Germantown Charity Horse Show Painted Horseshoe Hunt
Kicks Off May 1, 2026!
The annual GCHS Painted Horseshoe Hunt gallops back into action on Friday, May 1, running through Friday, May 22. This year, over 60 uniquely decorated horseshoes will be available for hunters to find and collect!
From Volunteers’ Hands to Hunters’ Hands: 2026 Horseshoe Artistry
This year, thirty volunteers including GCHS Princess Archer Adams, members from the Girl Scout Daisy Troop # 13237, as well as former and future hunters and additional GCHS members, helped paint and prepare the horseshoes. Princess Archer even knitted two special designs – one for the Unicorn horseshoe and another for the Year of the Fire horseshoe, showcasing her artistic flair for creating unique horseshoes.
The pony-sized horseshoes, measuring 3” x 4”, were donated by Farrier Paul Doris for painting and decorating. The grand prize horseshoe, custom made for the hunt by Farrier Paul, is a giant Draft Horse Pulling Shoe that is 8.25” x 8.5”, bedazzled by GCHS member Laura Lawson.
Every horseshoe is a collectible keepsake, crafted with creativity and care by volunteers of all ages.
How the Hunt Works
The painted horseshoes are hidden for hunters to find using clues posted daily on the Germantown Charity Horse Show Facebook Group.
Find a horseshoe and post a photo of yourself with it online. Each hunter gets to keep the horseshoes they find and receives two free tickets to the 2026 Germantown Charity Horse Show, June 2–6.
Show your community spirit and compete for the Good Sportsmanship Hunter Award. This award honors someone who claims no more than two horseshoes and helps others enjoy the hunt. The winner receives two GCHS horse show tickets and a T-shirt! If you want to compete, do not claim more than two shoes. Feel free to take photos of the additional shoes you find, but do not post them until after someone else finds them and makes their claim online.
The Grand Prize Winner who finds the large Draft Horse Pulling Shoe gets to keep the horseshoe, wins two tickets to the Germantown Charity Horse Show, and a special gift.
Weekday Clues: posted early morning, noon and late afternoon for hunting the three horseshoes hidden each weekday
Weekend Clues: posted early morning and in the afternoon for hunting the two horseshoes hidden each Saturday and Sunday
The hunt wraps up with a “Race to the Finish” on Friday, May 22, when a record five horseshoes will be posted. Two clues will be posted that morning and three in the afternoon.
Dust off your detective hat and hunting shoes and get ready to join the hunt!
Join us for the 76th Germantown Charity Horse Show, June 2–6. For more information and to purchase e-tickets, click below.