NEWS

Wellington, FL – January 12, 2012 – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (formerly Varsity Equestrian) is pleased to announce the 3rd Annual Collegiate Equitation Challenge to be held at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. The finals of the event will take place on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 7 p.m. in the International Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

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 pm 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 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 collegiateequestrian.com (also directed from varsityequestrian.com) and wellingtonwef.com.

Participating Schools and Riders

Auburn University
Baylor University
California State University, Fresno
Delaware State University
Florida State University (alternate)
Kansas State University
New Mexico State University
Oklahoma State University
Sacred Heart University
South Dakota State University
Southern Methodist University
Texas A&M University
Texas Christian University
University of Georgia
University of Miami
University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee Martin