Fulton, Mo. – A total of 23 of the country’s top saddle seat equitation athletes have convened at William Woods University this weekend for the U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team Trials. The trials will determine the roster for the three-gaited and five-gaited teams that will compete at the 2024 International Saddle Seat World Cup in Parys, South Africa, next December.

Athletes at the World Cup compete on horses they’ve never ridden before, loaned by owners in the host country. They are given only a brief warm-up to get to know their horses before competing. The team trials replicate this scenario as each participant will perform rail work and pattern work on two different horses that are unfamiliar to them. The trials horses are generously provided by the equestrian program at William Woods University, which has hosted the trials for the biannual World Cup since its inception in the 1990s.

On Friday evening, the athletes, their families, and trainers, attended the horse draw where each athlete drew the names of the two horses they would be riding in Saturday’s trial, along with their position in the order of go for the two patterns. The competitors then had the opportunity to walk the patterns in the arena with their trainers and to meet their horses. On trials day, they will have just seven minutes to warm up with their horses, and coaching will not be permitted while the riders are being judged.

The three-gaited team and the five-gaited team will each have six team members who will be named at the conclusion of the trials on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 2. The World Cup is a unique opportunity for athletes in the sport of saddle seat equitation to have the experience of competing on a team and representing their country on the international stage.

See the full list of Saddle Seat World Cup Team Trials participants here.

View the full selection procedures rules and procedures here.

Support Saddle Seat

Sponsorship with the U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team offers a unique opportunity for companies to gain global visibility while engaging with a dedicated fanbase. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities here. Contact Layson Griffin, Senior Director of Sponsorship and Sales, at [email protected] for more information.

For individual donations, visit www.usef.org/donate and select “U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup” from the dropdown menu.

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