USDF is proud to be a partner of EQUITANA USA, which will be held in our own backyard right here at the Kentucky Horse Park, just a stone’s throw from the USDF National Education Center and Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame on October 1-3, 2021.
As the mother of all horse fairs and the world’s largest meeting place for equestrian sports, EQUITANA has been setting standards since 1972. The first EQUITANA took place as a small trade fair in 1972 in the Essen exhibition halls and made a big impact in the equestrian sport industry: 180 exhibitors came to the first event, with 48,000 visitors the premiere was a complete success. Over the years, the “One Man Show” of 1972 has transformed into a world trade fair with huge dimensions. Today, the fair in Essen / Germany counts about 850 exhibitors from 30 nations and more than 200,000 visitors every two years.
The newest edition of EQUITANA USA will take place in-person at the Kentucky Horse Park October 1-3, 2021 and also connects the equestrian community digitally throughout the year. The U.S. model follows the successful format of EQUITANA AUSTRALIA, which has been held since 1999 as the largest equestrian fair in Australia. In 2017, EQUITANA AUCKLAND was the first event in New Zealand to join the EQUITANA family.
Check out five things to look forward to at EQUITANA USA:
- Shopping and more shopping – 200 vendors for all your horse and rider needs, for all ages. Breeches, brushes, blankets, bridles, bits, and more, you’ll find it all here. When was the last time you got to shop so many brands and had so many options all in one place? There are vendors in the covered arena and outdoors all the way up to the Rolex Arena. Bring your walking shoes. Learn more about the available shopping options here.
- Clinics with Olympic equestrians and top professionals – Ever wanted to ride in a dressage clinic with Laura Graves or audit a clinic taught by Phillip Dutton? Well this is your chance! At EQUITANA USA there are clinic opportunities with Laura Graves (dressage), Phillip Dutton (eventing), Ronny Riemer (show jumping), Karen Rohlf (dressage naturally), and Sally Batton. Apply to ride by visiting the Apply to Ride page on the EQUITANA USA website. All General Admission tickets include auditing for all these clinics, too.
- Panels and presentations you won’t find anywhere else – You didn’t think it was over at clinics, did you? There are 150 education sessions, demos, panels, presentations, and more. Learn polo with Nic Roldan, take a VIP Yoga class for equestrians with Cathy Woods, talk to Sydney Collier about her time at the Paralympics, and listen to the Round Table Discussion hosted by Caroline Culbertson of Noelle Floyd. You have so many options, it’ll be hard to choose. Make sure you get a 3-Day ticket so you can catch everything you want to. See the full schedule of events here.
- World-renowned equestrian destination – There’s no better venue for horse and rider. The Kentucky Horse Park is a 1,224 acre working horse farm, equine theme park, and internationally renowned equestrian competition facility. It is home to some of the most touted equestrian events including the famous Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, Breyerfest, USEF Pony Finals, the Thoroughbred Makeover, the National Horse Show, and endless horse shows of all disciplines. It is also home to the National Horse Center, which is comprised of more than 30 national equine associations representing a variety of breeds and sport horse disciplines. In 2017, the Kentucky Horse Park was voted Reader’s Choice Award for “Best Equine Venue” in the Chronicle of the Horse.
- Equestrian community – We spend so much time with our horses, we often don’t get to enjoy the camaraderie with other equestrians who are just as horse crazy as we are. EQUITANA USA is a true celebration of the horse and those that love them. It’s a safe place for horse lovers of all ages, genders, backgrounds, nationalities, riding disciplines, breed affiliations, and more. If you have a passion for horses, or even know someone who loves horses, you need to be here.
EQUITANA USA will be produced by Reed Exhibitions North America. The Reed Exhibitions Germany office produces the show in Essen. Each year, Reed Exhibitions as an organization produces more than 500 events globally, in more than 40 countries, in 43 industry sections, and has more than 7 million annual visitors across these events.
Get your tickets now for EQUITANA USA!
