Wellington, FL - The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (formerly Varsity Equestrian) is pleased to announce the 3nd Annual Collegiate Equitation Challenge to be held at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. The first round of the event will take place on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 2 p.m. in Ring 8 and the finals will be at 7 p.m. in the International Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Volunteers and donated horses are still needed for the event. Those interested in donating a horse for the competition can visit http://winterheavenfarm.com/invitational/donation_form.html to sign up.

Watch the promo video for the FTI WEF Collegiate Equitation Challenge on Friday, February 10th

The donated horses will do a warm-up with the owner/trainer/rider and then jump a round with two different Collegiate riders. If it is a sale horse, it will be annouced to the audience of the warm-up and the class. For junior riders doing the warm-up, it is an opportunity to be seen by the NCAA coaches that are watching. It is also a great opportunity for a horse to get good milage in the International Arena under the lights.

The afternoon horses need to jump 3' - 3'3" and can be Hunters, Jumpers (quiet), or Equitation type horses. The night class horses need to jump 3'3" to 3'6" under the lights. They need to be horses that are Equitation type horses that have scope and range.

The tournament will be run in the NCEA head to head, bracketed format with sixteen top collegiate riders from all over the country. Riders will compete over an equitation course with heights up to 3'6". Competition will start at 2 p.m. with all sixteen riders in the Preliminary Round. The eight winners will qualify for the finals in the evening, and the remaining eight will compete in a consolation bracket immediately following the Preliminary Round. The horses will be on loan from local professionals and unfamiliar to the riders.

The winner of the Consolation Bracket will receive a trophy donated by Pierre and Martha Jolicoeur and the Champion will be presented a trophy sponsored by the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association. The competition will also expand this year to include a four rider equitation on the flat tournament that will be run during the finals.

Special thanks go to Jill Townsend, Marion Maybank, Bobby Murphy, Patrick Duncan, David Burton, Michael Stone, Martha Jolicoeur, South Florida Hunter Jumper Association and Katherine Bellissimo.

More information can be found at www.collegiateequestrian.com (also directed from varsityequestrian.com) and www.wellington-wef.com.

For more information, to volunteer, to offer a horse or to be part of Professionals for NCAA Equestrian, contact Jill Townsend at 561-818-0049 or [email protected]. 

Participating Schools and Riders:
Auburn University - Jennifer Waxman
Baylor University - Taylor Brown
California State University, Fresno - Hillary West
Delaware State University - Caroline Foltz
Florida State University (alternate)
Kansas State University - Sarah Mershon
New Mexico State University - Amy Lang
Oklahoma State University - Samantha Elser
Sacred Heart University - Abbie Britton
South Dakota State University - Santana Wright
Southern Methodist University - Julianna Fischer
Texas A&M University - Maggie Earle
Texas Christian University - Haley Jacobi
University of Georgia - Carly Anthony
University of Miami
University of South Carolina - Kimberly McCormack
University of Tennessee Martin - Caroline Cramer