2020 Winter Equestrian Festival Highlights World Class Competition At PBIEC

2020 Winter Equestrian Festival Highlights World Class Competition At PBIEC

With the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival on the horizon, Equestrian Sport Productions is ready to welcome the 41st annual show series to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington.

Notably the longest-running equestrian sport circuit in the world, WEF 2020 will feature 12 weeks of world-renowned hunter, jumper and equitation competition. The festival will begin on Wednesday, Jan. 8 and continue through Sunday, March 29.

“This will be an outstanding winter season,” said Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions, which produces WEF and manages the PBIEC show grounds. “With the 2020 Olympic Games on the horizon, we are once again welcoming athletes from around the globe to the WEF stage. This circuit will surely be a great opportunity for them to test their skills with the best of the best.”

WEF 2020 is preparing to host 11 weeks of FEI-sanctioned competition out of 12 total weeks of competition, which is the highest caliber of show jumping in the sport. Many world-ranked and established athletes participate each year, making WEF, and Wellington, a hub for the most talented equestrians in the world.

“The circuit is always a valuable one. It’s a good start to the year to have our students and all of our horses together,” explained two-time Olympic team gold medalist and longtime WEF competitor Beezie Madden. “My horses are going to have a nice vacation in the fall, and then we will get them started up in Florida again. We have a nice farm [in Wellington] that belongs to [Abigail] Wexner, and it’s always a great place to be and to train.”

The return of WEF also means the return of the popular Saturday Night Lights series, which is free and open to the public. The events offer a cornucopia of entertainment for the entire family, including face painting, live music, food, carousel rides, a petting zoo, pony rides and more. Each Saturday night features the highlight class of the week, regularly including Olympians and the stars of show jumping.

The season begins with national level competition for hunters, jumpers and equitation riders. The crowd-favorite Battle of the Sexes competition returns on Saturday, Jan. 11, pitting a team of male riders and a team of female riders against one another. After completing several variations of jumping relays and competitions, one team will reign supreme.

WEF 2 (Jan. 15-19) features a CSI 2* competition, while WEF weeks 3 (Jan. 22-26), 6 (Feb. 12-16) and 10 (March 11-15) will host CSI 3* competition. CSI 4* competition will take place during WEF weeks 4 (Jan. 29 – Feb. 2) and 11 (March 18-22). Week 8 (Feb. 26 – March 1) will once again welcome the lively CSIO 4*, and Saturday night will host the historic Nations Cup, where teams of three or four riders represent their countries in a thrilling display of athletics that entertain the masses. The impeccable grass Derby Field at Equestrian Village, a horse and rider favorite, will see action this year during weeks 4, 6, 9 and 11.

The 2020 Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, will be held during the fourth week of the Winter Equestrian Festival on Saturday, Feb. 1. GCC is a relay-style equestrian jumping competition with teams consisting of two junior/amateur riders combined with one Olympic or world-class rider. The 34 rider teams are randomly paired with 34 charities that serve Palm Beach County. The GCC has distributed more than $13.5 million to 240 local Palm Beach charities and nonprofit organizations since its inception a decade ago.

Hunter competition will also take place throughout the 12-week span, and welcomes back WCHR week, a favorite among the hunter community, during WEF 6 (Feb. 12-16). The season will continue to feature international hunter derby competitions, along with top equitation and hunter classes offered for children, juniors and adults of all levels.

The 2020 season is set to include four weeks of CSI 5* competition. The CSI 5* Grand Prix competitions will be hosted on Feb. 8, Feb. 22, March 7 and March 28. Riders will go head-to-head in the two-round format, concluding with an invigorating jump-off against the clock to determine the ultimate winner.

Originally incorporated during the 2017 season, each CSI 5* competition will also have a CSI 2* competition running parallel, and the grand finale, the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*, will be held during WEF 12, wrapping the circuit up with the most anticipated class of the season.

The festival will see thousands of horses competing throughout the winter circuit, and the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center looks forward to welcoming competitors back for an exciting winter season.

“Each year, we see the numbers flourish, welcoming new competitors, strengthening the circuit and solidifying the Winter Equestrian Festival as one of the most prestigious competitions in the world,” Stone said.

