Sweet Briar marks 100 years of horse shows with a centennial competition

Sweet Briar College celebrated the 100th annual Horse Show on Oct. 3, 2026, underscoring the Virginia school’s long equestrian tradition and its nationally competitive riding program. The milestone highlights a century of growth in riding instruction, intercollegiate competition and equine education.

Why it matters: - Sweet Briar College’s 100th Annual Horse Show highlights a century of equestrian tradition at a school where riding has become a defining part of campus life. - The event reflects the college’s mix of athletic competition, equine education and recruiting appeal for students drawn to both academics and riding. - Sweet Briar’s long-running program has produced national results and built a broader equestrian community beyond campus.

What happened: - Sweet Briar College held its 100th Annual Horse Show on Oct. 3, 2026. - Individual riders from Sweet Briar and outside the campus community competed in hunter and equitation classes. - President Mary Pope M. Hutson said before the event that the show was a testament to the importance and legacy of equestrian sports at Sweet Briar.

The details: - Sweet Briar fields two varsity intercollegiate equestrian teams: the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team and the National Collegiate Equestrian Association team. - The NCEA team competes in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, which also hosts a nation’s cup-style championship. - Sweet Briar also supports a show team and independent riders who compete in local and USEF-rated events. - The NCEA team has qualified for Nationals every year since joining the association in 2017-18. - The NCEA team won the Single Discipline National Championship in 2021. - Sweet Briar finished as Reserve National Champion in 2022, 2023 and 2024. - Sweet Briar riders have also earned post-season academic and athletic honors. - The IHSA team is one of Virginia’s founding teams and has sent many riders and teams to Nationals. - Sweet Briar’s 2022 and 2006 IHSA teams finished third at Nationals. - Makayla Benjamin won the Caccione Cup at the 2018 Nationals. - Emmy Longest, Robin S. Cramer and Dina Orbison won individual national championships during their time on the IHSA team. - Riding at Sweet Briar began in 1910 and became an organized sport in 1920. - Harriet Howell Rogers served as professor of physical education and director of riding from 1924 to 1963. - Captain Vladimir Littauer taught from 1930 to 1960 and brought the Forward Riding System to Sweet Briar. - Paul D. Cronin became director of riding in 1967 and designed the Harriet Howell Rogers Riding Center, which opened in 1971. - Shelby French became director in 2001, and the college began offering two Equine Studies Certificates in 2003. - Merilee “Mimi” Davis Wroten, a Sweet Briar graduate, returned in 1996 as an instructor, became associate director in 1999 and took over as director in 2011. - Under Wroten’s leadership, Sweet Briar added the NCEA team, renovated the Howell Lykes Colton ’38 Stables and added the Richard C. Colton, Jr. Arena. - Sweet Briar now owns 50 horses, boards 15 student-owned horses, has 90 students in the riding program and 42 riders competing on the NCEA and IHSA teams. - Sweet Briar Riding receives support from the Friends of Riding and a network of alumnae, families, students, faculty, staff and friends. - The college sits on a 2,847-acre campus in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains.

Between the lines: - The centennial show serves as both a celebration and a showcase of Sweet Briar’s ability to turn riding into a signature academic and athletic advantage. - The program’s history shows a steady expansion from informal riding in the early 1900s to a structured, nationally competitive equestrian operation. - The combination of championships, facilities and certificate programs suggests Sweet Briar uses equestrian sports as a core part of its identity, not a side activity.

What's next: - Sweet Briar is encouraging prospective students and families to explore admissions, schedule campus visits and review academic programs and scholarships. - The college is using the milestone to promote the riding program as part of its broader student experience. - More information is available through Sweet Briar College admissions.