Wellington, FL - November 28, 2025 - The 124th National Horse Show and Family Festival (NHS) will be held on Dec. 5-9, 2007, at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. The horse show is the finale for a year of competition. The NHS is pleased to welcome many of the best hunters in the country for this top competition.
The hunters are judged subjectively on grace and aesthetics, and more specifically on performance, soundness, way of going, and suitability as a Hunter. Hunters are grouped according to their level of experience and their rider’s age and status. Open professional classes include: two four feet divisions, the William Barlow Redfern Regular Working Hunters and the Moxie Equestrian Inc. Regular Conformation Hunters, as well as “All the Gold” Second Year Green, First Year Green, and Reflection Farms Green Conformation, which are set for horses in their first or second year of rated competition.
The highlight of the show is the $25,000 National Horse Show Hunter Championship, which is now all-inclusive for the Open, Junior, and Amateur-Owner divisions. This is a change from last year’s competition. Any horse that shows in a rated division at the National Horse Show is eligible to enter the championship, whereas in years past, horses had to qualify for the championship. Both rounds will be held on Saturday afternoon in the Internationale Arena, and riders will enter round one with a clean slate. The top 12 horses from round one will advance to round two to decide the championship. In 2006, Scott Stewart of Flemington, NJ, won the championship with Beyond.
Stewart returns to compete this year with many of his winning mounts. He’ll be joined by other top professionals like Tim Goguen, Jimmy Toon, Elizabeth Boyd, Havens Schatt, and Sandy Ferrell.
Ferrell is the trainer and rider at Royal Show Hunters and is one of many professional riders that enjoy riding at the National Horse Show in Wellington. She competed at Madison Square Garden when the National Horse Show was in New York City, and points out that there are advantages to having the show in Florida.
“Having it in Wellington is more relaxing than it was in New York City thanks to the warm weather and the great venue here,” she explained. “The panache of the National Horse Show is the same, the trophies are the same. It allows us to experience all of the National Horse Show without the drawbacks of the city.”
Each division of the professional, junior, and amateur hunters will have a $3,000 stake class, a large money class in each division that has never been offered before.
Always popular are the divisions for amateur and junior riders. The Kilkenny Amateur-Owner Over 35 Hunters and the Tara Management Amateur-Owner 18-35 Hunters have very stiff competition. Top amateur competitors at this year’s show will include Ann Garnett, Stephanie Riggio, Ellen Toon, and Krista Weisman.
The Small and Large Junior Working Hunters (small and large based on the height of the horse) are also split into two age groups, 15 & Under and 16-17. Some of the best junior riders in the country will compete in the hunters at the National Horse Show, such as Katherine Newman, Taylor Ann Adams, Jennifer Waxman, Tatiana Dzavik, and Cortwright Wetherill.
The Bainbridge Farm Adult Amateur Working Hunters and the Children’s Working Hunters compete over smaller courses set at 3 feet, and both divisions are split into two age groups. Each age group of the division will compete for $5,500 in prize money. Top Adult Amateur riders are Jennifer Reid, Katie Jacobs Robinson, Glen Senk, Victoria Watters, Bruce Duchossois, and Kimberly Jacobs. The Children’s Hunters will be another tough division, with riders such as Charlotte Jacobs, Elizabeth Boone, Sophie Read, Melissa Jacobs, and Lindsay Portela leading the way.
The favorite divisions for many spectators are the Pony Working Hunters. The ponies are split into 3 divisions based on the pony’s height, and many times have cute children in pigtails guiding their adorable ponies around a course of jumps ranging from 2 feet, 3 inches to 3 feet tall. The Large Pony division is sponsored by Suzy Marquard, while the Small Pony division is hosted by Alyana Farms. Some riders to look for include Victoria Colvin, Shawn Casady, Parker Wright, Lucille Oken, Schaefer Raposa, and Sara Bryan.
Known for their striking trophies and wonderful presentations, the National Horse Show is ready again this year to honor the country’s best hunters and riders. Come join us and watch the most beautiful and successful horses compete at one of the top facilities in the world.
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