Other major sponsors for the week include Pepsi Cola, Sundowner Trailers, SunTrust Bank and Sun Trust Securities, Inc., Earth Care Corporation, N-Telos and the Bank of Botetourt. Throughout the week the Virginia Horse Center Foundation will conduct a Silent Auction with all proceeds going towards the development of horse center programs. The Virginia Horse Center and Virginia Horse Trials have confirmed plans to host an FEI International Preliminary three-day event in May 2001. The Virginia Horse Center is already the site of two nationally recognized horse trials, on in the spring and on in the fall, that have the draw of well over 400 competitors coast to coast. The Virginia Horse Trials offers the combination of dressage, cross-country jumping and show jumping.
Riders compete at the novice through preliminary levels.
This will be the first international three-day event to be held at this facility, the disciplines with be extended to incorporate an international dressage test, an endurance phase as well as a more innovative show jumping course. Riders must train their horses both on the flat as well as over jumps. The sport of eventing has developed over the years from its original purpose of training and testing of military chargers. Precision, elegance and obedience for the parade ground as well as in the battlefield were the basic objectives. Today, the sport is most widely known for its cross-country phase where horse and rider gallop over an outside course of solid obstacles.