In August 2020, the USEA Board of Governors approved the creation of the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) as an official program of the USEA. The mission of IEL is to bring together junior riders with a common interest and provide a supportive community through which students can continue to pursue their riding interests. This program will encourage team camaraderie and will give junior members a chance to compete in a team atmosphere. This program will also help provide a pathway for those riders who seek to be part of a collegiate eventing program as they graduate high school.
The goal of the IEL is to increase membership, education, and engagement in riders on a national level who are in 5th through 12th grade.
Any individual who is currently in the 5th through 12th grade is eligible to become a member of IEL. Members of IEL should register with the USEA as a USEA Junior member. Membership must be renewed each year.
Junior riders may only join one Interscholastic Club. Junior riders should make sure their name is on the official Club roster that should be submitted to USEA Senior Director of Membership Jennifer Hardwick via email at [email protected] or via mail to the USEA office at 525 Old Waterford Road NW, Leesburg, VA 20176. There is no specific age group, but IEL members must be in grades 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12. There is no restriction on the type of school an IEL member attends. They can attend public, private, online, and homeschool.
The IEL Club should register with the USEA using the Interscholastic Eventing League Application Form. The IEL Club can be any group of junior riders who share a common bond - the same barns, the same school, same Pony Club, same area, etc. Junior riders are only allowed to join one IEL Club per year. The Club membership fee is $75. Each club registration or renewal is due to the USEA prior to February 15. If submissions are received subsequent to that date, they will be accepted on a case-by-case basis.
Each club shall appoint one representative, who is over 18 years of age, to be the point of contact for the USEA. The representative may be a coach, parent, owner, or team captain. The USEA requires that every club representative be SafeSport certified and a member of the USEA.
For IEL Clubs that are associated with a certified USEA ECP coach, the $75 club fee will be waived. The ECP coach is only allowed to be associated with one IEL Club.
Each club must submit their IEL application and initial rosters of riders by February 15 of each year. Updates to the roster are allowed throughout the year, but they must be submitted at least 10 days prior to attending an IEL Team Challenge that the club intends to participate in. Please send your initial club rosters to USEA Senior Director of Membership, Jennifer Hardwick, at [email protected].
The 2025 USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championship will be hosted in conjunction with the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship at Stable View Farm in Aiken, South Carolina on May 3-4, 2025. Additional information will be forthcoming as the championships approach, but you can join Stable View's WhatsApp communication group now by clicking here to stay up to date on the latest news regarding the event. Placement points will be doubled for champions.
The format of team challenges will follow a similar format as the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program. The IEL Team Challenges will run in conjunction with USEA recognized horse trials. IEL Team Challenges will follow the USEA/USEF Rules for Eventing, therefore, IEL members are not allowed to share horses during a competition. However, they can share the horses while training at home.
A blank scoring template for IEL team challenges can be requested from USEA IEL Staff Liaison, Kaleigh Collett, at [email protected].
For event organizers who are interested in hosting an IEL Team Challenge, please email the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League staff liaison at [email protected]
Click here to see the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League Guidelines.
For more information about the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League, please contact Kaleigh Collett at [email protected] or (703) 669-9994.