regulatory compliance and maintain a high level of integrity throughout.
• Judges will be offered a $6 million officials liability insurance policy, good for 12 months.

ESC offers clear rules and standards. Class standards and judging criteria used inside the ring remain the same.

“As we embark on this new path with the Equine Sports Council as the governing body for the World's Championship Horse Show, our shared focus and effort is on elevating the integrity and prestige of this unmatched event. This partnership enables show management to operate with more specific guidance tailored to the needs of our Saddlebred industry, ensuring the continued safety, growth, and excellence of our sport,” said David S. Beck, President & CEO of Kentucky Venues.

About Equine Sports Council (ESC): Equine Sports Council partners with and governs Non-Olympic horse competitions from the Academy level to National Championship shows. ESC, a non-member, not-for-profit organization, has provided governance to over 13,000 exhibitors, and our network fees have allowed us to donate over $30,000 to the Saddlebred, Morgan, and Hackney show horse industries.  The shows in the ESC Network this year will earn an estimated $20,000 in marketing grants and industry re-investments. Learn more at: https://equinesportscouncil.org/

Midwest Charity Horse Show is thrilled to announce its 83rd  annual show, June 11-15, 2024, in the Coliseum of Champions. Daily performances will be 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., with a distinguished panel of judges: Cary Bartz, Stillwater, Minn.; Joshua Greer, East Bernstadt, Ky.; Alicia Owens, Lenhartsville, Penn.; and Mary “Misty” McGinnis, Rose Hill, Kan.

The prize list and forms will be available and entries will be accepted electronically through www.horseshowsonline.com. The schedule and list of hotels will be on Facebook as well. Printed prize lists can be mailed upon request.   

Midwest's longtime, generous supporters enabled the show to donate $15,000 to the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine’s Pediatric Fund from proceeds of its 2023 multi-breed show. Since its inception, the Midwest Charity Horse Show, an all-volunteer, nonsubsidized organization, has donated its annual proceeds to a Springfield area charity and has selected SIU School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics as its beneficiary. Since 1987, Midwest Charity Horse Show Association (MCHSA) in partnership with SIU School of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics has been an integral part of helping children with chronic illnesses live happy, healthier lives. Proceeds from this year’s horse show help provide medication, overnight lodging, food and/or transportation for families whose child is receiving treatment. The MCHSA endowment has given more than $292,000 to SIU School of Medicine's Department of Pediatrics since 1987.

For more information about the Midwest Charity Horse Show call Show Manager/President, Carole Kennedy at (217) 414-1900. Those who are online can log on to Facebook at www.facebook.com/midwestcharity to check for updates regarding the 2024 show. 

In January, the U.S. Trotting Association announced the creation of a new series of Roadster events. Details of that series, including the nomination form, are now available:

Info Sheet & Nomination Form

Frequently Asked Questions

The series will use a points system, fashioned after how many sire stakes points are tallied. The more a nominated horse shows and places, the more points they earn to qualify for the Championship Class at The Smoky Mountain Equine Fest the first week in October. Some key details about the series are:

Eligibility: Horses must have had electronic eligibilities ordered before Jan. 1, 2024 or must have been sold at a commercial yearling sale.

Nomination: Horses must be nominated by April 1 for $50 or may be supplemented by June 1 for $100.

Membership/Ownership: Owners of the nominated horse must be members of the USTA and the American Road Horse & Pony Association. USTA records must reflect current owner at time of nomination. Nominated horses must have an ARHPA Horse ID within 10 days of the nomination deadline.

Rules: All classes that make up the series will be judged in accordance with USEF Chapter RD Roadster Division rules.

Points for Championship: The region that a horse earns points in is based on the state the horse’s trainer is located. Horses can show at any show in the series, in any region, but earned points will be allocated to the trainer’s region. The top three horses from each region’s point standings will be invited to show in the Championship Class.

Series Schedule: Below is the series schedule, broken down chronologically by region:

Southeast

Asheville Saddlebred Classic — May 8-11 — Asheville, N.C.

Blowing Rock — June 6-9 — Blowing Rock, N.C.

NC State Championships — Sept. 11-14 — Raleigh, N.C.

ASHAV — Sept. 25-28 — Lexington, Va.

Northeast

Greater Boston Charity — May 15-18 — Saugerties, N.Y.

Syracuse International — June 26-29 — Syracuse, N.Y.

National Standardbred Show — Sept. 20-22 — Allentown, N.J.

Midwest

ARHPA Road Horse & Pony Show — May 17-18 — Harrodsburg, Ky.

Bourbon County — June 15 — Paris, Ky.

Brown County Charity — June 6-8 — Georgetown, Ohio

Indy Charity — June 25-28 — Indianapolis, Ind.

All American — Sept. 10-14 — Indianapolis, Ind.

The series is sponsored by, and nominations due to, the USTA. More information about Standardbred Roadster classes sponsored by the USTA is available here.

For more information about Roadsters, rules and regulations, visit the American Road Horse & Pony Association website.

Since 1996, the Standardbred Equine Program has worked with owners of off-the-track Standardbreds to educate the general public about the many disciplines Standardbreds excel at once they are retired from racing. For more information about the SEP at the USTA, visit LifeAfterRacing.ustrotting.com.

The American Saddlebred Museum is pleased to announce a new exhibit, “History Captured: American Saddlebreds through the Photographer’s Lense.” This is a captivating exploration of the American Saddlebred as seen through the eyes of renowned photographers including John R. Horst, Herman Haas, Harry Leon Sargent, Jamie Donaldson, Doug Shiflet, Howard Schatzberg, Avis Girdler, and many others. This exhibition unveils a mesmerizing tapestry of images that transcend time, offering a window into the soul and spirit of these majestic horses.

Photography today permeates our culture. With the advent of the smartphone camera, it has never been easier to take and share photographs – a fact that most people take for granted. However, this was not always the case.

The American Saddlebred Museum possesses a collection of over 2,700 photographs spanning the last 125 years. Selecting photographs to adequately express the history of the breed is no small task. The images in the exhibition represent the history of the breed capturing everything from the mesmerizing horse show victory pass and trophy presentations to the more personal image of home, barn life, pastures, and behind the scenes photographs from horse shows. History Captured is an opportunity to see the images, photographers and horses that embody the American Saddlebred experience.

The museum is open Wednesday – Sunday. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

The judges for the 2024 World's Championship Horse Show have been selected. Over the course of the eight-day show, the panel will judge 236 classes, culminating with the Five-Gaited World's Grand Championship. 

The World's Championship Horse Show Judges are:

• Tammie Conatser, Nicholasville, Ky.
• Steve Crabtree, Elizabethtown, Ky.
• William Greenwell, Warsaw, Mo.
• Anne Judd, Lutz, Fla.
• Kent Swalla, Columbia, Mo.

The 121st World’s Championship Horse Show is Aug. 17-24, 2024 at the Kentucky Exposition Center inside Freedom Hall.