The Southwest Virginia Hunter and Jumper Association held its annual horse show Nov. 9-11 at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington and the Sweet Briar College contingent of 25 riders and horses were in the spotlight for much of the weekend.

The jumper competitions were held on Friday in the center’s East Complex, where Lindsey Eckensberger ’11 was awarded the Leading Jumper Rider trophy and ribbon after winning two classes and placing second in a third class.

Rachel Field ’10 won the first Randolph College Medal qualifying class of the new show season.The Hunt Night competition was the featured event in the Coliseum on Friday evening. Alison Sims ’09 began an extraordinary weekend by besting 40 other competitors to win the Hunter Hack class riding SBC’s Hatrick. Jenny Walkiewicz ’08, riding SBC’s Most of All, represented the Fall Field Team well, and brought home the blue ribbon in the Handy Hunter Class.

The weekend focused on the hunters and Sweet Briar riders really demonstrated their consistency under pressure. Rachel Field ’10 won the first Randolph College Medal qualifying class of the new show season.

Katie Bird ’09 and SBC’s Well Deserved brought home the championship ribbon in the Special Adult Division, while Allison Wynn ’11 earned the reserve championship in the Special Children’s Division showing SBC’s Morning Edition. Nell Malbon ’11, riding her own horse Feature Presentation, won three of the four Children’s Hunter Classes to win the tri-color for the division.

Alison Sims won the SWVHJA Adult Finals medal riding SBC’s Hatrick.The Adult Hunter division was so large it was split, and two championships and two reserve championships were awarded. Katie Davilli ’08 rode SBC’s Renaissance to one of the reserve championships. Sweet Briar alumna Alisa Berry ’03 rode her horse, Wallstreet Week, to one of the Adult Hunter championships. She also was awarded the trophy as Grand Hunter champion for the entire show after a perfect score of 40, winning every class in the division.

Sims, showing SBC’s Hatrick, won the other Adult Hunter championship. While Sims had many memorable moments during the weekend, the highlight was bringing home the medal for winning the SWVHJA Adult Medal Finals on Saturday evening.

Sims finished the show winning the Children’s and Adult Hunter Derby, and for her accomplishments throughout the weekend was awarded the trophy and ribbon for best Child or Adult Amateur Rider for the show.

Sims credits her performance on Hatrick to the work SBC’s Hunter Team has done all semester long. “To me this weekend was the culmination of a few months of really hard training and I wanted to prove how far we had come,” she said.

“It was really nice to be able to go to a show where the courses were so challenging and truly just enjoy my horse. As far as anything having a particular effect on my rides, I think Hattie and I just went in the ring, had faith in our abilities, and had fun with it.”


— By Shelby French, SBC director of riding

Ribbons won by SBC riders at the SWVHJA show.