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Competition · Show jumping and hunters · Wellington, Florida

Winter Equestrian Festival

A multi-week winter circuit of hunter and jumper shows at Wellington International in Florida, with FEI-rated jumping weeks up to CSI5*.
✓ Last reviewed: September 2026
SportEquestrian — show jumping and hunters
VenueWellington International, Wellington, Florida
OrganizerWellington International (owned by WI FL Acquisition, LLC since 25 November 2024)
2026 season31 December 2025 – 29 March 2026, as scheduled by the organiser
2026 prize moneyUS$16,000,000 announced for the season (Wellington International)
2027 seasonOpens 6 January 2027 (WEF Premiere Week)

What is the Winter Equestrian Festival?

The Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) is a circuit, not a single show: a run of consecutive weekly horse shows held each winter at Wellington International in Wellington, Florida. Each week is numbered and carries its own ratings. For the 2027 season the organiser lists a WEF Premiere Week rated USEF Premier AA from 6 to 10 January, then WEF Week 1 (13–17 January) rated CSI5*, CSI3* and USEF Premier AA, with later weeks rated between CSI5* and CSI2*, some with under-25 (U25) classes.[1] CSI weeks are FEI international jumping ratings; USEF Premier AA is a US Equestrian national rating.

Who organizes the Winter Equestrian Festival?

Wellington International, the showgrounds company, runs WEF. The venue was formerly the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center; under the ownership of Global Equestrian Group it was renamed Wellington International, a change announced on 26 March 2022.[4] On 22 October 2024 the company announced that WI FL Acquisition, LLC, formed by former majority owners of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, had agreed to buy it back from Global Equestrian Group;[2] the acquisition was completed on 25 November 2024.[3] The same owner also owns The Chronicle of the Horse, according to that magazine.[9] International classes are held under FEI rules and national divisions under US Equestrian ratings.

When is the season held, and where?

Seasons run from early January to late March or early April, always at the same venue, which Wellington International described in November 2024 as covering 111 acres with 14 competition arenas.[3] Wellington International gave the 2023 season as running from 4 January to 2 April 2023.[10] The 2024 season opened on 3 January 2024 with 13 weeks of competition, 12 of them offering FEI classes and four headed by CSI5* competition.[6] The 2025 season opened on 1 January 2025, again with 13 weeks of competition, 12 of them with FEI classes.[5] Wellington International scheduled WEF 2026 for 31 December 2025 to 29 March 2026.[8] The 2027 season is scheduled to open on 6 January 2027.[1] The same showgrounds host a separate Annual Series outside the WEF season.[2]

SeasonPool / FormatHost cities
2027Season opens with WEF Premiere WeekWellington International — from 6 January 2027; first CSI5* week 13–17 January — upcoming
2026US$16,000,000 prize money · 68 FEI ranking classesWellington International — 31 December 2025 to 29 March 2026
202513 weeks · 12 with FEI classes · 4 CSI5*Wellington International — from 1 January 2025
202413 weeks · 12 with FEI classes · 4 CSI5*Wellington International — from 3 January 2024
2023Weekly shows · Week 4 rated CSI4* and CSI2*Wellington International — 4 January to 2 April 2023

Rows are WEF seasons. Pool / Format gives the week count and FEI content, or the prize money, as the organiser announced it; the host column gives the dates as published. All seasons are at Wellington International. The organiser's own releases for seasons before 2023 could not be retrieved.

Since when does it exist?

Wellington International states that WEF was established in Wellington in 1974 and has since grown to occupy more than 111 acres.[2] In content paid for and provided by Wellington International and published by The Chronicle of the Horse in April 2022, the company's president, Michael Stone, said that WEF came to Wellington in 1974 and made its permanent home at the present facility in 1989.[4]

How do riders enter?

Entry is week by week: riders and horses enter each show in the circuit rather than the season as a whole. The rating of each week sets the level of the field. CSI weeks are international FEI events, graded from CSI2* to CSI5* on the 2027 schedule; the national USEF Premier AA divisions run alongside them in the same weeks.[1] Wellington International announced 68 FEI jumping world ranking classes for the 2026 season, and three FEI dressage World Cup qualifiers.[7] Standing at FEI level is recorded in the Longines Rankings.

Why does it matter?

The measurable proxies are prize money, ranking classes and scale. Wellington International announced an increase of more than US$1,000,000 in total prize money to a record US$16,000,000 for the 2026 season, with 68 FEI jumping world ranking classes.[7] The 2026 programme includes a US$1 million Rolex US Equestrian Open CSI5* Grand Prix, as Wellington International announced in an edited release published by The Chronicle of the Horse in August 2025.[9] A report prepared for the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, cited by Wellington International in August 2025, put the 2025 season's economic impact on Palm Beach County at $536.2 million.[8] In October 2024 the organiser described WEF as holding the title of “the world's largest and most enduring hunter-jumper horse event”.[2]

Who competes?

The field spans FEI international jumping classes, under-25 (U25) classes in some weeks and US Equestrian-rated national divisions,[1] with junior and amateur jumper classics among the national classes.[9] Wellington International states that WEF attracts 31,000 competitors from over 50 countries and all 50 states each year.[8] In November 2024 it described WEF as hosting 42 weeks of competition annually and welcoming over 350,000 spectators, 15,000 horses and 7,500 competitors.[3] The two releases give different figures. Other circuits in the sport include the Longines Global Champions Tour.

References

  1. Wellington International — Winter Equestrian Festival event schedule (2027 season). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  2. Wellington International — An Exciting New Chapter for Wellington International (22 October 2024). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  3. Wellington International via PR Newswire — Acquisition of Wellington International Finalized (25 November 2024). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  4. The Chronicle of the Horse — Introducing Wellington International (18 April 2022; content paid for and provided by Wellington International). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  5. Wellington International — 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival Dates Announced (20 May 2024). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  6. Wellington International — 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival Dates Announced (15 August 2023). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  7. Wellington International — 2026 Competition Updates (23 November 2025). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  8. Wellington International — Winter Equestrian Festival $536.2M economic impact release (26 August 2025). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  9. The Chronicle of the Horse (same owner as Wellington International) — Wellington International announces facility improvements and prize money upgrades, edited press release (19 August 2025). Accessed 2026-09-27.
  10. Wellington International — MARS EQUESTRIAN sponsorship release, 2023 Winter Equestrian Festival (1 February 2023). Accessed 2026-09-27.