The Upperville Colt and Horse Show celebrates 170 years of equine excellence, June 5-11.
“There’s something so special about riding where so many of the great horsemen have ridden,” says Michael Britt-Leon, winner of the $25,000 Salamander Hotel USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Upperville Colt & Horse Show in 2022. This year’s event, the 170th, takes place June 5-11 and will attract more than 1,900 horses and riders from around the world to compete for a total of $500,000 in prize money.
“Upperville draws big names, but it still maintains its community feel,” says Katie Prudent, the 1986 World Champion in team show jumping. “It is a very special old-style horse show. I love it.” A designated World Champion Hunter Rider show, it was honored as “Horse Show of the Year” in 2021 by the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.
The oldest and perhaps most prestigious equestrian competition in the country, it was founded in 1853 by Colonel Richard Henry Dulany, whose ancestors fought beside George Washington in the Revolutionary War. When Dulany asked Louis Comfort Tiffany to design the trophy for the innaugural event, the celebrated craftsman was so impressed that he created the cup himself, charging only for the silver.
In addition to Sunday’s $213,300 Grand Prix finale, the event will include Jack Russell Terrier races, an antique car expo, a children’s leadline class, and a top-drawer lineup of retail vendors. Upperville.com
This article originally appeared in the April 2023 issue.
