United States Eventing Association

Great Meadow Foundation in The Plains, VA has recently purchased the 174 acres adjacent to their 200-acre primary property and will construct a world class facility hosting high performance eventing on the newly acquired land. The first opportunity to safely use the new arena and cross-country course will be Summer of 2015.

In the mean time, David O’Connor, Chef d’Equipe of the US Equestrian Team eventing squad has named Great Meadow as the site of the selection trials for the upcoming Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and will conduct activities on the primary property. Dressage and show jumping will be tested in the existing arena and cross-country will be tested on the existing racecourse. The trials are to be held July 26-27 at Great Meadow in advance of the international competition held in Normandy, France, August 23 – September 7. The list of competitors will include the nation’s finest horses and riders in the eventing discipline.

Dressage tests will begin Saturday morning, July 26 in Great Meadow’s present arena. That evening, the trials resume in the same arena beginning with a bareback puissance class followed by the show jumping test. While the competition is conducted in the arena, a VIP reception will be held in the pavilion on the berm overlooking to cheer on the team and celebrate the opening of the new event park on the Fleming Park property. The trials continue the next morning on the racecourse with the cross-country phase and return to the arena for the closing ceremony and press conference.

Robert Banner, President of Great Meadow reports that there will be an opportunity to buy general admission tickets for $30 a carload, ringside boxes for 6-10, tailgates on a tree-lined berm overlooking the lighted arena, space for larger groups on a covered entertainment deck, and tables in a tented VIP reception dinner on the tree-lined berm overlooking the arena for Saturday night. Saturday night will end with dancing for everyone in the pavilion and continue until late. Banner invites all to suport. The team needs plenty of faces in the crowd to replicate the atmosphere they will face in Normandy. Please come to cheer the team on to victory in France and celebrate the opening of Great Meadow’s brand new event park opening next year.

A detailed schedule for the entire weekend, as well as opportunities to purchase general admission and reserved area tickets will be posted on the Great Meadow Foundation website, www.greatmeadow.org, by emailing [email protected], or by calling (540) 253-5000. The offices are located at 5089 Old Tavern Road, The Plains, VA 20118.