It’s not very often you can witness some of the best athletes in the world compete in Sacramento County. Starting October 2, internationally ranked equestrians descend on Sacramento for one of the most thrilling, high octane competitions you will ever see!

The 2019 Sacramento International Horse Show is Northern California’s premier equestrian event, and returns to the Murieta Equestrian Center October 2 through October 6. Thousands of passionate fans line the massive indoor arena cheering wildly as the horses and riders go into battle. You’ll also see celebrities in attendance. The family-friendly action is electrifying and fans are on the edge of their seats watching an international field of world-class athletes strut their stuff.

Familiar faces that regularly compete at the Sacramento International Horse Show are: Jennifer Gates, Karl Cook and Olympic veterans Rich Fellers and Will Simpson.

The Sacramento International Horse Show features Olympians, World Cup veterans and celebrities as they compete for nearly $200,000 in prize money. Show jumping is one of the only sports where gender and age mean nothing, leaving riders to rely only on their horse, talent and experience to best the competition. In show jumping, and especially at this elite level, riders aim to complete a course of 10-13 obstacles, ranging from 5’ high to more than 6’ wide, in the fastest time with the fewest penalties. Penalties, such as exceeding the time allowed to complete the course or knocking down a rail from an obstacle, are then combined to give the horse and rider a final score. Following the completion of the initial course, the horse and rider combinations with no penalties will “jump-off” (think sudden death of sorts) over a shorter course of obstacles. From there, the horse and rider combination with a score closest to zero are crowned the victor.

Hosted at the Murieta Equestrian Center in Rancho Murieta, between Sacramento and the rolling Sierra Mountains, the Sacramento International Horse Show is unlike any other Northern California sporting event. Not only do fans get to see horses and riders they typically only see on TV, the high-quality facility features 14 outdoor arenas, four indoor arenas, a massive vendor row for shopping and numerous dining options.

Don’t miss the $36,500 Grand Prix Qualifier on Thursday, October 3 at 6pm, the $36,500 Murieta Inn Spa and Restaurant 1.45M on Friday, October 4 at 6:15pm and the $100,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Sacramento 1.60M presented by Sky Partners on Saturday, October 5 at 7:25pm.

The Sacramento International Horse Show is part of the prestigious Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League, and is one of the only qualifiers on the West Coast. The riders who will compete in the Sacramento International Horse Show are competing for a spot in the 2020 FEI Jumping World Cup™ Finals in Las Vegas.

Visit jumpsacto.com for tickets and more information.