Sweet Briar students score plenty of ribbons at SWVHJA horse show in Lexington

First-year Maddie Favre on her horse Quick Pick. Photo by Katherine Powers


Eleven Sweet Briar College students and horses traveled to the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington this past weekend to compete in the SWVHJA 28th Annual Horse Show and Medal Finals.

The Adult Medal Finals featured a strong group of competitors who were judged first on their over-fences round, with the top six moving on to compete on the flat.

Both Makayla Benjamin ’18 on Sweet Briar’s Dorado and Emily Schlosberg ’19 on Sweet Briar’s Love Z made it to the final round. Benjamin and Dorado finished third overall, improving on their sixth-place finish from last year, while Schlosberg and Love Z finished sixth in her medal finals debut.

Both riders also competed in the adult amateur hunter division — Benjamin on Dorado and Schlosberg riding Sweet Briar’s Aate. Benjamin and Dorado finished fourth, fifth and sixth out of 16 competitors.


Senior Katie Fisher and her horse Peter. Photo by Katherine Powers


Senior Katie Fisher competed on her horse Peter in the SWVHJA Adult Flat Equitation Championship. The pair finished in fourth place in the championship class and fifth in the regular SWVHJA adult equitation on-the-flat class, which counts toward year-end points.

First-year Sarah Miller competed with Sweet Briar’s Lord of the Dance in the special children’s hunter 2-foot-9-inches division. The two were reserve champions out of 22 competitors. Miller placed first and sixth in her over-fences rounds, was second in the handy round and fifth in the under-saddle.

Also competing in the special children’s hunter 2-foot-6-inches division were Lauren Helber ’20 and Sweet Briar’s Bottega, riding to a sixth-place finish in the handy round.

The special adult division was popular this year with 39 total competitors in each class.

Aofie Magner ’19 and Sweet Briar’s Fernando won the handy round and were second in the Sweet Briar College 2-foot-9-inches medal class. Nicole Sabovik ’19 and Sweet Briar’s More About Me placed third in the 2-foot-6-inches handy and sixth in the hunter round. Cassie Fenton ’18 competed on Sweet Briar’s Love Z and finished fifth and seventh in her two hunter rounds.


Sophomore Aofie Magner on Fernando. Photo by Katherine Powers


Courtney Barry ’18 and Sweet Briar’s Mulligan proved hard work pays off and won the Hopeful Hunter under-saddle and placed third in the special adult hunter under-saddle round. They were also sixth in the Randolph College 2-foot-6-inches medal.

In the jumper arena, first-year students Maddie Favre with her horse Quick Pick and Kirsten Reinhart with her horse Capri 3 competed in a variety of classes over the weekend. Favre came home with three blue ribbons after clear rounds in the Level 1 and Level 2 classes. The pair also was third and fourth in the children’s/adult jumper division.

Reinhart competed in the Level 3s, scoring a clear-round blue and a fifth-place finish, and in the Level 4s, where she finished in second place.