The 2021 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships will take place on May 27-30 at the Virginia Horse Trials in Lexington, Virginia and over 18 teams will be making the trip to Virginia to compete. Auburn University is looking to reclaim its championship title for the third year in a row, but James Madison University, Randolph Macon College, University of Kentucky, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech University will all be bringing multiple teams for their chance to be crowned Champions.
Will a new Champion emerge this year? Get excited for the 2021 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships with these videos, pictures, and quotes from the teams themselves!
Auburn University:
Auburn University won the Intercollegiate Championships in 2019 and 2018, and this year they are planning to bring two full teams to defend their Championship title.
Clemson University:
“Championships to our team means several things: first and foremost, it’s the place for us to showcase all the hard work we have put in over the past year. On another note, it’s a celebration of our team and teammates—both riders and non-riders—as well as intercollegiate eventing as a whole. Coming together for such a fun weekend of competition has been the highlight of many of our college careers,” said the Clemson Eventing Team.
James Madison University:
“This Championship means coming together and competing one last time as a team before our seniors have to leave us! We love getting the unique opportunity to compete as a team in the sport of eventing,” said the JMU Eventing Team.
University of Florida:
Based in Gainesville, Florida, the UF Eventing Team has one of the longest treks to Championships. Coached by 5-star event rider, Ashley Johnson, UF Eventing made their Championship debut in 2018 and have competed in Championships ever since.
University of Louisville:
“For some of us it is the start of an amazing adventure, and for others, it is our last hurrah. Championships are a great place for us to come in as a team, to bond, to create lifelong memories, and to show our school spirit while doing what we love most, eventing. We may all have different ideas of what championships mean to us, but we are beyond ready to take it on as a team,” said the University of Louisville Eventing Team.
University of Kentucky:
The University of Kentucky will be breaking a new record this year as they will be bringing over 8 full teams which is the most any school has ever brought to Intercollegiate Championships.
University of Virginia:
UVA has competed at 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.
USC Aiken:
"Championships are an imperative part to our season at USC Aiken, especially since COVID-19 has started. It is such a phenomenal opportunity for everyone on the team to come together and support one another, while doing something we all love! We feel so lucky that the USEA and Virginia Horse Trials has taken great strides to make this happen this year, and we cannot wait to get out on course," said the USC Aiken Eventing Team.
Randolph Macon College:
“The past year has been a challenging time for everyone, and championships are kind of the light at the end of the tunnel. It has been a goal for many of our team members and everyone is excited to finally get out and show all that they have been working on,” said the Randolph Macon College Eventing team.
Transylvania University:
“We have gone to Championships every year since it began. Despite the pandemic, we have all accomplished so much and grown together as a team. Intercollegiate Championships are always a fun way to wrap up the season and celebrate our hard work,” said the Transylvania University Eventing Team.
Virginia Tech:
Virginia Tech will bring two teams this year and they also have a rider competing in the Graduate division.
Stay tuned for the Meet the Teams preview coming out soon!
About the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program
The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program was established in 2014 to provide a framework within which eventing teams and individual competitors could flourish at universities and colleges across the country. The USEA offers a discount of $25 on annual USEA memberships for current students of universities and colleges registered as Affiliates with the USEA. Many events across the country now offer Intercollegiate Team Challenges where collegiate eventers can compete individually as well as on teams with their fellow students. In Intercollegiate Team Challenges, each rider’s score is multiplied by a coefficient appropriate for their level to account for differences in level difficulty, and then the individual scores are added together to determine the team score. Click here to learn more about the Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, FITS Riding, Saratoga Horseworks, World Equestrian Brands, EQuine AMerica Magazine, Revitavet, Kerrits, R&J Equine Equine Unlimited, LLC, and US Equestrian for sponsoring the Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
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