United States Eventing Association

The fifth annual USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships kick off tomorrow at the Virginia Horse Trials in Lexington, Virginia. There are a total of 105 entries, 29 teams, and 15 schools entered to compete for the 2021 Championship title.

In 2016, the University of Georgia Red team took home the win. In 2017, the Clemson Tigers were crowned champions, and the past two years (2018 and 2019) it was Auburn University who walked away with the title. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 Championships was canceled. Who will go home with the Championship title this year? It will be a tight competition in this record-breaking Championships!

The Field:

• A record-breaking total of 105 entries will compete in the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships which is the highest number of entries to date. There were 89 starters in 2019, 87 starters in 2018, 85 in 2017, and 37 at the inaugural Championship in 2016.
  
  
  
• The University of Kentucky is bringing the highest number of teams recorded in Championship history with over 8 teams.
• Almost all schools entered will be bringing at least two full teams including Auburn, University of Kentucky, University of Virginia, James Madison University, University of Georgia, University of Louisville, USC Aiken, and Virginia Tech University.
• All schools represented have competed at least once in a previous year at the USEA Intercollegiate Championships.
• The University of Kentucky won the Spirit Award in 2018 and is the only returning Spirit Award winner to show their school spirit. (UGA won in 2016, Texas A&M in 2017 and 2019, and the University of Kentucky in 2018).
• The UF Eventing Team has one of the longest treks to Championships as they are based in Gainesville, Florida.
• UVA has competed at the USEA Intercollegiate Championships almost every year, but this year will be the most riders they have ever brought to Championships with 10 horse and rider combinations.
• There are a total of 20 College Senior students competing, and several Seniors have competed in Championships each year they’ve been in school (2018 and 2019). These Seniors include Jessica Wymbs, Abigail Winfree, Emily Martin, and Jackie LeMastus.
• Auburn University and the University of Kentucky have placed in the top five every year at the USEA Intercollegiate Championships and will be looking for another top placing.
• All three schools who have won the Championship title are entered this year. (UGA, Clemson, and Auburn).
  
  

The Facts:

• There will be two divisions in this year’s Championships - the traditional Championship for undergraduate students, and the newly added graduate division. The graduate division is open to current graduate students and the seniors from the graduating class of 2020, who missed out on the championships last year due to COVID-19. This division will be scored and awarded separately from the undergraduate Championship.
• The Championships offers Beginner Novice through Intermediate levels as well as the international CCI*-L, CCI2*-S, CCI2*-L, and CCI3*-S levels. The event will follow the USEF COVID-19 Action Plan.
• The intercollegiate activities will start on Friday, May 28 with the opening ceremony being held in the Virginia Horse Center’s Coliseum.
• All Championship competitors will be stabled together in ‘College Town’ which will be located in barns 5 and 6. Riders stabled in College Town will have a dedicated scoreboard to keep up with the college team standings and Championship announcements.
• Each team is encouraged to set up gazebos and tents in College Town and decorate their stabling area with their school colors, banners, and gear to show their school pride.
• The Spirit Award is returning to this year’s Championship with similar criteria as 2018 where a panel will observe schools throughout the weekend to see who shows the most school spirit. The award was won by the University of Georgia in 2016, Texas A&M University in 2017 and 2019, and the University of Kentucky in 2018.
  
  
• There are no qualifications necessary to compete in these Championships, but there are two requirements. First, for the Undergraduate Championships, each student must be registered as a USEA Collegiate Member and enrolled as an undergraduate student. Second, the school must be a currently registered Affiliate of the USEA.
• Thanks to the generous USEA Intercollegiate Championships sponsors Bates Saddles, FITS, World Equestrian Brands, EQuine AMerica Magazine, Revitavet, Kerrits, R&J Equine Equine Unlimited, LLC, Saratoga Horseworks and US Equestrian there are some great prizes up for grabs this year including items such as embroidered show coolers, silver plate trophies, embroidered saddle pads from U.S. Equestrian, a RevitaVet system, and more! For the list of prizes, please click here.
• Click here or on the image below to meet the teams of the 2021 Intercollegiate Eventing Championship!
• Click here to view the official program!

Competition Schedule

FEI Classes:

Wednesday: In Barns from noon.

Thursday: In Barns / riders meeting at noon / First horse inspection 3:00 p.m.

Friday: Dressage starting at 8 am / Show jumping CCI-S classes starting at noon.

Saturday: Cross-country starting at 8:30 am.

Sunday: CCI-L classes horse inspection starting at 8:00 a.m. / Show jumping starting at 9:00 a.m.

Horse Trials:

Friday: Intermediate, Preliminary dressage / Intermediate show jumping / Preliminary cross-country.

Saturday: Modified, Training, Novice, Beginner Novice dressage starting at 8:00 a.m. / Preliminary, Training, Novice Show Jumping / Beginner Novice, Modified, cross-country (dependent on division numbers).

Sunday: Modified, Beginner Novice Show Jumping / Training, Novice cross-country.

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