Successful Horse Show Boosts Economy

New Report Shows Washington International Horse Show Generated Nearly $10 Million For Prince George’s County’s Local Economy Last Year. And It’s Coming Back In October

A highly successful horse show is returning to Prince George’s County, and riding in with it is the anticipated boost for the economy.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks announced that the 64th Annual Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), hosted in October 2022, contributed a total of $9.85 million to the County’s local economy, according to an economic impact study conducted by Mr. Stephen S. Fuller, Ph.D., University Professor Emeritus at George Mason University. This year, the show will return in October from 23-29.

Through a collaboration between the Office of the County Executive’s Strategic Partnerships Division, the Town of Upper Marlboro, and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, the WIHS was held at The Show Place Arena at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, marking both the first time the show was hosted in the County in over twenty years and its highly anticipated return to the Washington, D.C. region after two years.

“We are so excited to learn that last year’s Washington International Horse Show had such a significant impact on our local economy, which was one of the many reasons our team sought to bring this prestigious event back to Prince George’s County,” said Alsobrooks. “I’ve often said that greatness grows in Prince George’s, so we were proud to have the opportunity to host some of the most talented equestrian riders from across the country and world right here in our county. We want to thank the WIHS Board of Directors and our partners for all of their efforts to make this event a huge success and look forward to welcoming them back to Prince George’s this October.”

According to the economic impact study, the direct spending by the WIHS to stage the show, in addition to the spending by vendors, exhibitors, spectators, and competitors, totaled $7.045 million over the course of the seven-day event. As a result of this direct spending, another $2.055 million was generated in new personal earnings for employees residing in Prince George’s County due to re-spending of payroll and business income by employees, vendors, and exhibitors before and after shows. For more information about the WIHS, visit the WIHS website at: https://wihs.org/.