2001 American Vaulting Association National Championships

South Hadley, MA -- Vaulters arrived from all corners of the United States. They said it couldn't be done. Some said the vaulters would not come. They were wrong. The opportunity for vaulters to showcase the partnership they have spent the last year perfecting with their horses brought them to Massachusetts. They overcame many obstacles; the distance was just one of many. The horses, the vaulters, the longeurs and coaches made the first American Vaulting Association (AVA) National Vaulting Championships held in the Northeast a spectacular event.

Not every vaulter is eligible to participate. Most of the vaulters who were made the sacrifices necessary to undertake the journey. Two hundred and sixty-three (263) vaulters representing more than 40% of the vaulting clubs registered with the AVA arrived with hopes that they would leave Massachusetts one of the 17 division champions. Fifty-one vaulters competed in Gold and Silver divisions. For those competitors, becoming a champion was not the only goal. They each attempted to earn scores high enough to submit to USA Equestrian (formerly American Horse Shows Association) for a World Equestrian Games (WEG) 2002 qualifying score. Nineteen were successful.