The Virginia Horse Center in Lexington is the place to be this weekend, with two major hunter events overlapping on the calendar. Here's what's worth putting on the trailer for.
Weekend highlights
Sallie B. Wheeler / Virginia Young Horse Show runs Thursday through Sunday at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, one of the region's premier showcases for young hunters and jumpers developing toward the next level.
Right on its heels, the USHJA Young Hunter Pony National Championship wraps up Sunday, also at the Virginia Horse Center — a national title on the line for the pony hunter set.
Eventers should point toward Orange for the Windchase Cross-Country Derby on Saturday at Windchase Farm, a derby-format test over cross-country fences that's become a favorite for riders sharpening up before fall events.
Out in hunt country, Great Meadow in The Plains hosts an Intro to Foxhunting Clinic with Natalie Wales on Saturday — a good entry point for riders curious about the sport as the fall hunting season approaches.
And in Central Virginia, the CVHS Show returns to Deep Run Farm in Manakin-Sabot on Saturday with another round of local hunter/jumper competition.
If polo is more your speed, the Great Meadow Summer Polo Series and Roseland Polo Sunday Matches at King Family Vineyards both continue through the weekend, and Colonial Downs in New Kent keeps its summer thoroughbred meet running.
Looking ahead
The next two weeks bring a busy stretch back at the Virginia Horse Center: the Virginia Quarter Horse Championship Show (Aug 28–30) and the House Mountain Horse Show (Aug 29–30) run back to back.
Central Virginia hunter/jumper riders have the Four Oaks Farm August Hunter Show (Aug 29) and CVSJA Show at Deep Run Farm (Aug 30) to look forward to.
And Labor Day weekend brings two Northern Virginia staples: the Warrenton Horse Show (Sept 2–6) and the VA 4-H State Championship Horse & Pony Show (Sept 3–6) at the Virginia Horse Center.
See the full calendar and find an event near you on the VirginiaHorsebarn.com events page.