The Winter Equestrian Festival is a mecca for those who ride in the hunter and jumper disciplines. The top riders in those disciplines come to compete during the winter season. Here is a short video to introduce the WEF.
Now lets go on into the showgrounds. First stop is the Grand Hunter ring.
Here is a chance to see some of the riders in the warm up ring before they go in to compete.
I was at WEF on February 17 and the evening competition, under the lights, was the The WCHR (World Champion Hunter Rider) $100,000 Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular. The top horses and riders had been competing during the week leading up to this to gain a place in this prestigious competition. Before the competition there is a horse inspection or “jog”. Here is a video of the “jog”.
With some time to fill in before the evening I took a wander through the stabling area. Grooms bringing horses, tacked up and in their stable fly sheets, along the horse “sidewalks” to the warm up rings, and riders, grooms and coaches zipping around in golf carts.
Finally the Championship under the lights. This is just a short clip of the start of one ride. The competition consisted of two rounds with the top 12 horse and rider combinations returning for a second round.
So that is my video “virtual tour” of the Winter Equestrian Festival. I hope you enjoyed it. I will also be posting , on another day, some of the photos I took on my visit.
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