Morgan Riders Named to 2020 U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team

by US Equestrian Communications Department

Thirty-two aspiring team riders from 17 states competed in the U.S. Saddle Seat World Cup Team Selection Trials at William Woods University on Saturday, December 7. Twenty athletes competed in the three-gaited section and 12 riders competed in the five-gaited section. Each phase consisted of one rail ride and one pattern ride on an unfamiliar horse.

After impressive showings at the Selection Trials, 12 athletes were chosen to represent the United States at the 2020 Saddle Seat World Cup in Parys, South Africa, next July, three of them representing the Morgan breed:

Audra Lee (Binghamton, New York)
Alayna LoCascio (Dayton, Ohio)
Victoria Walz (Rancho Santa Fe, California)

The team was evaluated and selected by the four-judge panel of Dwayne Knowles, Fay Lowry, Sandy Sessink, and Richard Wright.

The Saddle Seat World Cup is a bi-annual international competition that originated in the early 1980s as an informal exchange of saddle seat riders between the United States and South Africa. Teams from as many as seven nations now compete for the coveted World Cup titles.

For additional information or questions regarding the Saddle Seat World Cup, please contact Natalie Norwood, Championship Program Manager, (859) 225-6951, nnorwood@usef.org.