From Director of Riding Kate Worsham

This winter season marks the ninth year that the Foxcroft riding program has provided an opportunity for riders to live in Wellington, FL, for a portion of the winter and compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Since the first week of January, five riders have been realizing their goal of showing at one of the most competitive venues in the country under the tutelage of the Foxcroft riding program staff. The students have been learning a great deal in the saddle, mastering horsemanship skills in the barn, and gaining practical life skills such as grocery shopping, cooking, and managing their academic and tutoring schedules.

Foxcroft's Exceptional Proficiency (EP) program was created in the mid-1990s when rising show jumping star Alison Firestone Robitaille ’95 spent the winter in Florida to train and compete. Since then, this unique program is often associated with the School's standout riders, but it isn’t just for equestrian athletes. This year 23 students with a multitude of talents and ambitions are participating in the program. Read more about some of their accomplishments below. 

From Director of Riding Kate Worsham
 
Having welcomed a number of new riders to campus this past fall and after sitting out a year due to Covid precautions, the Foxcroft Riding Program was very excited to get the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) Program offering up and running again this year with a handful of riders taking advantage of this intensive training and competition experience during the winter season.

The start of the second semester brings with it the annual Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL, attracting several Foxcroft riders who, as part of the School's Exceptional Proficiency program, spend weeks at a time away from school competing. One of those students is Wilhelmina M. ’23, who has spent the majority of this winter in Florida. In between showjumping, meeting with tutors, and completing her academic coursework, Wilhelmina has also made time for service through her participation in the Great Charity Challenge and by volunteering with JustWorld International and Vinceremos Riding Center.

In the eighth year of the Foxcroft Riding Program taking riders to Wellington, FL, to compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) for a portion of the winter, it is still just as exciting as it was the inaugural year in 2014. While the School's Exceptional Proficiency (EP) program creates a structure that helps the riders stay connected to campus and maintain their academic standing while working with their tutors in Florida, the house chaperones and trainers make sure that the riders and their horses are ready to compete for up to six weeks, from January through March, at one of the most competitive venues in the country.