The best are back for the Royal Horse Show Toronto 2023

Wednesday, November 08, 2023

The best are back for the Royal Horse Show Toronto 2023

The equine world comes back to Toronto during the Royal Horse Show which takes place as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Exhibition Place from November 3 to 12, 2023. The excitement features hundreds of show jumpers and many other competitors looking to take home part of the over $1 million dollars in prizes. Your Royal Horse Show ticket even includes entry into the 101 year old Winter Fair - the World's largest combined Agricultural and Equestrian Fair.

Six Horse Hitch competitors

The Highlanders band

From the Horse Show's website; "The Royal boasts a huge variety of equestrian competitions open to all ages. Along with Hunters and Show Jumpers, you will be amazed at the many different breeds of horses that pull carts, coaches, wagons and big hitches. Cheer for your favorite high stepping Hackney, shout when the announcer calls “drive on!” in the Road Horse classes or clap and whoop it up when the judge approaches your favorite heavy horse hitch for inspection! The Royal Horse Show is world-class equestrian competition at its finest."

Some of the interesting competitions are the $20,000 Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge (took place Saturday, November 4 and won by Phillip Dutton a two-time Olympic gold medalist), the Belgian Six Horse Hitch, Polo at the Royal, Hackney & Harness Pony Championships, Royal Heavy Horse Team Championship, Royal Horse Show Tack Room Competition, the prestigious Longines FEI Jumping World Cup and the Royal Rodeo. The World Cup happens Saturday night (November 11) while the Rodeo takes place on Sunday, November 12 beginning at 1 PM and closes out the Royal Horse Show.

Riders do a course walk for the McKee International Jumper Challenge

The 2022 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup was won by Daniel Coyle of Ireland riding Legacy, a Canadian horse owned by Ariel Grange of Cheltenham, Ontario. Daniel will return in 2023 to defend his title. “Winning the World Cup class with Legacy at The Royal last year was a special victory to check off my bucket list,” said Coyle, who is currently ranked number 11 in the Longines World Rider Rankings. “The Royal is a very important part of our fall schedule, and the atmosphere was electric last year. Toronto feels like home for the Lothlorien Farm team – it is Ariel Grange's hometown – and the Canadian crowds have always felt like my own crowds; they are so supportive.

The winner was announced by Jump Media; "Kent Farrington of the United States opened international show jumping competition at the CSI4*-W Royal Horse Show, held as part of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, in Toronto, ON, by scoring victory in the $38,500 Strength and Speed Challenge on Wednesday, November 8."

You can see why they are celebrating over a century of champions as Olympians along with Canadian and International teams of top horses and amazing riders take to the ring in the Coca-Cola Coliseum, adjacent to the Winter Fair held in the Enercare Centre. The Winter Fair takes in agricultural experiences, farm animals, food, beverages and lots of vendors.

Royal Winter Fair Hours: Sun. 9 AM - 6 PM, Mon. 9 AM - 6 PM, Tues. 9 AM - 8PM, Wed. 9 AM - 8 PM, Thur. 9 AM - 8 PM, Fri. 9 AM - 8 PM and Sat. 9 AM - 8 PM. The Royal Horse Show starts at 7 PM with weekend matinees starting at 1 PM. Note there is no 7 PM show on the last day of the Fair.

The Longines FEI Jumping World Cup at Royal Horse Show finished off with Israel's Daniel Bluman on Gemma W winning the $250,000 competition. From the media release "British course designer Kelvin Bywater set the challenging track for the star-studded field of 20 riders representing seven countries. In his Royal Horse Show debut, Rene Dittmer of Germany delivered the first clear with Corsica X. Just a few rides later, Canadian talent Vanessa Mannix of Calgary, AB, thrilled the home crowd with a fault-free effort aboard Carmela Z. Then it was Kent Farrington of the United States, currently third on the Longines World Rankings, who added his name to the jump-off list with Greya, a nine-year-old Oldenburg mare (Colestus x Contender) owned by Kent Farrington LLC. Bluman with Gemma W, and young British star Jessica Mendoza, 27, with I-Cap CL Z, also managed to find the clear path, bringing the count to five to contest the all-deciding jump-off."