Wellington, FL – November 20, 2025 – The 123rd National Horse Show and Family Festival (NHS) will be held on November 29-December 3, 2006 at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club in Wellington, Florida. The horse show is the finale for a year of competition, and many of the best hunters in the nation travel to South Florida to compete against each other.
The hunters are judged subjectively on grace and aesthetics, and more specifically on performance, soundness, way of going, and suitability as a Hunter. Hunters are grouped according to their level of experience and their rider’s age and status. Open professional classes include: two four feet divisions, the William Barlow Redfern Regular Working Hunters and the Regular Conformation Hunters, as well as Green Working and Green Conformation, which are set for horses in their first or second year of rated competition.
The highlight of the show is the $120,000 National Horse Show Hunter Championship, which is divided into two divisions, Open and Junior/Amateur-Owner. Invitations to compete are based on division champions and standings in the USEF National Points Award program from this year.
The Championship for each division is run in two phases. Phase One consists of three rounds over fences and an under saddle class, with all horses competing in their respective divisions. A model class will be held for the two Conformation divisions. Phase Two will consist of two rounds over fences. The twelve horses from Phase One with the highest combined average numerical scores from Rounds 1, 2, and 3 of Phase One and all section Champions will compete in Phase Two.
Professional rider Scott Stewart of Flemington, New Jersey, took home the championships ribbon in all five open hunter divisions at last year’s NHS.
Other top riders include Ken Smith and Rob Bielefeld of Wellington, FL, Penny Lombardo of Loxahatchee, FL, Jenny Karazissis of Calabasas, CA, and Sandy Ferrell of Bernville, PA.
Ferrell is the trainer and rider at Royal Show Hunters and is one of many professional riders that enjoy riding at the National Horse Show in Wellington. “It’s a great way to end our show circuit. While it’s the culmination of the year, having it in Wellington is more relaxing than it was in New York City thanks to the warm weather and the great venue here,” she explained. “The panache of the National Horse Show is the same, the trophies are the same. It allows us to experience all of the National Horse Show without the drawbacks of the city.”
Ferrell also looks forward to riding on the big grass field in the Internationale Arena, a ring that the hunters rarely get to compete in. “It’s a big bonus for us, and there are only a couple times in the year where we get to do it for the hunters,” she affirmed. “It’s definitely a rewarding horse show.”
Always popular are the divisions for amateur and junior riders. The Kilkenny Amateur-Owner Hunters are divided into two divisions based on the rider’s age. Top amateur competitors at this year’s show will include Tracy Scheriff, Ashley Kennedy, Erin Stewart, and Krista Weisman.
The Small and Large Junior Working Hunters (small and large based on the height of the horse) are also split into two age groups, 15 & Under and 16-17. Some of the best junior riders in the country will compete in the hunters at the National Horse Show, such as Christy Russo, Paige Bellissimo, Alexandra Thornton, Hardin Towell, Haylie Jayne, Alexandra Stathis, and Kacey McCann. Californians Nicoletta Heidegger and Hannah Goodson-Cutt will make the trip to Florida this year.
The Bainbridge Farm Adult Amateur Working Hunters and the Children’s Working Hunters compete over smaller courses set at 3 feet and both divisions offer $10,000 in prize money. Top Adult Amateur riders are Jennifer Reid, Alexandra Cherubini, Victoria Watters, Tracey Topping, Molly Ohrstrom, Katherine Bellissimo, and Holly Caristo. The Children’s Hunters will be another tough division, with riders such as Caitlin Ziegler, Sophie Read, and Kaitlin Campbell leading the way.
The favorite divisions for many spectators are the Pony Working Hunters. The ponies are split into 3 divisions based on the pony’s height, and many times have cute children in pigtails guiding their adorable ponies around a course of jumps ranging from 2 feet, 3 inches to 3 feet tall. The Pony Hunters will also have a chance to compete in the $5,000 Village of Wellington National Pony Hunter Classic. Some riders to look for include Charlotte Jacobs, Jennifer Waxman, Schaefer Raposa, Taylor Adams, Hannah Heidegger, Rachel deGabrielle, Megan Davis, Katie Dinan, and Paige Dekko.
The country’s best hunters will travel to Wellington next week in hopes of coming home with one of the many prestigious trophies offered at the 123rd National Horse Show and Family Festival. Come join us and watch the most beautiful and successful horses compete at one of the top facilities in the world.
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