Fulton, MO – Equestrians who want to represent the United States on the 2020 Saddle Seat World Cup team will have to make their case to be selected in what is becoming a familiar place for the competition – William Woods University (WWU).
WWU is once again serving as the official host of the team selection trials for the U.S. team, which will consist of twelve athletes and two coaches who will compete at the Saddle Seat Equitation World Cup July 19-25, 2020 in Parys, South Africa. The selection trials will take place this Saturday, December 7 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the university’s Equestrian complex and are free and open to the public.
“It is only fitting that William Woods serves as the perennial host for the prestigious Saddle Seat World Cup team selection trials, considering our world class Equestrian Science degree program,” said Dr. Jahnae H. Barnett, president of William Woods University. “We were the first university in the United States to offer a four-year degree in Equestrian Science, and are fiercely proud of our elite status in the industry. We are honored to continue to be the home of this thrilling competition.”
Established in 1924, the Equestrian Science program at William Woods has produced graduates who work in every corner of the booming $112 billion industry, including trainers, teachers, managers, barn manager/owners, veterinarians, professors and journalists. Students in the WWU Equestrian Science program learn in a state-of-the-art equestrian complex from some of the top educators in the profession, with access to 150 show-quality horses, while participating in some of the top national and international horse shows each year.
The World Cup is a bi-annual competition that began in the early 1980’s with an informal exchange of Saddle Seat riders in the United States and South Africa. Originally a three-gaited saddle seat equitation showcase, the event has expanded to include a five-gaited component as well. Teams from at least five nations now compete for the coveted World Cup titles, featuring amateur athletes 14 years of age or older.
