The equestrian club has been in existence since 2000. We are known on campus for the close-knit friendships formed within our group and our exciting programming. Since the start of the program, we have sent over 45 members to National Championships in IHSA and IDA, and supported 5 National Champions. We've also won countless ODACs, Cacchione Cups, Zones, and Regionals. Until 2021, Bridgewater Equestrian's teams practiced out of the Bridgewater Equestrian Center in Weyers Cave, VA. Due to budget cuts, the Equestrian Center was sold and teams were largely reformatted. Currently, we offer an IHSA and VHSA team out of Hat Trick Equestrian in Mount Crawford and a Division III NCEA team out of Cedar Creek Stables in Staunton.
There are three competition opportunities available for Bridgewater equestrians. First, our NCEA team is run by the Athletics department and is the only varsity equestrian team offered at the college since 2021. NCEA is open to female riders with experience competing 3ft+ at rated competitions and is coached by Luanne Leonard at Cedar Creek Stables. The remaining two teams (IHSA & VHSA) are club teams. The key differences are that these teams are largely self-funded, student-run, and do not require their members to meet NCAA competition requirements. For more information on these teams, please check out the “Teams” section of the website!
The NCEA team is recruited through Bridgewater's Athletic Department, and prospective students should reach out to Admissions or Athletics to begin the assessment process. Sign-ups for club teams are released in August each year. Links will be emailed to club members, and announcements will go out on social media. To sign up, you will have to confirm that you meet academic eligibility requirements, understand commitment to the team, and are prepared to pay the associated costs. You do NOT need your own horse or tack to participate in any of Bridgewater's Equestrian teams. Students wanting to board their horse at Cedar Creek or Hat Trick should reach out to the facilities directly.
NCEA riders will need to discuss costs with the Athletics Department, but student athletes are largely financially backed by the school. Club team members are expected to pay for lessons, showing, and team membership fees. IHSA lesson fees through Hat Trick Equestrian are about $1,750 per semester. IHSA show fees are based on the size of the team and are paid to the club at the beginning of the semester. The money is then saved and used throughout the semester to cover class entry fees and other competition expenses for members of those teams. IHSA show fees are often lessened by fundraisers throughout the semester, and potential Student Life support. Since VHSA shows vary widely in cost, members of those teams are asked to pay their own competition expenses as they occur. All other expenses (lessons, board, additional travel, membership fees, etc.) should be paid directly to the person/entity who charges them.
In October of 2020, Bridgewater College released their SRA (Strategic Resource Allocation) recommendations to the public. These recommendations included selling the Bridgewater College Equestrian Center and downsizing our program to a single NCEA team of 6 women competing at an advanced level. Members of the program fought hard to have the recommendations rejected by the Board of Trustees – writing letters, calling on alumni, speaking to the press, making impact statements, and hosting a petition that garnered over 4,000 signatures in just a few weeks. Unfortunately, in November 2020, the Board of Trustees ultimately voted to approve the changes to the program.
Although we were saddened by the Board’s decision, our fight continue. In April of 2021, administration confirmed that we could pursue making the cut teams (IHSA, IDA, VHSA, USEA) into club riding teams. Due to declining interest in IDA and USEA, these teams were phased out in 2022. IHSA and VHSA continue to practice out of Hat Trick Equestrian with former Bridgewater Equine Studies Professor, Melanie Vest.
