United States Eventing Association

A Strong Start for Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club in their USEA IEL Championship Debut

Aiken, S.C.—May 3— Kendal Fansler, Claire McMillan, Emma Whitaker, and Olive Dumais have been riding together for more than two years through their membership in the Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club. Together, the teenagers have tackled Pony Club rallies, the intimidating Pony Club tradition of Quiz, and more. But this weekend, they’re tackling one of their biggest obstacles yet—the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championship.

Despite it being their first time at the IEL Championship, this group of Maryland natives is leading the competition by 14 points, making them well set up to win the title at the end of the weekend. “We’re very excited, very proud of one another,” Fansler said. “We didn’t expect [to be in first place], but we hoped we would be.”

Fansler and Whitaker are done riding for the weekend and are now switching to support mode. Aboard a relatively new ride, Hedgerow Farm’s Dassett Evermore, Fansler finished the weekend on her dressage score of 28.3 to hold third place in the Open Training B division. Whitaker also had two double clear rounds in the Training Rider division aboard Hedgerow Farm’s HSH Golden Boy to finish on her dressage score of 30.2.

The pressure is now on for teammates Dumais and McMillan. With just stadium left to go, Dumais heads into the final phase of the Starter D division in second place with her dressage score of 24.0 with Theresa Dumais’ Sweet Frijoles.

“I think [being in the lead] really impacts how I want to put my best foot forward and really try to represent our team and make sure we win,” the 12-year-old said.

McMillan, on the other hand, will conclude the weekend with the cross-country phase. Competing in the Beginner Novice C division, McMillan is riding Catherine Schroeder’s RVR Coldstone. One rail in show jumping bumped her down from fifth to seventh place on the leaderboard, but the 16-year-old says she plans to go for the gold tomorrow.

“I'm feeling pretty good,” McMillan said. “I think, honestly, being in first is gonna help me ride a bit harder and focus harder on what I have to do to get my horse around the course.”

Key to the Iron Bridge Pony Club’s success so far is their camaraderie and collaborative nature. Having been training, competing, and traveling together for the last several years, the girls know each other well and are eager to support their teammates with whatever they might need, particularly in the unfamiliar atmosphere of the IEL Championship.

According to 13-year-old Whitaker, she and Fansler are going to jump into “groom mode,” now that they’re done competing for the weekend. “Kendal and I have finished our riding for the weekend, so tomorrow we're in full groom mode,” Whitaker said. “We'll be checking on times and helping braid. We’ll be there to shine their boots before they go out.”

The close familiarity of the Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club gives the team a competitive advantage in the spirited, but intense, nature of the IEL Championship. This weekend a little extra support from a friend and teammate can have a big impact on a rider’s mindset and overall performance.

“It’s definitely helpful to have people supporting you,” McMillan said. “Having a bigger support team is always better. That way you can be less stressed about taking care of your horse because you know you have people who will have your back.”

Fansler credits the support of her team with helping her achieve her third place finish in a competitive Training division. “I feel like when I have a team behind me, I have a lot of support, and it helps me gain my confidence,” she said. “Everybody's like, ‘You got this!’ ‘You look great!’ Having all the help just makes me feel less stressed and a lot more confident.”

When asked if competing as part of a team, a rarity in eventing, adds a little extra pressure to their already full plate, the girls said they actually prefer competing as a team.

“It adds a little bit more pressure, but it helps us do better,” Whitaker said.

“It's probably more rewarding at the end, because you know you all did really good,” Dumais continued.

“And it’s fun to cheer on your teammates,” Fansler added.

It’s been a particularly busy month for McMillan, who was recently riding at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event as part of the mounted games demonstration. Despite her fatigue, McMillan says she hopes to bring some of what she learned at the Kentucky Horse Park to the table this weekend.

“It’s been really busy and tiring, but super fun,” McMillan said. “I got to watch some of the five-star riders and four-star riders, and now I get to go compete my own horse. It's really cool to put into work what I've seen.”

Now that they’ve attended the IEL Championship for the first time, Fansler says the Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club plans to return next year ready to battle it out for the Spirit Award.

“I think the team spirit is one thing that will bring us back next year,” Fansler said. “We’ll bring a lot more decorations next year. But I also loved the show jumping and the cross-country courses. It was all a lot of fun to ride.”

The IEL Championship is an event unlike any other— not only due to the team format, but also thanks to the unbridled energy and enthusiasm all of the teams bring to the table. With evening activities like hobby horse championships and barn decorating contests, this weekend is unique both in and out of the saddle.

“I would definitely say the [amount of] team spirit is amazing,” Fansler said. “It's great to be here. Everyone's just having a good time, and everybody wants everybody to do well.”

Helpful Links:

• Intercollegiate Championship Coverage
• IEL Championship Coverage
• Stable View Website
• Digital Championships Program
• Live Scores
• Livestream
• Ride Times
• Meet the 2025 Intercollegiate Eventing Championship Teams
• Meet the 2025 IEL Championship Teams
• View the cross-country courses on the CrossCountry App

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About the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL)

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 unite junior riders who are in the 5th—12th grade and provide a supportive community through which students can continue to pursue their riding interests. A group of junior members in the 5th—12th grade who share a common bond, such as the same barn, school, Pony Club, or other connection, can register with the USEA as an IEL Club. The second annual USEA Interscholastic Eventing Championship will be held alongside the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 2-4, 2025. Click here to learn more about the Interscholastic Eventing League.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, PulseVet, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands, and Young Rider for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.