Lexington, Ky. – The September 2 deadline for applications for the 2024 Saddle Seat World Cup Team is approaching quickly, and interested athletes are encouraged to submit their applications.

The 2024 Saddle Seat World Cup will take place in Parys, South Africa. US Equestrian will field a three-gaited team and a five-gaited team each consisting of six athletes, and the selection process is open to all youth and amateur saddle seat riders from all breeds whose horse show age is 14 or above for the 2024 competition year.

Applicants must be a current competing member of US Equestrian. To access the application, log in to your account on usef.org. Visit your athlete dashboard at athletes.usef.org. From there, click the tile for “Online Applications.” Select “Saddle Seat” from the Category dropdown menu, and 2024 for the year. From there, you can access either the three-gaited or five-gaited team application.

Please note that a video is a required part of the application and must be submitted as a YouTube link.

The application process is the first step in team selection. Up to 20 three-gaited applicants and 12 five-gaited applicants will be invited to compete in the U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team Trials, Dec. 1-3 at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo. Applicants will not need to provide their own horse for the trials, as riders will be paired with horses provided by William Woods. Applicants will be judged on railwork and a pattern and evaluated by the judging panel based on the standards from the Saddle Seat Equitation section of the USEF Rulebook.

Learn more about the Saddle Seat World Cup here, and contact Emily McSweeney, Assistant Director of National Breeds & Non-FEI Disciplines, at [email protected] with any questions.

Stay Connected

Keep up to date with the U.S. Saddle Seat programs by following USA Saddle Seat on Facebook and US Equestrian on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Use #USASaddleSeat.