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SADDLE UP SCOTTSDALE
By Sean Davies
For over half a century, Arizona has had many horse aficionados galloping to the Sonoran Desert for the Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show.
Founded way back in 1955 by a host of Arabian horse owners, the first all Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale owes a debt of gratitude to Ruth and Ed Tweed, Helen Wrigley and Anne and Fowler McCormick. While each equine enthusiast was a sponsor, it was Helen Wrigley herself that hosted the inaugural event at the stables and arena at the Wrigley’s mansion near the Biltmore Resort. Some 100 horses and their owners participated in the show, while Ed Tweed, then president of the Arabian Horse Association, provided commentary from a truck bed. After the show’s beginnings at the Arizona Biltmore, it was the McCormicks turn to host. For two years, their home’s horse arena served as a venue, as they transformed a newly purchased 150 acres in Scottsdale into the show’s next home, a horse facility known as Paradise Park.
In 1989, the show moved to the HorseWorld facility. Later rebranded as WestWorld, the facility has been host to the Annual Scottsdale Arabian Horse Show ever since. Now, more commonly referred to as simply “The Scottsdale Show,” the event boasts over 2,400 horses, over 350 commercial exhibitors and attracts over 300,000 attendees annually, making it the largest Arabian horse show in the world.
Native Costume competitors are a must-see
of the breed. Competitions in dressage and English and Western pleasure riding showcase the Arabian horse’s manners and intelligence. Their ability to work on a ranch is tested in the cow horse category, where Arabian horses are used to herd cattle. No matter the category, no guests leave doubting what made the animal a favorite in the eyes of the Tweeds, Wrigleys and McCormicks.
