US Saddle Seat World Cup Team
The International Saddle Seat Equitation 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, and the goal is further growth
and visibility for the saddle seat discipline on national and international levels.
The event features amateur athletes 14 years of age and older who compete for individual scores which ultimately
accumulate toward a total team score. The athletes compete on horses that are supplied by the host competition
and horses they are not familiar with which is a true test of their riding skills. The competition consists of
four segments, to be completed in two phases held on different days: rail work where the athletes compete as a
group, and then in individual workouts.
Every other year, USEF will field a team of twelve athletes (five for the three- and five-gaited sections, with two
alternates respectively) and two coaches to represent the United States in the International Saddle Seat World Cup competition.
One goal of USEF’s involvement is to increase participation from multiple breeds and to partner with USEF Recognized
Breed Associations in the promotion and support of this event.
The 2014 Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup will be held at the Blue Ridge Classic Horse Show in Asheville, NC in July of 2014.
Applications for the team are available
here
and are due to the USEF office by September 3, 2013.
If you have questions or comments, please contact Lori Nelson, USEF Assistant Executive Director, National
Affiliates, at lnelson@usef.org.
