COLUMBUS, Ohio — One of the largest single-breed horse shows in the world is back in Columbus. The All American Quarter Horse Congress opens today at the Ohio Expo Center & State Fairgrounds and runs through Saturday, Oct. 24, drawing equestrians from across the globe.
The show will award more than $5 million in purse and prize money this year, making it an unmatched destination for Quarter Horse competitors, trainers and fans. The Ohio Expo Center, at 717 East 17th Avenue, hosts the annual event each fall, turning the fairgrounds into one of the busiest equestrian venues in the country for the better part of a month.
For Central Ohio, the Congress is one of the year’s signature fall events, filling hotels, restaurants and shops with visitors from across the United States and beyond. The show has been a Columbus fixture for generations, pairing high-level competition with a trade show, shopping and family entertainment on the fairgrounds.
Events on the early-week schedule include the opening rounds of competition across the show’s many classes, with the full slate running daily through the closing weekend. Spectators can attend with single-day or multi-day admission, and schedules are posted by the Congress each morning of the show.
The Congress anchors a busy October calendar in Columbus, arriving alongside fall festival season at the Franklin Park Conservatory and a packed concert lineup across the city. Show organizers say this year’s edition carries one of the richest prize purses in the event’s history — a draw for both longtime exhibitors and first-time visitors. For tickets, daily schedules and results throughout the show, check the Congress website.