Lexington, Ky. – The saddle seat world is abuzz with excitement in anticipation of the 2018 Saddle Seat World Cup. Hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park from July 4-6, four teams from North America and Africa have arrived in Lexington, Ky. to represent their countries at this international saddle seat competition. The 2018 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team is set to compete on home turf against the Canadian, Namibian, and South African teams. Jaco Jonker (South Africa), Lewis McKim (Canada), and Kent Swalla (U.S.) will serve as judges.
A team of 12 athletes led by coaches Jonelle Chovanec and Hilary Wilcox will represent the United States in the three- and five-gaited divisions. The team also benefits from the guidance of two veteran World Cup coaches, Cindy Mugnier and Barbe Smith, co-chairs the U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Committee.
Meet the 2018 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team
Three-Gaited:
Lauren Arquilla (Woodridge, Ill.)
Michael Arquilla (Woodridge, Ill.)
Kaeley Arterburn (La Grange, Ky.)
Kaylee Atkinson (Oro Valley, Ariz.)
Nicole Rodriguez (Grand Blanc, Mich.)
Victoria Walz (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.)
Five-Gaited:
Joan Benjamin (New Orleans, La.)
Haley Berget (Oconomowoc, Wisc.)
Ainsley Budzinski (Mukwonago, Wisc.)
Matt Huke (Westfield, Ind.)
Anne Pateman (New Orleans, La.)
Reagan Upton (Birmingham, Ala.)
The competition features amateur athletes 14-years-old and older. Each athlete competes for individual scores, which will ultimately accrue for total team score. The athletes compete on horses they are not familiar with, supplied by the host competition, which is a true test of their riding skills.
"The team has worked very hard to prepare for World Cup this year. All of the riders are riding as much and as many different horses as they can, focusing on patterns and cross training," said team coach Hilary Wilcox. "I couldn’t be more excited to be working with this team of spectacular individuals in the pursuit of a gold medal at World Cup. I am especially excited to be able to help the riders achieve their goals and work as a team for competition on an international level - it is an amazing opportunity."
Learn more about the 2018 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team.
How to Watch
Don’t miss a second of the action! The USEF Network will be streaming the event live here.
The World Cup consists of four segments, to be completed in two phases. Phase one will begin with group rail work and individual workouts for the three-gaited division at 6:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, July 4, followed by group rail work and individual workouts for the five-gaited division. Following the same schedule, phase two will begin at 6:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 5. Closing ceremonies will be on Friday, July 6.
About the Saddle Seat World Cup
The World Cup is a bi-annual competition which originated in the early 1980s with an informal exchange of saddle seat athletes in the United States and South Africa. Originally a three-gaited saddle seat equitation showcase, it has expanded to include a five-gaited component, as well. Teams from as many as five nations now compete for the coveted World Cup titles. The competition strives to further growth and visibility for the saddle seat discipline on national and international levels.
“I think the World Cup is one of our best programs,” said team mentor Barbe Smith. “It shows how versatile our saddle seat riders are and it’s really great that we have young, talented coaches volunteering to coach our teams.”
The U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team is supported by grants from the USA Equestrian Trust. US Equestrian is pleased to partner with ModJods as the official provider of practice jods to the members of the 2018 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team. US Equestrian would like to thank all of our generous partners and supporters who have helped make this possible.
For additional information or questions regarding the Saddle Seat World Cup, please contact Lori Nelson, Senior Director of National Affiliates, Competition and Alliance Partner Relationships, by phone at (859) 225-6957 or via email at [email protected].
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