Interscholastic Eventing League Frequently Asked Questions

What groups are eligible to apply to be an IEL Club?

Any group of students in 5th through 12th grade with a common bond is eligible to affiliate with the USEA as an IEL Club. Clubs are permitted and encouraged to be made up of mixed-aged students within the permitted grade range. Many IEL Clubs are made up of students that ride with the same coach, board at the same farm, go to school together, are members of the same Pony Club, and more!

What does a group have to submit to be considered for this program?

Any interested group of 5th through 12th graders can apply to be a part of the IEL. To register a new IEL Club with the USEA, the designated club representative must fill out the Interscholastic Eventing League Application Form linked here and return it to Jennifer Hardwick at [email protected] for processing. An affiliate fee of $75 per calendar year will be due at the time of application as well. Once your application has been accepted, your club will be able to submit a roster of athletes that will represent your group. Club memberships will need to be renewed annually to remain on the Interscholastic Eventing Clubs List.

How many people do you need to start an IEL Club?

To start an IEL Club, you only need one person and a willing representative, who is over 18 years of age, to be the point of contact for the USEA. Most IEL Team Challenges and the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League Championship allow for “scramble teams,” which can be made up of members of different clubs, when a full team of three or four members is not able to be fielded by one club. The USEA recommends that new clubs have at least three members, so they are able to field one full team if all members participate at an event, but if that is not possible, smaller clubs are always welcome. At the moment, there is no limit for how many students can be listed on an IEL Club’s roster.

What does it mean to “affiliate” with the USEA IEL?

The term “affiliate” is regularly used in the USEA to define any group that is registered with the Association for various programs. In the IEL, the “affiliated groups” are our IEL Clubs. If you see the term “affiliate” on registration paperwork or on the website, this is just referring to the type of membership that is available for groups of people rather than individual membership.

Is there any documentation I need to submit to join the Interscholastic Eventing League?

If you are interested in joining the IEL, you will need to apply for Junior Membership with the USEA. When prompted in the application, you will select “yes” that you would like to participate in the IEL and a drop-down menu will be provided to select your IEL Club from the list of affiliated IEL groups. In order to be included in the IEL Club of your choice, you must ensure that you are also listed on that clubs’ roster submission, so be sure to communicate with your club representative about the roster submission.

Does it cost additional money to join the IEL?

For individual students looking to join an IEL Club with their USEA Membership, there is no additional fee to participate. The only additional charge associated with the IEL is the annual club registration fee of $75, which allows the group to participate in the USEA IEL Championships. The only requirement for students that are interested in joining an IEL Club is that they hold a USEA Junior Membership that is renewed annually.

I want to sign up for the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL), but I don’t see my Club listed.

If you don’t see your Club listed in the drop-down menu, please contact your Club Representative and have them reach out to the USEA office for more information on how to become an affiliate of the USEA by calling (703) 779-0440 or emailing Jennifer Hardwick at [email protected] or Kaleigh Collett at [email protected].

Can I join an existing IEL Club if I want to participate in the IEL?

Absolutely! Many IEL Clubs across the country are more than willing to bring new members into their group, however, it is up to the club and their representative if they have the ability to do so. Reach out to the club representative using their contact information on the Interscholastic Eventing Clubs List linked here to determine if they are accepting new members, and what their requirements are to join their group. If you are not able to find a club that suits your needs near you, start your own! Click here for the IEL Club Application.

What is the difference between a club and a team in the IEL?

A “club” is any group of 5th through 12th grade students that are members of the USEA and affiliate together as a group to compete in the IEL. Clubs are typically formed with students from the same barn, coach, school, Pony Club, or other common theme that unites them. A “team” is the designated term to explain the groups of three or four members that compete together at an IEL Team Challenge and/or Championship. Teams can be made up of members from the same club or scrambled with members of different clubs, but they must be only three or four members in size. A club can also field different teams at any competition they participate in. For example, at Horse Trial A, Sally, Joe, Billy, and Joy compete as a team for Club Purple, but at Horse Trial B later in the year, Club Purple fields a team comprised of Joy, Hailey, and Emma. All the students are on Club Purple’s IEL Roster, but they don’t have to compete on both teams if they are not participating at the event.

