FEI Show Jumping: What To Expect This Summer At Traverse City Horse Shows
Looking for elite-level show jumping competition this summer? Then look no further than Traverse City Horse Shows.
With three CSI5* weeks on the calendar, plus hosting an FEI Nations Cup CSIO3* this year, Traverse City Horse Shows has world-class footing, arenas, and all the action guaranteed for athletes and spectators alike this summer.
“It’s turning into our summer hub,” said Charlotte Jacobs, an American grand prix rider with North Star Sport Horses about Traverse City, who joined our hosts on Episode 134 of the Heels Down Happy Hour Podcast. Jacobs was the circuit’s 2024 Leading Jumping Rider, accumulating the most points at the grand prix level over the entire season.
“Every year we go back for a longer period of time. The horses are really happy there,” she said. “We’ll be there June, July and September this year, so most of the summer. From the scheduling to the footing to the management, across the board, it’s just a great show. I can’t imagine spending my summer anywhere else.”
Held at Flintfields Horse Park—transformed through years of investment—Traverse City Horse Shows spans 12 weeks of premier hunter, jumper, and equitation events. In 2025, the circuit becomes one of just four U.S. venues to host an FEI Nations Cup, set for Week Four of the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, July 23–27, with riders from up to 14 nations expected to compete.
Last year, Kent Farrington, McLain Ward, Daniel Bluman and Shane Sweetnam were among the CSI5* winners of the Traverse City circuit, with Irish Olympian Sweetnam nabbing the American Gold Cup champion title.
“[The American Gold Cup] is one of the biggest grand prix in America, if not the biggest,” said Sweetnam at the time of his win. He also won it in 2022. “I used to come here 15-16 years ago, and it’s grown and grown and the public have become more knowledgeable in the area as well.”
“These crowds are great; they know what’s happening, they know when to cheer or not to cheer and luckily for us the show jumping is growing here all the time,” Sweetnam said about his time in Traverse City.
Traverse City Horse Shows will host the FEI Nations Cup on Thursday, July 24, drawing international athletes to compete in a team event without the need for U.S. riders to travel abroad. This will be the first FEI Nations Cup to be held in Michigan.
“We are honored to host a Nations Cup at Flintfields Horse Park,” said Matt Morrissey, event director of Traverse City Horse Shows. “This is a significant milestone for us and reflects our dedication to providing world-class equestrian competition. To offer such a high-caliber team event in Michigan is a testament to the growth of our venue and the increasing enthusiasm for the sport across the state.”
Riders representing countries from the USA, Canada, Ireland, Great Britain, Brazil, and Mexico, are eligible to compete, alongwith reserve slots for Belgium and the UAE. Each five-rider team will field four competitors per round.
The team-based format of the Nations Cup pairs seasoned athletes with rising talent. The Nations Cub event is also a key qualifying opportunity for the GLEF CSIO3* Grand Prix, happening July 26.
The Traverse City Nations Cup is a marque event among the six-week Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, which kicks off July 6 with the Meijer CSI3* Grand Prix. Following the Nations Cup in Week Four, the series continues with the FEI North American Youth Championships in Week Five before ending with the Major League Show Jumping CSI5* as the series final. Closing out the season, the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ CSI5*-W and the American Gold Cup take center stage during Weeks Two and Three of the Tournament of Champions in September.
Plan your summer experience at Traverse City Horse Shows, from competition to vacation, now. Book your stalls to reserve your spot.