2006 Del Mar National Horse Show

The finest equestrian athletes in the nation will gather for the 61st annual premier horse show, the Del Mar National, which runs Thursday, April 20th through Sunday, May 7th. The 2006 National Horse Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds near




San Diego, California, will offer more than $350,000 in prize money. The world-class event will feature three disciplines – Western, Dressage, and Hunter/Jumper.  Each discipline will be featured during a different week:




    - Western Week April 20-23
    - Dressage Week April 27-30
    - Hunter/Jumper Week May 2-7




Western Week April 20-23  

The highlight of Western Week is Night of the Horse — Saturday, April 22, at 7:00 p.m.The marquee event will be a showcase of equestrian talent, tricks, tributes and daring. The equestrian acts during Western Week will include vaulting, Roman riding, and equestrian drill teams. Tommie Turvey and his amazing trick horse, Poker Joe, will be the featured act.  

Tommie was born in the San Diego area and now lives in Illinois.  He is a second-generation horse trainer. Pokerjoe and Tommie have been together for seven years. They travel more than 100,000 miles a year performing in front of thousands of people. Pokerjoe is the veteran of Tommie's herd of paint horses.

Other events during Western Week include:




-  The $500 Triple Crown Feeds Challenge of the Breeds




Only two entries of each breed are allowed to enter the Triple Crown Feeds competition.  To win the Challenge of the Breeds, competitors must enter in three of four classes offered: Pleasure Driving, Trail, Hunter Under Saddle, and Western Pleasure which is a mandatory class.




The2005 Triple Crown Feeds Challenge of the Breeds competition at the Del Mar National Horse Show was won by Vanessa Holland of Carlsbad, CA, on her black Quarter Horse mare Kenya Mox. They bested a field of Quarter Horse, American Paint, Pinto, Andalusian, and Norwegian Fjord breeds.




-  The $500 Sliding Contest