What is the difference between the Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Programs?

The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program is reserved for undergraduate college students. There isn’t an age requirement for this program, but all participating members must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at an affiliated college or university of the USEA.

The USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) is for middle and high school students that are enrolled in 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. There is not an age requirement for this program either, but the students must currently be enrolled in some form of education in the approved grade range, whether this be at a public, private, online, or non-traditional school.

Can students that are taking a gap-year or are enrolled in a community or online college classes still participate in the IEL if they are of the age to be considered a high school student?

IEL participants must be enrolled in a public, private, online, or other non-traditional education program in 5th through 12th grade. For those students that choose to begin their college education early, the USEA recommends participating in the Intercollegiate Eventing Program. If you don’t see your institution included in the current list of Intercollegiate Eventing teams, consider reaching out to faculty at your school to start a new team! To learn more about the Intercollegiate Program, click here.

Do I have to be a member of the Interscholastic Eventing League to participate in the IEL Championship?

Yes, all members interested in competing in the annual Interscholastic Eventing League Championship are required to be members of the IEL. This means that they must hold a Junior USEA Membership and be listed on an IEL Club’s roster by February 15 each year.

Do I have to be a member of the Interscholastic Eventing League to participate in IEL Team Challenges throughout the year?

While it is highly recommended that interested members join the IEL to compete with their teammates in the IEL Team Challenges, it is not required for participation. IEL Team Challenges are open to any 5th through 12th grade students that are USEA Members, in order to give anyone eligible the chance to experience the program and hopefully inspire them to join a local club.

How does scoring work at an IEL Team Challenge?

IEL Team Challenges are hosted at events across the country every year. In order to compete, a group of three or four members competing in an event that is hosting an IEL Team Challenges must self-identify to the competition organizer. Once the group has been added to the challenge, the riders will compete in the regular horse trial competition as individuals, and their scores will be added together at the end of the competition with the lowest cumulative scoring team winning the challenge.

Teams consist riders of any level, and a coefficient will be applied to every individual’s score based on the level of difficulty for the division they compete in. The three best scores for the team are counted for the team result, with the fourth score acting as a “drop” score for those teams with four members. Clubs with less than three riders attending may be scrambled with other participants with the help of the Organizing Committee. Clubs with more than four riders may choose to send multiple teams to the same competition, or riders can be scrambled with other Clubs.

Is there a National Leaderboard for the IEL?

Yes! Any USEA Junior Member that is listed on an IEL Club roster is eligible to be included on the National IEL Leaderboard for their level of competition. For example, if Joy from Club Purple competes at Beginner Novice, all her points accumulated at competitions throughout the year will go towards her rank on the National IEL Beginner Novice Leaderboard. At the moment, the USEA does not have a club leaderboard that ranks the accomplishments of individual IEL Clubs against each other, but this is an initiative that is being investigated for the future.

Do you have to be a member of the USEA Young Rider Program to participate in the IEL?

No, not at this time. Any Junior Member of the USEA that is in 5th through 12th grade can participate in the IEL, including but not limited to Young Rider Program members. Some Young Rider Programs offer IEL Club’s that are exclusive to members in their Area, but those that aren’t affiliated with a Young Rider Program can always join another club or start their own.

Can I participate in the IEL and the EA21 Program?

Of course! If you are interested in multiple programs under the USEA’s umbrella, you are welcome to participate in any that you are eligible for. Due to the overlapping age ranges, there are members of the IEL that have gone onto be accepted into the USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) and successfully participated in both programs. Many IEL members are also members of their Area’s Young Rider Program, and some go onto participate on an Intercollegiate Eventing Team once they’ve graduated high school and started college. If you are concerned about signing up for multiple USEA Programs, don’t hesitate to reach out to the Membership Services Department to determine what the best fit is for you. They can be reached via email at [email protected] or on the phone at 703-779-0440 extension 1.

To learn more about the various programs that junior eventers may be eligible to participate in, click here.