Equestrian students strut their stuff

Averett University’s 100-acre Equestrian Center, in Providence, N.C., opened to the public Saturday for Equestrian Education Day.

Students demonstrated their riding skills in a series of dressage exercises, a musical quadrille, a jumping exhibition and various speed activities.

There were also brief lectures on how to choose a horse, from the initial search all the way through the “test drive” and the necessary pre-purchase exams, and on how to de-worm a horse.

Adults were able to meet the horses that performed, and children were given opportunities for a brief ride.

Ginger Henderson, chair of the equestrian department, said the event is held every year.

“It’s designed to give people in the community a chance to come and learn about what we do and to see us as a resource,” Henderson said. “Students also gain experience putting on programs and demonstrating their skills.”

Henderson said Averett students regularly participate in Intercollegiate Dressage Association competitions and that two students have qualified to go to the national competition in Findlay, Ohio, in three weeks.

The center also hosts two competitions each year that are open to the public and regularly brings nationally and internationally known trainers to the school to lecture each year.

• Contact Denice Thibodeau at or (434) 791-7985.