United States Eventing Association

The Virginia Eventing and Dressage Team (VEDT) has grown to almost 30 members since its start in 2013. VEDT welcomes eventers of all levels attending any of the schools at the University of Virginia; current members of the team have successfully competed from the beginner novice through CCI* levels.

The University of Virginia (UVA) was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson in Charlottesville, Virginia. UVA is consistently ranked as one of the top public universities in the country and is known for many traditions that date back to the 1800s, including student self-governance, the honor system, and secret societies. UVA offers a wide variety of degrees at its School of Architecture, College of Arts and Sciences, McIntire School of Commerce, Curry School of Education, School of Engineering and Applied Science, and Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy; members of the eventing team are studying everything from nursing to foreign affairs to aerospace engineering.

Samantha Pitcher and Waffles Ala Dim. Brant Gamma Photo.

VEDT members compete primarily in Area II during the school year. Some stay in Area II during summer breaks, while others compete at home during the summer, everywhere from California to New York. Members of the eventing team both own and lease their mounts, and most members bring their horses to Charlottesville during the school year. VEDT members have competed up to the CCI* level, balancing their training schedules with their academic efforts. Just since the beginning of the calendar year 2016, VEDT has had members finish in the top 3 at USEA recognized horse trials a whopping 14 times, with 5 of those being wins at the Novice through Preliminary levels. UVA has won the college team challenge at the Fall Virginia Horse Trials for 3 consecutive years and is hoping to continue that streak this fall.

Katherine Pitcher and In A Trance. Brant Gamma Photo.

VEDT holds clinics every semester with their coach, Mimi Combs. In addition to providing eventers at UVA with a team and support group at competitions, VEDT also serves as a social group, aiming to bring together students with a passion for eventing.

For more information, visit VEDT’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VirginiaEventingandDressageTeam, visit VEDT’s website at http://www.virginiaeventinganddressage.com/, or email them at [email protected].