Copa América Equina 2026 in Palmira: Colombia's Criollo Horse Fair

Copa América Equina 2026: dates, venue and what we know

The 34th Copa América Equina (XXXIV Copa América Equina) runs Thursday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, at the Sede Campestre Asdeoccidente, Asdeoccidente's country grounds in the rural district of La Dolores, on the main Cali–Palmira road in Colombia's Valle del Cauca. It's a Colombian Criollo horse fair organized by Asdeoccidente and endorsed by Fedequinas, Colombia's national federation of horse associations, under the motto "¡Una pasión que nos une!" ("A passion that unites us!").

Equinos.co's listing gives the address as Transversal 5 No. 1-60 and shows the event as "coming soon." Asdeoccidente is the western Colombia breeders' association for gaited horses (Asociación de Criadores de Caballos de Paso y Fomento Equino de Occidente), one of Fedequinas' member associations.

What hasn't been published yet

As of Oct. 28, there's no official program, daily schedule or ticket price. Mansión Equina, in a listing reviewed Oct. 14, also says hours, cost and program haven't been published.

There are no results either, because the fair hasn't started. Be wary of any "winners" lists that circulate before Sunday.

Grade A or AA?

The sources disagree, so take this one carefully:

• Mansión Equina, citing the Fedequinas calendar, lists it as grade AA (Doble A).
• Equinos.co gives no grade.
• In 2024, the fair was billed as Grade A (Agronegocios).
• In 2025, it was one of three grade AA shows that year, according to Fedequinas' 2025 annual report: Rionegro's Feria de las Flores (Asdesilla), Bogotá's Agroexpo (Asdepaso) and Palmira's Copa América (Asdeoccidente), which ran May 1–4 with 444 horses entered.

What's certain is that this is a graded fair on the Fedequinas calendar. Confirm the exact 2026 grade with the organizers.

How a Colombian Criollo horse fair works

A Fedequinas horse show is a judged exhibition. The horses don't race. They're presented to judges who score them. Each horse competes in its own gait and in a class by age and sex, and the best move on to finals and grand championships.

The four gaits

Fedequinas shows judge four gaits (andares) of the Colombian Criollo horse, and each horse competes in one of them.

• Paso fino: the horse alternates its two lateral pairs (both legs on the same side) and completes each stride in four beats. The steps are short, very fast and full of brío (forward energy).
• Trocha: the legs move on diagonals (a front leg with the opposite hind). Because the movement repeats quickly, it covers more ground.
• Trote y galope: the horse shows a trot on diagonals and also a canter, and both are judged.
• Trocha y galope: the same idea, with a trocha instead of the trot.

To go deeper, read our guide to the paso fino horse.

The sounding board

The course includes a wooden board, the tabla de resonancia (sounding board). When a horse crosses it, you can hear the rhythm of its hooves, and judges must be able to tell the sound of each gait.

How judges score the horses

According to Agronegocios, the score breaks down like this:

• Movement (40%): quality, rhythm and purity of the gait.
• Phenotype (35%): conformation, proportions and structure.
• Training (25%): how well the horse responds to the rider's aids.

A few more things worth knowing:

• Who judges: a Grade A fair has two judges drawn by lot and one invited judge. Training a Fedequinas judge takes about four years on average.
• Who gets sent out: judges can remove horses that are lame, that rear up, or that aren't showing the gait they're entered in.
• Optional tests: since 2025, these are drawn by lot, including a second pass over the sounding board. The exception is judges riding the horses, which follows its own set procedure.

Why a fair's grade matters

Fedequinas ranks its shows by grade: B, A and Double A (AA). In 2025 there were 88 Grade B fairs, 29 Grade A and just three AA, according to the federation's 2025 annual report. The grade sets how many points are on offer and which classes are judged.

• Higher grade, more points. For example, the Champion of Champions class is worth 10 points at a Grade B fair and 20 at Grade A.
• Points add up over the year. They count toward season titles such as Sire of the Year and Dam of the Year.
• AA fairs work differently. They don't judge the Champion of Champions class or the ratification class for horses already retired from regular competition (fuera de concurso). Those horses compete in the regular classes for their gait, age and sex instead.

That's why breeders watch the calendar closely: a big fair late in the season can shake up the points table.

Tips for a family visit

A gaited-horse fair makes a great day out, but the horses are big, sensitive and spirited. Before and during your visit:

1. Confirm before you leave. Message Asdeoccidente on WhatsApp at +57 300 322 0606, call 602 666 9622, email asdeoccidente@asdeoccidente.org.co or check its Instagram, @asdeoccidente.oficial.
2. Arrive early. Mornings tend to be cooler and calmer, and it's easier to find a good seat in the stands.
3. Dress for the Valle del Cauca. Hat, sunscreen, water and a light layer in case of rain.
4. Never stand behind a horse. Hold kids' hands and keep them away from the hindquarters. A gaited horse can spook at a balloon, a shout or an umbrella popping open.
5. Ask before you touch. The horse belongs to a breeder and may be about to enter the ring. If the rider says yes, pet the neck, not the face.
6. Keep your voice down near the ring. It keeps from startling the horses and lets you hear the gait when they cross the sounding board.
7. Bring cash and a charger. Rural fairgrounds don't always have good signal or card readers.

For the basics, see our safety guide, and if you're bringing children, our parents and teachers section.

What to watch next

• The program. If Asdeoccidente or Fedequinas publish it this week, check when each gait is judged and when the grand championships run.
• The official grade. Confirm whether the 2026 fair runs as AA, as it did in 2025, to understand how much its points weigh.
• The results. They'll come out as judging progresses, from the organizers and the Colombian horse press.
• Palmira as a gaited-horse hub. Asdeoccidente's grounds hosted the 17th World Gaited Horse Championship (Mundial de Caballos de Paso) in 2025, with 1,038 horses competing, according to Agronegocios. The Copa América keeps the area on the Criollo horse map.

Curious about other gaited breeds in the region? Compare with the Peruvian Paso horse and catch up on the latest in Trends.