For Immediate Release
From the US Equestrian Communications Department
WASHINGTON, Aug. 14, 2020—The Board of Directors and show management teams for the Pennsylvania National Horse Show (PNHS) and Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) presented by Mars Equestrian have made the difficult decision to cancel their previously announced 2020 events scheduled to be held in Tampa, Fla.
As multiple issues have evolved resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, WIHS found it impossible to successfully host the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Washington for 2020. While key partners including Longines and Mars Equestrian made every effort to support WIHS during this extremely challenging year in the newly proposed Tampa venue, as the event drew closer the barriers and risks were insurmountable. PNHS simultaneously determined staging its qualifying hunter/jumper competition as planned was also not viable.
At this time, plans are being made to relocate the USEF/Dover Saddlery Hunt Seat Medal Finals, the USEF/Neue Schule Junior Jumper Championships and the WIHS Championship Finals, pending USEF approval.
The event organizers and USEF are quickly coming together to evaluate options to move the USEF and WIHS year-end junior championship finals to a viable location pending final USEF approval including:
- Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search
- Dover Saddlery USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals
- Neue Schule USEF Junior Jumper National Championship
- WIHS Equitation Finals and WIHS Pony Equitation Finals
- WIHS Children’s and Adult Hunter and Jumper Finals
A decision will be announced on the final location no later than Wednesday, August 19th.
WIHS will host the Regional Washington International Horse Show (Regional WIHS) at Morven Park International Equestrian Center, Leesburg, Va., pending USEF approval and USHJA approval for Zone 3 Finals. The prize list for this event will be issued in the coming weeks.
WIHS and PHNS are both dedicated to providing the safest and highest-quality competition environment for dedicated members, exhibitors, and their families. All events will be spectator free. The show organizers will continuously monitor the COVID-19 status and will adjust or amend shows based on the guidance from federal, state, and other public health officials.
Qualifying criteria, detailed schedules, and prize lists will be updated in the coming weeks.
For more information on these events, please visit www.wihs.org and www.panational.org.
