The Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show is the world's largest

Arabian The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer fo ...

, held annually in

Scottsdale, Arizona , settlement_type = City , named_for = Winfield Scott , image_skyline = , image_seal = Seal of Scottsdale (Arizona).svg , image_blank_emblem = City of Scottsdale Script Logo.svg , nick ...

. Beginning in 1955, the show has grown from 50 horses and a dozen trainers/owners to more than 2200 horses and over 1300 owners. Called the "Super Bowl of the Arabian World", it represents the first leg in the Arabian Triple Crown, the other two major competitions being the Canadian and U.S. National Arabian Championships. In addition to the competition, the show acts as a fundraiser for the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona, which has donated millions of dollars to charity from the proceeds of the show.

The show

The first show was held in 1955 at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel, and was composed of approximately 50 horses from twelve farms. Anne McCormick, one of the founders, donated 150 acres of her ranch in Scottsdale so that the show could have a permanent home, naming it Paradise Park, and it remained there for many years before moving to its present location,

WestWorld ''Westworld'' is an American science fiction-thriller media franchise that began with the 1973 film ''Westworld'', written and directed by Michael Crichton. The film depicts a technologically advanced Wild-West-themed amusement park populate ...

. The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona, with Ed Tweed as their president, sponsored the first show, which was then called the "All-Arabian Horse Show". It is the largest Arabian horse show in the world, and one of the largest breed shows in the world. The show is sanctioned by the United States Equestrian Federation and the

Arabian Horse Association The Arabian Horse Association (AHA) is the single national organization that is the only breed registry that registers Arabian horses in the United States. It also works with the United States Equestrian Federation to sanction horse shows and l ...

. Called the "Super Bowl of the Arabian world", 2015 version marked the 60th anniversary of the show. The Diamond Jubilee of the event featured more than 2250 horses, and over $1 million in prize money, with over 1300 farms represented. The overall prize money increased to $3 million in 2021. It is the first of three legs of the "Arabian Triple Crown", the other two being the Canadian National Arabian Championship and the U.S. Nationals. As of 2015, the show consisted of competition in multiple divisions: Mounted Native Costume; Breeding/Halter;

Dressage Dressage ( or ; a French term, most commonly translated to mean "training") is a form of horse riding performed in exhibition and competition, as well as an art sometimes pursued solely for the sake of mastery. As an equestrian sport defined b ...

;

Driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to fol ...

; working western (

Reining Reining is a western riding competition for horses where the riders guide the horses through a precise pattern of circles, spins, and stops. All work is done at the lope (a version of the horse gait more commonly known worldwide as the canter), o ...

cutting Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for wikt:cut, cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scal ...

Working cow horse Working cow horse or reined cow horse is a type of Western riding competition in which horse and rider are tested for ability to work cattle. It is organised by the National Reined Cow Horse Association in North America, and by the European Rein ...

English Pleasure "English pleasure" is the generic term for a number of different English riding classes seen at horse shows in the United States, where the horse is ridden in either hunt seat or saddle seat tack. In the average English pleasure class, the hor ...

(including

show hack The show hack is a type of ridden show horse, exhibited to a standard first established in England. Affiliated showing and breeding of the show hacks in the United Kingdom is overseen by the British Show Horse Association. In the US and Canada, ...

, park horse, and country English pleasure);

Hunter Hunting is the human activity, human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products (fur/hide (skin), hide, ...

Jumper Jumper or Jumpers may refer to: Clothing *Jumper (sweater), a long-sleeve article of clothing; also called a top, pullover, or sweater **A waist-length top garment of dense wool, part of the Royal Navy uniform and the uniform of the United State ...

and

hunter under saddle Hunt seat is a style of forward seat riding commonly found in North American horse shows. Along with dressage, it is one of the two classic forms of English riding. The hunt seat is based on the tradition of fox hunting. Hunt seat competition ...