More schedule announcements for the 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival will be released soon. For more information, visit www.pbiec.com.

Palm Beach International Equestrian Center 2020 Winter Equestrian Festival Highlights

WEF 1 “AA” — January 8-12

Saturday Night Lights – $75,000 “Battle of the Sexes”

Sunday – $75,000 Grand Prix

 

WEF 2 CSI 2* “AA” — January 15-19

Saturday Night Lights – $72,000 Grand Prix CSI 2*

Sunday – $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix, $36,000 1.50m Jumper Classic

 

WEF 3 CSI 3* “AA” — January 22-26

Saturday Night Lights – $134,000 Grand Prix CSI 3*

 

WEF 4 CSI 4* “AA” — January 29 – February 2

Friday Night Stars – $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix Team Event 

(AGDF Show Grounds, Global Arena)

Saturday – $209,000 Grand Prix CSI 4* (AGDF Stadium, Derby Field)

Saturday Night Lights – 11th annual Great Charity Challenge, 

presented by Fidelity Investments (WEF Show Grounds, International Arena)

 

WEF 5 CSI 5* and CSI 2* “AA” — February 5-9

Saturday Night Lights – $391,000 Grand Prix CSI 5*

Sunday – $72,000 1.50m Jumper Classic and $50,000 Grand Prix CSI 2*

 

WEF 6 World Champion Hunter Rider Week

CSI 3* “AA” — February 12-16

Friday Night Stars – $134,000 Grand Prix CSI 3* (AGDF Show Grounds, Global Arena)

Saturday – $36,000 1.50m Jumper Classic (AGDF Show Grounds, Derby Field)

Saturday Night Lights – $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill

Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular (WEF Show Grounds, International Arena)

Sunday – $25,000 Under 25 Grand Prix and $25,000 National Grand Prix

(AGDF Show Grounds, Derby Field)

 

WEF 7 CSI 5* and CSI 2* “AA” Five Star Week — February 19-23

Saturday Night Lights – $391,000 Grand Prix CSI 5*

Sunday – $72,000 1.50M Jumper Classic and $50,000 Grand Prix CSI 2*

WEF 8 CSIO 4* “AA” Nations Cup Week — February 26 – March 1

Thursday Evening – WEF Sport Horse Auction (AGDF Show Grounds, Global Arena)

Friday Evening – $36,000 Under 25 Grand Prix Semifinal

Saturday Night Lights – $150,000 Nations Cup CSIO 4*

Sunday – $209,000 Grand Prix CSIO 4*

 

WEF 9 CSI 5* and CSI 2* “AA” — March 4-8

Friday – Pony Hunter Derby (AGDF Show Grounds, Derby Field)

Saturday Night Lights – $391,000 Grand Prix CSI 5*

Sunday – $72,000 1.50M Jumper Classic and $50,000 Grand Prix CSI 2*

 

WEF 10 CSI 3* “AA” — March 11-15

Saturday Night Lights – $134,000 Grand Prix CSI 3*

 

WEF 11 CSI 4* “AA” — March 18-22

Friday – Developing Jumper Classics (WEF Show Grounds, International Arena)

Saturday – $209,000 Grand Prix CSI 4* (AGDF Show Grounds, Derby Field)

Saturday Night Lights – $134,000 1.50m Jumper Classic Series Final

(WEF Show Grounds, International Arena)

Sunday – $50,000 Under 25 Grand Prix Final (AGDF Show Grounds, Derby Field)

 

WEF 12 Rolex CSI 5* and CSI 2* “AA” — March 25-29

Saturday – $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby (AGDF Show Grounds, Derby Field)

Saturday Night Lights – $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix CSI 5*

Sunday – $50,000 Grand Prix CSI 2* and $50,000 National Grand Prix

(WEF Show Grounds, International Arena)

 

Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Main Grounds

3400 Equestrian Club Drive, Wellington, FL 33414

 

Equestrian Village at PBIEC (AGDF Show Grounds)

13500 South Shore Blvd., Wellington, FL 33414

 

For more information, call (561) 793-JUMP or visit www.pbiec.com.

WEF general admission free, parking $20/car Saturday nights.

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