SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The New York State Fairgrounds today kicks off a season of horse shows unlike any in its long history with 29 shows scheduled through early November. The Spring Premiere Horse Show in the Toyota Coliseum runs through Sunday, April 21. It is the first event of the season, which will also include a first-ever visit from an intercollegiate national championship and six horse shows that will take place in the new Exposition Center.
“Equestrian events are an important part of our non-fair business and an important contributor to the economy of Central New York, as horse owners and families come from all over to spend time and money in the region. We wish all of this season’s competitors the best of luck and invite them to take advantage of the many wonderful places, attractions and restaurants Central New York has to offer,” said Troy Waffner, Fair Director.
The new show on the Fairgrounds this year is the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championships, which takes place May 2-5 in the Expo Center. More than 450 collegiate riders will compete in Hunt seat and Western riding disciplines. The athletes qualified for the championship event through regional competitions. Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden, of Madison County, is a past winner of one of the top prizes, the USEF/Cacchione Cup, given to the highest-scoring Hunter Seat High Point Rider.
Many horse shows are free to attend. Check the Fairgrounds’ calendar of events for details on individual shows. Horse shows are a significant contributor to the Fairgrounds’ year-round business. In 2018, nearly 1.1 million people attended one of the several hundred trade shows, meetings and other special events hosted on the grounds. Over the last three years, and since Governor Cuomo’s $120 million revitalization of the 129-year old Fairgrounds, estimated attendance at events outside the 13-day Fair has doubled. The centerpiece of the plan was construction of the Expo Center, the largest clear-span special events building north of New York City between Boston and Cleveland.
The full listing of horse shows includes:
Apr. 19-20 | Spring Premiere Horse Show | Coliseum | |||
Apr. 24-28 | Syracuse PHA Horse Show | Coliseum | |||
May 2-5 | IHSA National Championships | Expo Center | |||
May 3-5 | Empire State Arabian Horse Association All Arabian Spring Show | Coliseum/Exhibit Center/4-H Arena | |||
May 10-12 | Bring In Spring Horse Show with Bridle Path Manor | Coliseum | |||
May 16-19 | NYS Breeders Horse Show – Section 1 | Coliseum/4H Arena/Exhibit Center | |||
May 23-26 | NYS Breeders Horse Show – Section 2 | Coliseum/4H Arena/Exhibit Center | |||
May 30-June 2 | Empire State Quarter Horse Assoc. “Spring Into Summer” AQHA Show | Coliseum | |||
June 1-2 | PtHA of NYS “Lots of Spots” Pinto Horse Show | 4H Arena / 4H Indoor Arena | |||
June 7-9 | CNY Reining Horse Assoc. “Ride and Slide” Horse Show | Expo Ctr/Coliseum | |||
June 8-9 | Bridle Path Manor Open English Horse Show | 4H Arena/Barns | |||
June 14-16 | NBHA Syracuse Spectacular Supershow | Expo Center | |||
June 22-23 | Weather or Not Horse Show | 4H Arena/Barns | |||
June 26-29 | Syracuse International Horse Show | Coliseum / Exhibit Center Ring | |||
June 28-30 | Northeastern Welsh Ponies & Cob Associations Horse Show | 4H Arena | |||
July 11-14 | Empire State Arabian Horse Association Region 16 Championship Horse Show | Expo Center/ Coliseum/Exhibit Center | |||
July 26-28 | Onondaga County Youth Fair | 4H Arena/Youth Bldg./Goat Barn | |||
Aug. 2-4 | PtHA of NYS “Summer Spectacular” Pinto Horse Show | Coliseum | |||
Aug. 9-11 | Summer Time Fun Horse Show | Coliseum | |||
Aug. 21-Sept. 2 | The 2019 Great New York State Fair | Coliseum | |||
Sept. 6-8 | NBHA Heart and Soule Memorial Barrel Race | Coliseum | |||
Sept. 11-14 | NYS Morgan Horse Society’s Annual Regional Horse Show | Coliseum/Exhibit Center (Stalls)/4-H Arena | |||
Sept. 18-22 | Empire State Quarter Horse Association Empire Fall Show | Coliseum/4-H Arena/Exhibit Center (Stalls) | |||
Sept. 26-29 | Autumn In New York Horse Show | Coliseum | |||
Oct. 4-6 | Stepping Stone Horse Show | Coliseum | |||
Oct. 11-13 | NBHA New York State Championships | Coliseum | |||
Oct. 17-20 | CNY Reining Horse Association Fall Classic | Expo Center & Coliseum | |||
Oct. 23-27 | HITS Indoor Championship | Expo Center & Coliseum | |||
Nov. 1-3 | Trick or Trot Horse Show | Coliseum |
Founded in 1841, the Great New York State Fair is America’s third largest state fair. The Fair showcases the best of New York agriculture, provides top-quality entertainment and is a key piece of Governor Cuomo’s CNY Rising strategy of growing the Central New York economy through tourism. Fair attendance is up more than 40% since the beginning of more than $120 million in investments, with 1.27 million people attending the Fair in 2018. The 2019 Fair runs from August 21 to September 2. Information about the Fair can be found here.
The New York State Fairgrounds is a 375-acre exhibit and entertainment complex that operates all year. A year-round schedule of events is available here. Find the Great New York State Fair on Facebook, follow @NYSFair on Twitter, on Snapchat at nysfair and enjoy photos from the Fair on Flickr. Also, New Yorkers are invited to send their ideas for the Great New York State Fair at statefairideas@agriculture.ny.gov.
–NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
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