WELLINGTON, Fla. – Katie Miranda and Kara Bergenty, both members of The University of Tennessee at Martin equestrian team, will compete in the fourth annual Collegiate Equitation Challenge as part of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla.The finals of the event will be held at 7 p.m. ET, Friday, Feb. 8, in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
The event will be conducted utilizing the National Collegiate Equitation Association head-to-head bracketed format with the 16 top collegiate riders from across the country. Participating riders will compete over an equitation course that features heights up to three feet, six inches.
“We are excited to have both Katie (Miranda) and Kara (Bergenty) competing in this event. Both riders have had outstanding seasons,” UT Martin head coach Meghan Cunningham said.
Competition begins at 2 p.m. ET with the preliminary round, which includes each of the 16 riders. The eight winners qualify for the finals to be held in the evening session at 7 p.m. ET, while the remaining eight horses will contest a consolation bracket immediately following the preliminary round. For the second consecutive year, the competition will include a four-rider equitation on the flat tournament that will occur during the finals.
“We have had a lot of success is the past at this event,” Cunningham said. “We are looking forward to seeing how they both represent us in this event.”
The horses will be on loan from local professionals and unfamiliar to the riders. The winner of the consolation bracket will take home a trophy donated by Pierre and Martha Jolicoeur, while the champion will be presented a trophy sponsored by the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association.