LEXINGTON, Va. — The Washington and Lee University equestrian team will compete for the 2026 Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Championship on Friday, Oct. 23, at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Va. Competition is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m.
For the second consecutive season, the conference championship will be contested during the fall semester. The Virginia Horse Center will host the event for the third straight year and fourth time since 2022.
Five conference programs — Washington and Lee, Bridgewater, Hollins, Sweet Briar and Lynchburg — will compete for the team title in a three-round championship featuring two rounds of Equitation Over Fences and one round of Equitation on the Flat.
Lynchburg enters the championship seeking its fifth consecutive ODAC traditional title and seventh straight conference crown across the traditional and single-discipline formats. The Hornets claimed the 2025 championship with 16 points, finishing two points ahead of runner-up Bridgewater (14), while Washington and Lee placed third with 13 points.
The Generals return sophomore Kaycie Miranda, who earned ODAC Rookie of the Year and All-ODAC honors at last year's championship. Miranda recorded an 82.500 average across the two Equitation Over Fences rounds, the second-highest mark among all competitors, to lead Washington and Lee's individual performances. Lynchburg's Madeline Rubin claimed ODAC Rider of the Year honors with an 87.750 average.
Head Coach Chris Mitchell, now in his third season leading the Generals, will send four riders into competition, with two also representing Washington and Lee in the flat portion of the championship.
W&L Championship Lineup
- Samantha Bourque — Sophomore; Glenelg, Md.; Glenelg High School; Fences and Flat
- Ella Hudson — Sophomore; Charleston, S.C.; Ashley Hall; Fences
- Kaycie Miranda — Sophomore; Atlanta, Ga.; The Heritage School; Fences and Flat
- Ryon Sinclair — Sophomore; Richmond, Va.; Trinity Episcopal School; Fences
Bourque and Miranda will compete in both disciplines, while Hudson and Sinclair will represent the Generals in the two fences rounds.
Championship Format
Unlike regular Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) competition, in which riders are assigned unfamiliar horses through a draw, the ODAC Championship allows each institution to compete with its own horses.
Each team enters four riders in two rounds of Equitation Over Fences, with those performances also serving as the basis for All-ODAC consideration. The championship concludes with Equitation on the Flat, where two riders from each institution are evaluated on their precision, position and ability to respond to the judges' commands.
For team scoring, the lowest fences average from each round is dropped, and the remaining scores are combined with the flat results to determine the conference champion.
- Class 1: ODAC Equitation Over Fences
- Class 2: ODAC Equitation Over Fences
- Class 3: ODAC Equitation on the Flat
Live scoring and a broadcast of the championship will be available through the ODAC's official platforms. Fans can follow the competition using the links below.
LIVE STREAM | LIVE RESULTS | HORSE CENTER MAP
