The Sweet Briar College riding program will host several equestrian shows beginning Saturday, March 25 with the annual Spring Horse Show at the Rogers Riding Center.

Open to all riders, the Spring Show offers a number of qualifying classes for riders seeking slots in state and local finals including those sanctioned by the Virginia Horse Show Association, Southwest Virginia Hunter Jumper Association, Randolph-Macon Medal and Oak Ridge Medal.

The College’s 79th Annual Horse Show will be held Saturday, April 8. Like the Spring Show, it is open to all riders and is a qualifier for state and local finals competitions.

Also coming up are the following events:

• April 9 — Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Zone Finals: For qualified college competitors and teams, this semi-final competition decides which riders will advance to the IHSA National Championship in May.
• April 14 — Spring Equitrial: Different from Olympic-style horse trials in which the horse is judged, this three-phase (dressage, cross-country and show jumping) event focuses on the rider’s skill. As a good tool for evaluating equitation, the equitrial serves as a tryout for SBC’s Fall Field Riding Team and is an important preparatory event for Sweet Briar’s team headed into the Affiliated National Riding Commission Championship. Although many participants are college students, all riders are welcome.
• April 22 — SBC Schooling Show: This event is for novice riders and young, inexperienced horses to showcase the skills they have been working on throughout the year.

Spectators are welcome to attend all shows and admission is free. Competitions generally start around 8 a.m. and run through the afternoon. For information, including show entry fees, registration requirements and deadlines, please contact the riding center at (434) 381-6116.