by Katherine O. Rizzo (first published in the December 2024 Equiery)

The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) returned to the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro for the third year in a row and while The Equiery readers recognize the convenience of having the show at PGEC, many worry it has lost a bit of the glitz and glamour that having a horse show in downtown Washington, DC, had.
This year’s show ran October 21-27 with evening performances on October 24-26. Below are more views and opinions of Equiery readers on this year’s WIHS based on our annual survey.

Survey Participants
Our survey attracted more participants this year with an increase of nearly 20 additional people. Of those who took this year’s survey, 52.8% of them attended WIHS in 2023 as well.

The majority of people who took this year’s survey were spectators; however, the number of spectators taking this year’s survey went down from 2023. More competitors, grooms, and sponsors took the survey this year. We also had a trophy presenter and WIHS staff member take our survey.

The number of people who clicked “did not attend” this year went up over 2023. Some of those people commented that they watched WIHS online through the USEF live stream. Others said they did not attend because they felt the evening ticket prices were too high.

In fact, the number of people who felt ticket prices this year were too high went up by nearly 25% over that same question in 2023. The number of people who felt ticket prices were “just right” went down this year by 12%. One person commented that the free tickets for day performances were appreciated.

Popular Dates
Overall, the number of attendees per day went down about 10% for day performances and down nearly 20% for evening performances according to our survey.

The most popular day time performances, according to our survey, were Saturday, October 26 (20.5%) followed by Monday, October 21 (17.9%). Tuesday, October 22 and Wednesday, October 23 were tied for third most popular day with 15.4% each.
For the evening performances, the most popular date according to our survey was tied between Thursday, October 24 and Saturday, October 26. Friday evening attendance was significantly lower than both Thursday and Saturday evening.

The overall impression of this year’s show was about the same as 2023 with 39.4% selecting “just right.” About 9% more people this year felt the show “needs improvement.”

One survey participant stated, “The competition is good. As a potential exhibitor someday, I like that it’s at PGEC for the convenience, but having competed there many times in the past, it doesn’t have the same allure as going downtown for a night out.”

Another survey participant suggested, “I think barn night should be either Friday or Saturday. The possibility for higher attendance would be better.” Several people commented that Barn Night went on too late for a school night and suggestions were made to start earlier if kept on a school night.

The Venue
The indoor at PGEC is much smaller than WIHS’s previous location of the Verizon Center in Washington, DC, and many people last year felt their view of the competition was hindered by banners, judges stands and/or screens. WIHS organizers certainly fixed this issue as 74.2% of our survey participants stated they could see the competition well from their seats. This is an increase of 30% over 2023.

Parking satisfaction went down this year, however no one wrote in any comments as to why they felt it needed improvement. “Needs improvement” went up by 15% while “just right” went down by 10%.

The hospitality of WIHS staff and volunteers saw an improvement this year with 54.8% clicking “just right” and 12.9% selecting “exceeded expectations.” One person wrote in, “The volunteers for the WIHS were very helpful and cordial.”

Another person wrote in, “Venue was super easy for our group of disabled adults. Great parking, great access and friendly staff from PGEC to greet us.”

Show Extras
WIHS often adds non-competition demonstrations and show extras to the evening performances. Over the years, these have included things like the WIHS Shetland Steeplechase, dressage demonstrations and Jack Russell races. This year, the “extras” were lacking, according to our survey participants, with 20% stating this section needed improvement. This number went up by 15% over 2023.

One person wrote in, “WIHS has struggled to maintain its previous level of excellence. One of the biggest issues was the lack of entertainment between show jumping rounds. It made the experience feel dull and frustrating, and I believe adding non-competition demonstrations or events could significantly improve the atmosphere and engagement.”

Another person said, “I would like to see a broader spectrum of demos and disciplines represented, like the old days.”
More survey participants also knew about Kids’ Day this year over 2023. However there are still 70% who did not know WIHS offered a Kids’ Day.

Food & Shopping
Our survey participants still feel that both the food and shopping venders need improvement. The vendor rating was about the same this year compared to 2023 while more people felt the food options needed improvement this year over 2023.
Some write in comments about vendors included:

  • “We were only there Monday and Tuesday and most vendors that had slots inside the arena were not set up yet.”
  • “A lot of high-end clothing vendors, seemed out of place.”
  • “We did not use the food vendors but I was happy to see that there were food trucks as two years ago only one food vendor was there and the line was all around the walkway.”
  • “Food options were definitely better than previous years but the price point is still too high.”

Digital Program
Since shifting to PGEC, the WIHS organizers have moved the show’s program to online only. Our survey shows that most people (75.8%) still do not know there is a digital program. This response went up by 20% over 2023. While no survey participants selected “needs improvement” in relation to the digital program, fewer people this year selected “just right” or “exceeded expectations.”

This year we dug into the digital program in more detail asking what elements and pages people enjoyed the most. Below are the most popular program sections according to our survey.

  • 1st – Schedule (10.3%)
  • Tied for 2nd – Welcome Letters, Complete Class Lists, “A Piece of US Equestrian Olympic History” feature (7.7%)

Website & Socials
New this year, we added questions to our survey related to WIHS’s website and social media platforms.

Most survey participants feel WIHS’s website is “just right” (64.3%) while 21.4% feel the website “needs improvement” and 3.6% stated the website “exceeded expectations.”

Some write in comments included: “I wish there had been a list of vendors on the website” and “Ensure relevant information is up two months prior to event.”

The top most helpful pages on the WIHS website according to our survey were as follows:

  • 1st – Event Information (46.2%)
  • Tied for 2nd – Exhibitors, News & Results, WIHS Photo Gallery (23.1%)
  • 3rd – About WIHS (20.5%)

More survey participants were impressed by WIHS’s social presence than their website. The majority (60.7%) felt WIHS’s socials were “just right” while 17.9% felt socials “exceeded expectations.” Only 17.9% felt socials “needed improvement.” One person wrote in, “They do a great job with engaging content.”

Below are how WIHS’s social platforms are ranked based on survey participant usage:

  • Facebook (71.8%)
  • Instagram (46.2%)
  • X (7.7%)
  • TikTok (7.7%)
  • YouTube (2.6%)

WIHS 2025 & Parting Words
The majority (56.8%) of survey participants said they plan to attend the 2025 WIHS while 29.7% said they might attend but have not decided yet. Only 13.5% stated they do not want to attend WIHS in 2025.

Here are some of the responses as to why or why not people will attend WIHS in 2025:

  • “Had fun. Looking forward to next year.”
  • “Love that it was back at PGEC. Nice facility that is actually near Washington. My only qualms are that the evening tickets seemed quite expensive and the night class ran way too late.”
  • “Unless the show returns to DC, I refuse to attend WIHS in 2025 at PGEC. The facility is not sufficient for world-class competition.”
  • “Despite the recent disappointments, I’ll still plan to attend WIHS next year because it’s always a fun experience to share with friends. The tradition and camaraderie make it worth going, and I’m hopeful that future events will bring back some of the excitement we all miss.”
  • “Client driven. We have qualified horses every year, but especially now that it’s at PGEC instead of downtown, it’s just another very expensive horse show.”
  • “Please bring back the silent auction, vendors with moderate price points, and more food options. A USEF or USHJA discount on ticket prices would be nice. I think the show runs too late too.”
  • “Please move the show back to downtown DC. This is what set the show apart from all other shows and made it so magical.”
  • “Favorite show in the USA!”
  • “WIHS is a great show, and they are doing an excellent job adjusting to the new location and providing new options.”