The top equestrian athletes in the world are heading to The Royal Horse Show, held as part of the iconic Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, from November 7 to 16, 2025, at Exhibition Place in downtown Toronto, ON.
International show jumping is the highlight of The Royal Horse Show, featuring the $280,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto, presented by Ecclestone Horse Transport, on closing night, Saturday, November 15. The world’s best will be in attendance, including Daniel Coyle (IRL) and McLain Ward (USA), both currently in the top 10 on the Longines World Rider Rankings. Alex Matz (USA) will be back to defend his Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto title and faces stiff competition from 2023 winner, Daniel Bluman (ISR), as well as Irish stalwarts Conor Swail and Shane Sweetnam.
The action kicks off on opening weekend of The Royal Horse Show. Held over two nights, the $125,000 Henry Equestrian Canadian Show Jumping Championships showcases homegrown talent with two-time Olympian Amy Millar of Perth, ON, returning to defend her title. She will be joined by her 2024 Paris Olympic teammates Erynn Ballard, Mario Deslauriers, and Tiffany Foster in chasing national glory. Spectators are encouraged to show their national pride on “Red and White Night” by wearing red and white as they cheer on their favourites.
The Mad Barn Indoor Eventing Challenge also takes place on Friday and Saturday evenings of opening weekend. Harry Meade, the number one ranked eventing rider in the world, will make his Royal Horse Show debut in the hopes of taking the crown back to Great Britain. Competitors from this side of the Atlantic won’t make it easy for the Brit, however, and the heart-pounding action over traditional cross-country obstacles and classic show jumping fences will have the crowd cheering as riders race for home in a dash for the cash.
The Royal Dressage CDI-W has been added to this year’s line-up, making The Royal Horse Show the only Canadian venue to host World Cup qualifying competition for both show jumping and dressage. (Ben Radvanyi Photography)
Once a regular stop on the North American tour, The Royal Horse Show has brought back the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Toronto CDI-W thanks to dedicated support from the Canadian dressage community. Like its jumping counterpart, the FEI Dressage World Cup™ Toronto CDI-W acts as a qualifying event for the 2026 FEI World Cup™ Finals taking place next April in Fort Worth, Texas. Fans will enjoy a double header as the $25,000 Knightwood Hunter Derby is paired with World Cup Dressage Freestyle musical performances for an unforgettable evening on Tuesday, November 11.
The international show jumping division officially opens on Wednesday, November 12, featuring the McKee International Jumper Challenge. Then it’s into the final weekend with the Mad Barn Big Ben International Challenge on Thursday evening, The Royal Winning Round on Friday evening, and the grand finale, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto, on Saturday night. In his Royal Horse Show debut, German course designer Olaf Petersen Jr. will be setting the show jumping tracks assisted by Steffen Buehling (GER) and Meghan Rawlins (CAN). The Royal Live Stream is available from The Royal’s homepage by clicking “Watch Live.” FEI.TV will stream the action on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
The Royal Horse Show also hosts a CSI2* division featuring a $25,000 Welcome Speed class on Thursday afternoon, November 13, and culminating in the $50,000 CSI2* Grand Prix on Saturday afternoon, November 15. The National Under 25 Champion will be decided through the two-star division, with the top-placed athlete under the age of 25 in the overall standings being awarded a $5,000 bonus, supported by Uplands Charitable Foundation, and a saddle generously provided by Antares.
“We’re excited for the stellar line-up of unique and exciting equestrian events that will be showcased at this year’s Royal Horse Show,” said Cyrus K. Cooper, CEO of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. “Having hosted World Cup qualifying competition for show jumping for the past decade, it’s a thrill to bring World Cup Dressage back to Toronto. We strive to balance traditional fan favourites with fresh new offerings and are sure our loyal fans will enjoy the best horse sport our country has to offer when we welcome them to this year’s Royal Horse Show.”
In addition to showcasing the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of dressage, eventing, and show jumping, The Royal hosts two important equitation finals, the CET Medal National Championships, presented by Running Fox, and the JC Medal National Championships. As the only Canadian female course designer to hold her FEI license, Rawlins of Victoria, BC, will handle hunter and equitation course design duties in addition to assisting Petersen with the show jumping tracks.
Breed classes are a long-standing tradition at The Royal, with the Lieutenant Governor’s Cup and the Governor General’s Cup each showcasing promising three-year-old Canadian-bred sport horses under saddle and on the line. The inaugural Ronnie Davidson Memorial Trophy will be presented at this year’s Royal to the handler who best exemplifies the qualities of horsemanship and excellence.
Percherons, Belgians, and Clydesdales all have their moment to shine throughout The Royal Horse Show as do the Standardbreds and high-stepping Hackneys. Five entries are expected for the beloved Green Meadows Coaching division, that showcases the earliest forms of private and public transportation.
The Shetland Pony races will add to the family fun on opening weekend, competing during all four paid performances. Starting Wednesday, Sylvia Zerbini and her majestic grey horses will amaze with their at liberty performance aptly entitled “Grande Liberté.” To cap off 10 days of fantastic sport and entertainment, the popular Royal Rodeo closes out this year’s Royal on Sunday, November 16.
As always, The Royal offers numerous hospitality experiences which sell out quickly due to their popularity. A limited number of tables remain for The Royal Terrace while the Coliseum’s Sky Suites offer stables and groups their own private suites. Contact Helen Dillon, hdillon@royalfair.org, for more information.
For more information and to purchase tickets for the 2025 Royal Horse Show, visit www.royalfair.org/horse-show/.
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