Horse Illustrated Magazine

There’s only one place in North America where you can experience top international horse show competition combined with all the best a great state agricultural fair has to offer: the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. It really is something that anyone who loves horse shows and/or state fairs should not miss. Read on to find out what the 2024 Royal Winter Fair has in store.

The Uniqueness of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

Think back to a time when the pomp and circumstance of VIP box seats and glamorous evening wear were a part of the spectacle at almost all of the large fall indoor horse shows around North America. Such was the case with the old National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden in New York City, among others. While the National still exists and is a great show, the venue has changed to the Kentucky Horse Park, and gowns and tuxes in preferred seating at Madison Square have given way to blue jeans and riding attire parked in the stands of the Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.

One key indoor show stands alone now, combining this historic charm and ambience―the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair held every November in Toronto, Canada. There really is nothing like the “Royal.” It spans ten days and has been held at the same location for over 100 years. It still features a horse-show audience in formal wear watching a mixed program of various breeds and disciplines performing each evening (although tickets are available for those who wish not to dress in evening wear). The horse show, combined with daily livestock shows, entertainment, educational events and more, makes the Royal a unique and fun-filled event that all may enjoy.

This year’s Royal Winter Fair runs November 1-10, 2024, at the Canadian National Exhibition grounds situated along Lake Ontario in Toronto. It is the 102nd renewal of this iconic event.

More About the Royal Winter Fair

The Winter Fair, which began in 1922 and has run almost continuously since that time (with only brief pauses for World War II and COVID-19), is billed as the largest combined indoor agriculture fair and international equestrian competition in the world. Approximately 300,000 visitors from a number of countries go through the doors over the ten days. Fairgoers can see everything from the daily horse show to other livestock and agricultural product exhibitions to entertainment, shopping, dining, and educational displays.

The Royal’s shopping choices are extensive, with offerings from tack, riding apparel, horse care products and horse trailers to Canadian-produced food (yes, there is maple syrup!) and gifts, clothing, home décor, health and beauty products, to Royal Fair logo sportswear, and more. It’s a great place to do your holiday shopping.

Dining options are varied, too. Attendees can indulge in the ever-popular homemade apple dumplings or variations of the Canadian dish poutine (cheese curds, gravy and fried potatoes with the option of topping it with bacon or pulled pork), plus a wide variety of Canadian and international foods. Samples of various Canadian-grown foods are often available in the shopping area, too.

On any given day, in addition to the horse show, attendees can watch dairy and beef cattle, sheep, goats, hogs, alpacas, rabbits, cavies (guinea pigs) or poultry being shown. They may also tour the displays of competition winners for garden and agricultural crops, wool fleeces, jams and jellies, pickles, honey, meats and cheeses, and other farm products. The butter sculpture competition is another thing not to be missed. Every year, artists carve amazing figures chosen to match a theme that are crafted from huge blocks of chilled butter. The results are truly amazing.

There is also daily live entertainment on the OLG Entertainment Stage which also features a square dancing competition on the final day. Visitors may sign up for only $20 to participate in cooking classes conducted by professional chefs or tour the University of Guelph’s “The Future of Food” walk-through exhibit. Children will enjoy activities designed just for them (Royal Petting Farm, Spirit of the Horse, Dairy Education Center, Farm & Play Zone and more).

The Royal Animal Theatre combines education with entertainment to the delight of both adults and kids. Appearances by the Global Pet Foods SuperDogs and demonstrations by birds of prey and handlers, sheep herding dogs, Double Dan Horsemanship, and a number of equestrian groups fill the calendar for the Royal Animal Theatre. The Royal Canadian Horseshoeing Classic competition takes over the Theatre on November 5 when the audience will witness hot-forged blacksmithing.

Royal organizers designate an animal ambassador each year and this year’s picks are two alpacas named Dawson and Pacey, from All In Alpacas, owned by Derek and Lindsay Stoltz and their teenage daughters in Rockwood, Ontario. Over the last several years, Heartland television show star Amber Marshall has made frequent appearances at the Royal, too; she’ll be there again this year appearing during the horse show and emceeing the Royal Rodeo on the final Sunday.

The Royal Horse Show

In today’s specialized horse-show world, it can be difficult to find an event where many breeds and disciplines are showcased at one venue, but the Royal offers that chance. There are two show arenas, one in the huge Royal Horse Show Coliseum and the other a smaller competition ring in the center of the two-story stabling barn called the “Horse Palace.” All competing are vying to win a red ribbon, which in Canada signifies first place. To get a glimpse of all of the action at the Royal Horse Show watch this preview of the 2023 Royal.

Canadian and international jumpers, hunters, fast-paced indoor eventing, and dressage musical freestyle share the same coliseum arena with massive draft horse hitches, zippy roadster ponies, high-stepping fine harness horses, Welsh Pony driving classes, and elegant antique coaching. While over in the Horse Palace, breed classes take place for Belgian Drafts, Canadian Sport Horses, Clydesdales, Hackneys, Percherons, Sport Ponies, Thoroughbreds and Welsh Ponies. Most of these classes are open to competitors from anywhere in the world, not just Canada. The Royal Rodeo on the last Sunday is the final equestrian event each year.

The Royal also stages two classes for 3-year-old sport horses in the coliseum, the Governor General’s Cup (an in-hand conformation line class) and the Lieutenant Governor’s Cup (in-hand line and under-saddle classes combined to name one winner). These are important showcases for Canadian-bred sport horses and entries must have qualified earlier in the year to compete. Even though contested at 7:30 a.m. on the final Saturday of the Royal, they attract a large audience.

A fan-favorite event held during the international jumper competition is the K9 Equine International Challenge class which combines a horse and rider jumper duo with a human and canine dog agility pair. Held on the final Saturday afternoon, the fastest combined time from the horse/human and canine/human pairings wins. See the 2022 Royal K9 Equine International Challenge competition here.

In jumper competition, the first four days of the Royal involve Canadian jumper classes with a Canadian Championship capping the series. Then, four more days are devoted to international jumper classes including the McKee Family International Challenge, the Mad Barn Big Ben Challenge International Challenge (named for Canadian Olympic rider Ian Millar’s famous horse), the International Speed Challenge, and finally the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Toronto, the next-to-last North American League leg of the season’s FEI World Cup qualifying series (for next spring’s World Cup Final in Basel, Switzerland).

At the end of the Royal jumper classes, a Leading Rider, Leading Lady Rider, Leading Canadian Rider, and Leading Canadian Horse are crowned. Find a video spotlight of one of the Canadian jumper riders, Sean Jobin, talking about his road to the 2024 Royal Winter Fair here.

Track the results from the 2024 Royal Horse Show here.

How to Purchase Tickets or Watch Online

Tickets to the Royal Winter Fair may still be purchased online or at the door. Entrance to morning and afternoon matinee Royal Horse Show classes is included with Royal Winter Fair general admission tickets. Evening Royal Horse Show and Royal Rodeo tickets require a separate purchase. For more ticketing information, visit here.

If you can’t attend in person, you may watch the 2024 Royal Horse Show online (subscription required) via this livestream.

You may tune in on FEI TV via ClipMyHorseTV to watch the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Toronto. A subscription to ClipMyHorseTV is required; go here for more information.

Regardless of whether you attend in person or watch online, don’t miss the action of the 2024 Royal Winter Fair, a one-of-a-kind horse show!