horse show

a competitive display of the capabilities and qualities of horses and their riders or handlers, usually held as an annual event.

Origin of horse show

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

It was only when Merrymount Morton had threaded his way half around the horse-show that he first saw a horse there.

Vignettes of Manhattan; Outlines in Local Color |Brander Matthews
No Belgian race or horse-show can begin till a veterinary is present with this instrument, to be used in case of accident.

The Modern Pistol and How to Shoot It |Walter Winans
She heard her say it was for the gown she was going to wear at the horse-show.

The Girl from Montana |Grace Livingston Hill
It's indecent—at the horse-show, the opera, at races and balls, to meet the man who once—It's not civilized!

Representative Plays by American Dramatists: 1856-1911: The New York Idea |Langdon Mitchell

A year or so went on, and we met the McComases at a horse-show.

On the Stairs |Henry B. Fuller