United States Eventing Association

University of Alabama Gears Up for Spring Collegiate Competition

The University of Alabama Eventing Team was founded in September of 2013 with the intent to accept everyone who wanted to be a part of a horse-oriented team on a very non-horsey campus. All it takes to be a part of our tight-knit team is dues, with a discount if you are not able to ride for our team. We currently have members from all over, riding at levels anywhere from Starter through Preliminary, and a few of these members did not come from an eventing background. Daly Sharbrough, our current treasurer, is a show jumper with her Fresian Sport Horse, Matthew, and Sara Watkiss competes in Saddle-Seat and Showmanship with her Arabian/Hackney cross, Blue. These two came from very different “horse worlds” and both have competed at team challenges since joining!

President Angela Lenning and Alphanumeric at Chattahoochee Hills. Photo by Ashleigh Von Photography.

The team regularly rides with coach Kim Alford, who is based at her own Penn Oaks Farm in Pike Road, AL. Kim drives up to Tuscaloosa for team lessons and several members with trailers will travel to her barn for lessons in between her visits to Tuscaloosa. Kim was introduced to the team in 2014 when team member Caitlin Cobb joined. Since becoming the team coach, Kim has proven to be invaluable to our group. We have very limited resources here in Tuscaloosa, often having to travel to Birmingham or further to find coaching, but some of our ladies do not have trucks or trailers available, which means hauling over is not always an option. Because Kim is willing to drive up to us for lessons, it means we can still do team lessons, team bonding, and even offer some school horses for our “horseless” members to ride in a lesson.

Meagan Majchszak and Imperials Catch at Poplar Place Farm. Photo by Ashleigh Von Photography.

The Alabama Eventing Team is looking forward to a fun spring semester. We are currently in the works organizing a clinic, and several team members are going to be attending Poplar Place Farm’s March team challenge, a bigger group will be at Chattahoochee Hills, and we will have at least one team for the USEA Intercollegiate Championships at the Virginia Horse Trials in May. We were really disappointed we could not send a team to the inaugural Championships last year, but this year we have gotten a head start on fundraising and planning out the trip to the Virginia Horse Center! We hope to see all of the teams there! Ride Tide Ride!

Follow along with their progress this spring on their Facebook Page.