First its location changed. Then the class list dropped a large portion of the classes and became a show for Saddlebreds. And now the name is disappearing, too.
The Roanoke Valley Horse Show left the Salem Civic Center for a rebirth at the Virginia Horse Center in 2016. But that rebirth became more of a high-speed evolution. The hunter classes were gone by 2017 and the name had been tweaked to Roanoke Shenandoah Valley Horse Show. A Grand Prix would no longer cap off the weeklong schedule. And the support of Roanoke area businesses also was lost as the Roanoke Valley Horseman’s Association passed off the event to new hosts.
This year, the show will run just four days — June 20-23 — at the Virginia Horse Center. And Roanoke appears to be disappearing from its name. The artwork for the show lists it as the Shenandoah Classic Horse Show.
Lots has changed but there will still be plenty of high-stepping action if not high jumping action. And it is inevitable that even some of our most treasured horse show events will change over time, particularly as horse shows face the challenge of dropping participation.
Meanwhile, the Roanoke Valley Horseman’s Association is scheduled to hold a one-day community horse show at Green Hill Park Equestrian Center in Salem this summer. Watch for more details on that event.
Roanoke Equestrian 