WIHS Continues Complimentary Ticket Programs for U. S. Military and First Responders
The 2018 Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), this year celebrating its 60th anniversary October 23-28 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., is proud to continue the WIHS Military Ticket Program presented by the Man O’ War Project at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The program provides complimentary tickets to U. S. military personnel and their families, and has distributed more than 33,500 tickets since 2010.
The WIHS First Responder Ticket Program, now in its third year, offers complimentary tickets to police, firefighters, emergency medical technicians and other first responders.
The WIHS Military Ticket Program helps further the goal of giving back to the military community. This year 7,000 tickets will be distributed through military distribution partners including Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, MCCS (Marine Corps Community Services Quantico), The Pentagon, District of Columbia National Guard Armory, Dept. of the Navy, and USCG Base National Capital Region. For more information on how your military organization can participate with ticket distribution, email [email protected].
Led by researchers at Columbia University, the Man O’ War Project is the first university-led clinical research study to determine the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy and establish guidelines for the treatment of military veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Military Night presented by Caterpillar Inc. will be held Friday, Oct. 26. Highlights include the $25,000 Land Rover International Jumper Puissance (high jump), the $50,000 Speed Final and the U.S. Army Herald Trumpets in its first performance at WIHS.
WIHS has enjoyed a connection to the U.S. Military since its earliest days when former U.S. Army horses and riders represented the United States in national and international competition. At the inaugural show in 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Maj. Gen. William H. Abendroth, U.S. Army and Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard, and also serving as WIHS president, welcomed the competitors from center ring of the D.C. National Guard Armory, home of WIHS until 1974.
Similar to the Military Ticket Program, the WIHS First Responders Ticket Program offers complimentary tickets to police, fire, emergency medical technicians, and other first responders and their families.
Tickets are available through WIHS first responder distribution partners including District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, D.C. Police Union, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, D.C. Nurses Association, Fairfax County Police, D.C. Fire Hockey, Arlington County Police Dept. and Arlington County Fire Dept. For more information on how your first responder organization can participate with ticket distribution, email [email protected].
The WIHS relationship with First Responders is most visible through its annual Breakfast with the Mounted Police attended by members of mounted police units throughout the region. The event will be held Wednesday, Oct. 25, outside Hotel Monaco from 8-10 a.m., rain or shine. This event provides an opportunity for the local community to meet officers and their mounts.
Tickets for WIHS are available online on Ticketmaster.com, at the Capital One Arena box office or by calling 1-800-745-3000. For group discounts, contact Capital One Arena Group Sales at 202-661-5061. For more information on tickets and discounts for military, seniors and students, visit wihs.org/tickets/
Led by researchers at Columbia University, the Man O’ War Project is the first university-led clinical research study to determine the effectiveness of equine-assisted therapy and establish guidelines for the treatment of military veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The Man O’ War Project takes veterans diagnosed with PTSD through an eight-week treatment program that uses equine-assisted therapy to help them relearn the skills they need to live healthier and more productive lives. Working side by side with licensed mental health therapists and equine specialists, the veterans are guided through a series of non-riding interactions with the horses, which help them gain a better understanding and awareness of their own emotions and behavior.
Through this process, veterans increase emotional awareness and the ability to recognize and regulate emotion, and learn to more effectively interact with the horse and, by extension, the people in their lives. MOWPROJECT.org