; Liberty (featuring a horse running free with accompanying music); and

Western Pleasure Western pleasure is a western style competition at horse shows that evaluates horses on manners and suitability of the horse for a relaxed and slow but collected gait cadence, along with calm and responsive disposition. The horse is to appear to ...

as well as a youth division for most classes. The top prize of the show is "Scottsdale Supreme Halter Champion". This prize is given both to a

mare A mare is an adult female horse or other equine. In most cases, a mare is a female horse over the age of three, and a filly is a female horse three and younger. In Thoroughbred horse racing, a mare is defined as a female horse more than four ...

and a

stallion A stallion is a male horse that has not been gelded (castrated). Stallions follow the conformation and phenotype of their breed, but within that standard, the presence of hormones such as testosterone may give stallions a thicker, "cresty" nec ...

champion. Crowds at the event have exceeded 200,000. In 2015, over 320,000 visitors attended the 11 days of the event, with an additional 450,000 viewers around the world over a live television feed. A unique feature of the show is the user-friendly instructions which allow spectators to better understand the scoring system of the judges. Halter class Scottsdale 2017 30

The event brings about $52 million to the Scottsdale economy. In 2013, the WestWorld facility underwent a $47 million facelift, which included indoor air-conditioned arenas. In January 2015, the City of Scottsdale's WestWorld and The Arabian Horse Association of Arizona entered into an agreement to hold the show at WestWorld for the next 20 years. The show is highlighted in some of the colder climates as a way to get into warmer weather during the freezing temperatures of February in the northern U.S. In 2014, WestWorld unveiled a new light sculpture entitled "Impulsion", which was commissioned at a cost of $470,000. The statue is 40 feet long and 30 feet high, weighs over 1000 pounds, and was the work of Scottsdale artist Jeff Zischke. Aside from the prizes for the competitors, the show is also a fundraiser for charities. Since its inception, the show has raised millions of dollars for such organizations as the Cox Charities and the

March of Dimes March of Dimes is a United States nonprofit organization that works to improve the health of mothers and babies. The organization was founded by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938, as the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, to comba ...

Competition

File:Byatt Halter class Scottsdale 2 (14).jpg,

Halter A halter or headcollar is headgear that is used to lead or tie up livestock and, occasionally, other animals; it fits behind the ears (behind the poll), and around the muzzle. To handle the animal, usually a lead rope is attached. On smaller ...

championships File:Costume class Scottsdale 2017 08.jpg, Mounted Native Costume File:Arabian English Pleasure Scottsdale 2017.jpg,

English pleasure "English pleasure" is the generic term for a number of different English riding classes seen at horse shows in the United States, where the horse is ridden in either hunt seat or saddle seat tack. In the average English pleasure class, the hor ...

File:Dressage Stallion3.jpg,

File:Show hack Arabian Scottsdale 2 (9).jpg,

Show hack The show hack is a type of ridden show horse, exhibited to a standard first established in England. Affiliated showing and breeding of the show hacks in the United Kingdom is overseen by the British Show Horse Association. In the US and Canada, ...

File:Youth jumper Scottsdale 2017.jpg, Hunter/Jumper File:Pleasure driving Scottsdale 2 (25).jpg,

Pleasure driving Pleasure driving is a horse show class seen in the United States, which features light breeds of horses and ponies hitched to a two or four-wheeled show cart. Horses are driven at a walk and two speeds of trot, generally designated as a workin ...

File:Half-Arab Western Pleasure Scottsdale 2017 16.jpg ,

Western pleasure Western pleasure is a western style competition at horse shows that evaluates horses on manners and suitability of the horse for a relaxed and slow but collected gait cadence, along with calm and responsive disposition. The horse is to appear to ...

File:Working western Scottsdale 2017 22.jpg,

Working western Working may refer to: * Work (human activity), intentional activity people perform to support themselves, others, or the community Arts and media * ''Working'' (musical), a 1978 musical * ''Working'' (TV series), an American sitcom * ''Workin ...

division File:Working cow horse Scottsdale 2017 25.jpg,

References

External links

*{{Official, www.scottsdaleshow.com/shows-events/scottsdale-arabian-horse-show
The Arabian Horse Network

Total Horse Channel
Arabian and part-Arabian horses Equestrian sports in the United States

The show

Competition

See also

References

External links