The 2021 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships have officially begun as the first intercollegiate activity took place this evening, Friday, May 28. Thirteen schools lined up for the opening ceremony at 6:00 p.m. in the coliseum at the Virginia Horse Center.
Each school entered the coliseum at the Virginia Horse Center and showed their best school spirit complete with team mascots, school chants, banners, flags, and dogs sporting their best outfits.
"This year was the best opening ceremony we've ever had at Championships," said Leslie Threlkeld, the USEA Intercollegiate Committee Chair and the Championship organizer since the first USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships in 2016.
New this year to the opening ceremony was the recognition of the competing Seniors from the class of 2020 and 2021. The USEA President Max Corcoran and Leslie Threlkeld presented 20 Seniors with an engraved plaque that acknowledges their participation in the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
The opening ceremony was followed by a dinner in college town for the Championship competitors. The dinner was generously provided by Andy Bowles and the Virginia Horse Trials.
The USEA would like to thank the following Seniors listed below for their participation in the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
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 Saratoga Horseworks, Bates Saddles, FITS, World Equestrian Brands,EQuine AMerica Magazine, Revitavet, Kerrits, R&J Equine Unlimited, LLC, and US Equestrian for sponsoring the Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
At some point in your riding career, you probably found yourself feeling or dealing with a little fear, failure, or frustration. We’ve all been there. Regardless of whether we’re competitive or recreational, we’ve likely found ourselves getting a bit stuck on stress or a struggle; dealing with a little defeat or disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.
We might still be recovering physically from the excitement of the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, but mentally we keep playing the weekend over and over again in our heads. This is a weekend that many eventers and lovers of the sport all over the country (ourselves included) look forward to each year and this year was no exception. From teams getting to experience their first time ever at the championship to mascots swapping gear in a show of camaraderie, there were so many great moments that took place during this year's end-of-the-school-year event. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the three day competition below!
As we gear up for the summer, the competition season isn’t slowing down and it’s time for one of the staple events on the international calendar in the U.S., the Tryon International Three-Day Event (Mill Spring, North Carolina). This event hosts one of five CCI4*-L events on the U.S. calendar, and this year there are 13 competitors in the field. Continue reading below for more interesting facts pertaining to the event that kicks off this Thursday, May 8.
The United States Eventing Association (USEA) is proud to announce the continued partnership with #WeRideTogether as an Official Educational Partner of the USEA. #WeRideTogether is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing safety and well-being in sports through safeguarding education and abuse prevention efforts.