SHOWCASE GRAND PRIX GRASS ARENAS
World Sports builds, renovates and maintains natural grass arenas for equestrian venues. We plan the work around your show calendar.
WHAT WE DO FOR EQUESTRIAN FACILITIES
We test moisture, compaction and soil, inspect the grade and drainage, and tell you what the arena needs before the season.
Book a free arena assessment →Soil profile, laser grading, drainage and turf, designed as one system for horse traffic.
See construction →Regrading, drainage correction and resodding between circuits.
See renovation →Mowing, fertility, aeration and repairs between classes and through the off-season.
See maintenance →
WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS FIELD
The load is a horse landing on a hoof, concentrated at fixed jumps, the rail track and the in-gate. The rest of the ring can look untouched while the landing zones are cut up.
Consistency across the ring matters more than any single number: a horse reads a change in footing between strides. Even hardness and even moisture across the whole ring is the goal, and the record of it protects the show.
The circuit is the calendar. In Wellington the season runs January to March; the ring must be right on the first show day, and every heavy job happens in the other nine months.
WHAT WE MEASURE
| What we measure | How | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Surface hardness | Clegg impact tester, 2.25 kg hammer, on a grid across the ring with extra points at take-off and landing zones, the rail track and the in-gate | Even across the ring, no hard spots. No national equestrian body publishes a band for grass arenas, so we set your arena's working band at the assessment and hold the ring inside it |
| Rootzone moisture, salinity, temperature | POGO handheld at the grid; Soil Scout buried sensors where fitted | The same reading at the rail and in the center, inside the band we set for your arena's soil profile |
| Levelness and grade | Laser survey of the ring | No hollows deeper than half an inch; grade as built so water sheets to the drains |
| Drainage | Standing-water map after rain; infiltrometer at the low spots | No standing water 30 minutes after a normal rain; about 1 inch per hour or better; under a quarter inch per hour means compaction or layering |
| Turf cover, root depth and divot resistance | Visual grid; root depth on a core | Over 95 percent cover before the circuit; roots 4 inches or deeper; divots that lift as a plug and go back in; targets set with you before the season |
| Soil chemistry and texture | Lab sample once a year | pH 6.0 to 7.5; nutrients to the lab's targets; divot mix and topdressing sand matched to the profile |
Hardness per ASTM F1702 with device and standard named. No national equestrian body publishes a target band for grass arenas; each tells you to define what is right for your ring and keep it there. We define it with you at the assessment and hold it.
WHERE IT FAILS FIRST
Take-off and landing zones at the jumps. The track along the rail. The in-gate and the warm-up lanes. Low spots that puddle after rain.
WHAT WE DO ACROSS THE YEAR
| Season | What the field needs | Service |
|---|---|---|
| April and May | After the circuit: divot and sod repair of take-off and landing zones, decompaction, drainage correction where water stood; the arena assessment and next season's plan | Decompaction · Drainage correction · Field assessment |
| June to September | Renovation window: summer renovation (aeration, verticut, topdressing), fraze and laser grading where the grade has gone, sand-cap applications; construction and renovation of grass rings | Summer renovation · Fraze renovation and laser grading · Soil & Fertility Program · Large-scale renovation · New field construction |
| October | Overseed with perennial rye for the winter circuit | Winter overseeding |
| November and December | Pre-season readings and sign-off; rolling and moisture management to the first show | Event and tournament preparation · Field Program: Monitor · Field Program: Service |
| January to March | In season: readings every week, divot repair after every class, moisture control, event standby | Field Program: Manage · Field Program: Service · Event and tournament preparation |
BUILDING OR REBUILDING A GRASS ARENA
For construction and renovation we use our own drainage layout and soil profile for grass arenas, designed for horse traffic: the design built at Wellington International in 2025 and at private residences in the Wellington area. For an existing ring, the arena assessment reads the soil profile, the drainage layout, moisture and compaction; from there we correct what is wrong or rebuild the ring to the Wellington International specification.
EQUIPMENT THAT FITS
Dennis G‑860 or ES‑860, a 34-inch cassette mower for the finish cut and the stripes the show wants. SISIS Quadraplay: brush, rake and roller in one tractor pass for daily arena preparation. SISIS Multitiner: drum aerator for the compaction program after the circuit. SISIS Javelin Aer-Aid: in-season air injection with no surface disruption. SISIS Variseeder for the October overseed. SISIS Powaspred for divot-mix and sand topdressing. World Sports is an authorized US dealer for Dennis and SISIS.
PROVEN EXPERIENCE
Wellington International
Natural grass arena built in 2025: soil profile, laser grading and drainage. Maintained by World Sports through every circuit since. Now the showcase Grand Prix arena at Wellington International.
Private residences, Wellington area
New grass arenas and sand arenas built for private residences, and the rings managed year-round: in-season care, off-season work, and summer and winter renovations. We value our clients' discretion, so these owners are not named.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What makes a good natural grass arena for horses?
Consistent footing. The surface has to be firm enough to support the horse and give enough to cushion each landing, with no wet or hard spots. That comes from the soil profile, the grade and the drainage working together, plus dense, well-rooted turf. We build and maintain the three as one system.
How do you keep a grass arena consistent during the show season?
Between classes and circuits we repair worn areas, mow, fertilize, aerate and adjust irrigation. Before a show we check moisture and firmness, so riders get the same footing from the first round to the last.
Can an existing grass arena be renovated without a full rebuild?
Often, yes. Regrading, drainage correction and resodding fix most problems between circuits. We start with an assessment of moisture, compaction, soil, grade and drainage to see whether a renovation is enough or the profile needs to be rebuilt.
When is the best time to renovate an equestrian arena?
In the gap between circuits or in the off-season, during active growing weather, so new sod roots quickly. We plan the work around your show calendar.
Do you install sand or fiber footing?
No. Our work is grass, grade and drainage. For sand or fiber footing we bring in a footing partner.
What did World Sports build at Wellington International?
In 2025 we built the natural grass arena at Wellington International in Wellington, Florida: soil profile, laser grading and drainage. We maintain it year-round, and it is now the showcase Grand Prix arena at the venue.
TALK TO OUR EXPERTS
Tell us about your arenas and your show calendar. We will inspect the surface and drainage and send a scope.
Talk to our experts →