On the Road with Anna, Part Four: Five Horse Shows You Don’t Want to Miss
By: Anna Markcrow
Hi everyone! It is Anna back with another blog post, today I will be reviewing some of the top shows on the circuit, and what my favorite things about each of them are.
1. HITS Ocala
Our barn, Terrapin Hill Farm, is based at HITS in the winter, so I feel like I have kind of grown up at HITS! The atmosphere is great for the horses, especially young ones. We have nice turnout at our barn, and it is separated from the horse show, so it is private! Many improvements have been made to HITS recently like the addition and redo of many rings and footing, a new food court, and overall property landscaping and maintenance. Also, the best thing about HITS is that BRS is located there! I can bike or drive my golf cart from school to the barn, which is amazing when I am running tight on time during the winter circuit!
2. WEC Ocala
Being based in Ocala for the winter, I would say I probably show the most at WEC! The facility is amazing… It is like Disneyland for horse people! The rings and footing are great, and I think the concept of the “green mile” is pretty cool. I also love WEC because you can see top riders of every discipline compete! The vibe during Saturday nights when the Grand Prix happens is unmatched!
3. Wellington International
Showing and being in Wellington is amazing! Although it can get hot, (depending on what time of the year you are going) it is always super fun! I would say the best thing about being in Wellington is the competition. When competing there, you are competing against people and horses at the highest level in the world. It is cool to watch them warmup and show, and can be a really great learning experience! Also, stopping by Farmstand for a horse show snack is the best!
4. Kentucky Horse Park
Kentucky is where my barn is based in the summer, and I would say it is one of my favorites because of how good it is for the horses. We rent a farm out every summer, and the turnout/vibe for the horses is beautiful! They can go out as much as possible on amazing grass! Like Wellington, you see many big name horses/riders on a regular basis. Kentucky definitely takes top prize for the horses in my mind!
5. Traverse City Horse Shows
We only started going to Traverse City last year, but I loved it! Although somewhat hard to get there, once you do it is magical! It is a little compact, but it feels like its own horse-show world! It is spread out and far away from the town, so you feel secluded too. The town itself is very nice, with many nice restaurants and things to do! GLEF is currently getting built up for horse people (for example, Grand Prix Village North), and I think in the future it will 100% be the place to be in the summer!