School programs that go to WEF

[weixiao]

Curious which schools (high school or college) have 1) good programs with good care and 2) go to WEF for the season. I seem to remember Foxcroft did at one point and I feel like I used to see some of the Virginia colleges there. Maybe Texas A&M or Baylor?

Second question: do these programs typically only take school owned horses down or might some of them have kids who would want a very inexpensive lease on a horse for the circuit for the experience? Or is it predominately only horses that were donated to the program and staying full time?

I rode on the team one year in college but we were far north and didn’t do any of the winter circuits and I haven’t been to WEF myself in a number of years so I don’t have any up to date information and found it hard to google.

[Biscotti]

A few will go for a weekend or two, but for the most part they go to Ocala instead. And I’ve never seen them go with school horses but instead with student-owned horses - they usually save their school horses for ANRC or other competitive interscholastic leagues.

Most kids on the competitive college teams have already been competing at WEF for years, so if they go, they’re going with their home trainers and horses.

[Punkie]

My boarding school went to Ocala (still does), but you had the option to go to WEF with an affiliated trainer. A lot of our top Big Eq kids took that option.

[Coronado]

I believe Ethel Walker has students go w Linda Langmire, there are also a couple decent toutering programs down there that work in conjunction with the whichever school at home the child goes to, like Upper Echelon Academy.

[Texarkana]

Sweet Briar in Virginia used to, although I don’t believe they’ve done it in the past few years (I could be wrong on that, but don’t recall seeing it mentioned on their social media in awhile). They seem to be focusing their efforts more on their new NCEA team (they are one of three DIII schools in a sport dominated by DI schools) and their ODAC team lately, whereas in the past they had an A circuit “team” focusing on non-intercollegiate stuff.

When they did bring students down to show at WEF or Ocala, it was usually a mix of privately owned student horses and school owned horses. They didn’t stay all winter; just for a few weeks or weekends. The option was also generally limited to students with extensive A circuit show records… they didn’t just bring anyone down for the “experience,” they brought down riders who would likely be showing there if they weren’t enrolled in college.

[Tackpud]

For boarding schools:

Foxcroft continues to go down with a number of students every year. I believe they primarily take student owned horses, but some of their school horses are quite nice enough to compete in that company.

Madeira has students compete as well, but they usually go with their home trainer through the block system they have for classes. It’s a unique system throughout the year where they can do work off campus during one block I believe.

As mentioned above, Ethel Walker sends students with Linda. Stoneleigh Burnham may have students go as well.

For colleges:

St. Lawrence goes for a couple of weeks every year. They take school owned horses and always do quite well.

Centenary has students competing down there on a regular basis as well and many of their school horses are quite competitive in that company.

I’m sure there are a couple of others that I can’t think of off the top of my head.

[weixiao]

Thanks everyone, this helps a lot!