An annual tradition is back in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, this weekend. The Washington International Horse Show is underway at The Show Place Arena, and, as far as equestrian competitions go, it’s kind of a big deal.
“There will be 13 countries represented here. … There’s 12 Olympians,” said Bill Ward, who is from the Baltimore area and is on the show’s board of directors. “The world’s No. 1 is going against the world No. 2. World No. 1 right now is from the United States. So it’s just — year over year — this is a really important event for the equestrian community.”
Among those riding this weekend is Brianna Cooper, an 18-year-old from McLean, Virginia.
“Everyone comes here for a reason and shows off what they have,” she said. “There’s a lot of work put in.”
She’ll be riding a horse named Penguin.
“It’s really fun to watch, to see all the really nice horses coming here and showing off,” Cooper said.
Another of this weekend’s riders is 10-year-old Annie Cooper (no relation), who came to the show from the Gulf Coast of Alabama.
“It’s a big show, and there’s really good riders here that do well and do their best,” she said.
One of her favorite parts of coming to Upper Marlboro for the show?
“I like the weather. The weather’s colder — a lot colder,” she said with a laugh.
Her mom, Sadie, is just as thrilled to be there, after taking her to so many other horse shows around the South in order to be able to compete in the D.C. region.
“They work all year to qualify for this, so kids are really excited to be here and honored to get accepted,” she said.
But for her, watching her daughter comes with more than excitement.
“Oh, I’m a nervous wreck,” she said with a laugh. “Just proud of her and proud that they come and can do this and compete in this environment.”
But for all the talk about the competition, there’s also plenty of hands-on activities for kids, whether they’re riders or not.
“On Saturday, there’s kids day, there’s face painting, pony rides,” Ward said.
Kids in attendance can even do their best horse impression by taking on the human jumping course.
“It’s just fun. The kids will have fun, even if they’ve never been on a horse. But those who have any interest in a horse, it’ll be that much more of a great experience for them,” he added.
Events happening during the daytime hours are free all weekend long.
“It is all family friendly, and you’re up close and personal,” Ward said. “This is not a huge arena, so you feel like you’re part of the action. You will hear the pounding of the horses. You will feel the excitement and the adrenaline. Because it’s not just pageantry. This is actually competition.”
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