Excitement is building for the 2017 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational/Test Event getting underway this week at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, Ga. Teams from Canada, South Africa, and the United States will compete for gold medals in three- and five-gaited saddle seat equitation. Team practice started on Monday, April 3, with the competition to be held April 5-6. Judges Lewis McKim of Canada, Jaco Jonker of South Africa, and Lisa Cunningham Waller of the United States will officiate the competition. The event features amateur athletes who compete for individual scores, which ultimately accumulate toward a total team score. The athletes compete on horses they are not familiar with that are supplied by the host competition – a true test of their riding skills. The competition consists of four segments, to be completed in two phases held over two days: rail work, where the athletes compete as a group, and then individual workouts. This year the Invitational/Test Event will feature a Junior and Senior competition. Senior teams representing South Africa and the United States will compete against one another in the Senior competition. Junior teams representing Canada, South Africa, and the United States will compete in the Junior competition. The 2017 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational/Test Event will be live streamed on the USEF Network. Go here to see all the teams and riders competing.
Excitement is building for the 2017 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational/Test Event getting underway this week at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in Perry, Ga. Teams from Canada, South Africa, and the United States will compete for gold medals in three- and five-gaited saddle seat equitation. Team practice started on Monday, April 3, with the competition to be held April 5-6. Judges Lewis McKim of Canada, Jaco Jonker of South Africa, and Lisa Cunningham Waller of the United States will officiate the competition. The event features amateur athletes who compete for individual scores, which ultimately accumulate toward a total team score. The athletes compete on horses they are not familiar with that are supplied by the host competition – a true test of their riding skills. The competition consists of four segments, to be completed in two phases held over two days: rail work, where the athletes compete as a group, and then individual workouts. This year the Invitational/Test Event will feature a Junior and Senior competition. Senior teams representing South Africa and the United States will compete against one another in the Senior competition. Junior teams representing Canada, South Africa, and the United States will compete in the Junior competition. The 2017 U.S. Saddle Seat Invitational/Test Event will be live streamed on the USEF Network. Go here to see all the teams and riders competing.