BRISTOL, Va. -- Fresh from this May’s graduation, Virginia Intermont College’s Kate McManis and Jordan Shelburne are bound for international riding competition.

Both were members of the Baptist-affiliated school’s national champion competitive riding teams and now will represent the United States at competitions in Europe.

McManis was accepted to compete May 20-22 in the Student Riding Nations Cup in Sibiu, Romania, as part of the Association Internationale des Etudiants Cavaliers and the International University Equestrian Federation. Among three riders selected for Team USA, she will compete in dressage and show jumping. The competition is set to feature 15 international teams.

“I am very excited. This is a dream come true,” said McManis, a native of Flower Mound, Texas, who graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in equine studies. She also is a graduate of Virginia Intermont’s Honors Program.

After the competition, she will travel directly to Hamburg, Germany, to begin work with a breeding and training farm, another dream come true.

“The trainers and coaches at VI have been amazing in helping me to prepare for the competition as well as the job in Germany,” she said. “I could not have done this without the people at VI.”

Shelburne was accepted to compete with the three-member Team USA June 23-26 in De Mortel, Netherlands, which also is an AIEC event. A total of 12 international teams are expected to compete and she will vie in the dressage and show jumping disciplines.

She, too, is “incredibly excited” for the opportunity to compete on the international level and credits VI’s trainers for helping her grow as a rider and person.

“I’m looking forward to meeting competitors and fellow riders from all over the world,” said Shelburne, a native of Gansevoort, N.Y. She graduated with a bachelor of science degree, majoring in business administration, and also is a graduate of VI’s Honors Program.

“This competition allows us to not only expand our riding skills but also develop friendships with people around the world,” Shelburne said.

She will pursue a master’s degree in accounting this fall at Castleton State College in Castleton, Vt.

Virginia Intermont consistently ranks high in national equestrian competitions.

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