The Menlo Charity Horse Show is one of the most popular horse shows held at the Circus Club in Atherton, California. Hundreds of riders compete in this show annually, with the number of entries increasing each year. My barn competes there every year, and I was able to stop by the show on the second to last day with one of my best friends to support my barn. We were amazed by how gorgeous the horses were along with the high level of competition both the jumper and hunter/equitation arenas had.
This year the horse show was held August 5-10 and had a huge number of competitors, with all the money that went into the competition being donated to the Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired. I constantly switched from arena to arena, watching the hunters/equitation along with the jumpers. However, the class that made me smile and scream with glee was the Lead Line class. Not only does everyone win first place, but for 10-20 minutes, the cutest little kids are led around on their ponies and horses, showcasing their riding skills and beautiful smiles.
Another popular class is the $40,000 Grand Prix. This is the most anticipated class of the entire show, with the horses jumping courses of over 5' jumps, trying to get the fastest speed with no or minimal faults in order to win first place. Although I have never seen the class, many gather around the jumper arena in order to witness the horse and rider that takes the blue ribbon.
This horse show is not only competitive but intriguing too, and their donations to a center for the blind and visually impaired is a great idea. The number of competitors increases greatly each year, and along with that comes more great talent. If you have not been to this horse show I highly recommend it, as the beautiful jumps along with the horses and riders makes it all worth while.