More than 250 equestrian vaulters and their equine partners from across the United States will converge on the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, VA, for the 35th annual National Vaulting Championships. Co-sponsored by the American Vaulting Association (AVA) and the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), this is the largest and most important vaulting competition in America, with more than 40 vaulting clubs from California to Virginia, and from Georgia to Maine, expected to attend.

This intense three-day competition will begin July 20 and culminate on July 22. Five members of the recently named USEF USA world championship mens’ and womens’ teams will be competing for individual honors, then will head straight to Stadl-Paura, Austria, to compete in the World Vaulting Championships starting August 4.

Spectators can expect to be amazed by these top level vaulters, including Devon Maitozo, a 28-year-old Californian who has earned more medals in World Championships in the Men’s Division than any other man in the world. The sport of vaulting has long been recognized in Europe as the ideal way to introduce children to equestrian sport. Since the 1950s, the sport has developed with dramatic levels of difficulty as vaulters perform gymnastics and dance moves to music on their cantering horses. Modern vaulting is a visual and auditory spectacle of elegance and drama in motion.

“Vaulting is a rapidly growing equestrian sport because it offers so much to so many different levels and ages, whether as a competitive or recreational sport,” said AVA President Nancy Stevens-Brown. “If you love gymnastics, dance and horses, there’s no better place to be than at the Virginia Horse Center July 20 through July 22. The quality of competitors is incredibly high this year, and this competition should be the best ever.”

The competition is open to the public, and admission is free. Spectators can view classes in 24 divisions, which include freestyle and required compulsory events, from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., July 20-22 at the Virginia Horse Center.

The American Vaulting Association is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational organization dedicated to the promotion of vaulting, an equestrian sport in which vaulters perform gymnastic and dance movements in harmony with their equine partner. Vaulting is one of the disciplines supported by the USEF, the National Governing Body of equestrian sport in the United States. For more information on vaulting, visit www.americanvaulting.org.