| WHAT: 2026 Golden Horseshoe Ceremony WHEN: Tuesday, June 9, 2026 Ceremony 1, 9 a.m. Ceremony 2, 11 a.m. Ceremony 3, 1:30 p.m. WHERE: West Virginia Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, West Virginia 25305 |
| The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) congratulates the 95th class of the Golden Horseshoe winners. State Superintendent of Schools Michele L. Blatt will induct the top-performing eighth grade students into the Order of the Golden Horseshoe on June 9, 2026, at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston. Since 1931, this award has recognized students who have shown a mastery of West Virginia state history on the annual Golden Horseshoe exam, making it the longest-standing tradition of its kind in the nation. This year, 225 students will become Knights of the Golden Horseshoe during the annual knighting ceremony, and the full list of 2026 Golden Horseshoe recipients is available on the WVDE website. Ceremony 1 recognizes scholars from Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Harrison, Jackson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Putnam, Roane, Wayne and Wirt counties. Ceremony 2 recognizes scholars from Gilmer, Greenbrier, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pleasants, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Summers, Tyler, Upshur, Webster, Wetzel, Wood and Wyoming counties and West Virginia Public Charter Schools. Ceremony 3 recognizes scholars from Barbour, Berkeley, Brooke, Doddridge, Grant, Hampshire, Hancock, Hardy, Jefferson, Marshall, Mineral, Monongalia, Morgan, Ohio, Pendleton, Pocahontas, Preston, Taylor and Tucker counties and the West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. In 1716, Governor of the Virginia Colony Alexander Spotswood led a group of explorers west of the Allegheny Mountains into what is now largely West Virginia. To honor their courage and determination in crossing the rugged terrain, he awarded each participant a small golden horseshoe. This year commemorates the 310th anniversary of the Golden Horseshoe tradition and its enduring legacy. West Virginia Public Broadcasting will livestream all three ceremonies on its YouTube channel.Photos from the event can be viewed in the WVDE Golden Horseshoe Flickr album. |
