Are you a member of the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program or USEA Interscholastic Eventing League? Considering joining one of these exciting programs in 2025? Then you won't want to miss these important recaps and updates presented during the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention, which was held Dec. 12-14 in Seattle, Washington.
USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program
As of December 2024, there were 362 Intercollegiate members in the USEA membership, spread across 27 affiliate colleges and universities:
To see which schools are registered in your area, click here.
The 2024 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship had record-breaking entries with 150 entries making up 39 teams that represented 18 schools. For reference, the first-ever USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships in 2016 had 33 entries that made up nine teams total and represented eight schools. That is a MASSIVE amount of growth!
Several Intercollegiate riders saw themselves atop the USEA Leaderboards in 2024. Take a moment to cheer each of these riders on for their accomplishments across the 2024 season:
Don't forget to save the date for the USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships, which will take place in Aiken, South Carolina, May 3-4, 2025, during the Stable View H.T.
Important Updates for 2025
USEA Interscholastic Eventing League
Membership in the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) was just a tick higher than the Interscholastic membership for 2024 with 394 members representing 49 clubs across the USEA Areas:
Want to connect with a club in your area? Check out the master list here.
2024 was an exciting year for members of the IEL with the hosting of the inaugural IEL Championship that ran alongside the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship. Eight clubs were in attendance and made up 12 teams with 41 entries divided amongst those teams. We can't wait to see that number continue to grow at the 2025 Championship which will take place in Aiken, South Carolina, May 3-4, during the Stable View H.T.
The top IEL riders of the year were recognized this year at the USEA Annual Meeting & Convention. These riders are:
Important Updates for 2025
About the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program
The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program was established in 2014 to provide a framework within which eventing teams and individual competitors could flourish at universities and colleges across the country. Many events across the country offer Intercollegiate Team Challenges where collegiate eventers can compete individually or in teams with their fellow students. In Intercollegiate Team Challenges, each rider’s score is multiplied by a coefficient appropriate for their level to account for differences in level difficulty, and then the individual scores are added together to determine the team score. The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship is a capstone event for the program, which is held annually in the spring. The 2025 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship will be held at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 3-4. Click here to learn more about the Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Nunn Finer, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, and World Equestrian Brands for sponsoring the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
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 3-4, 2025. Click here to learn more about the Interscholastic Eventing League.
The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Nunn Finer, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, and World Equestrian Brands for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.
The USEA is saddened to share the passing of Dr. J. Allen Leslie DVM, a distinguished veterinarian, who died peacefully on April 3 surrounded by family and loved ones at his farm in Christiana, Pennsylvania. He was 84.
Effective communication between riders and horse show organizers is crucial for a smooth and successful competition experience. Clear, polite, and well-organized communication not only ensures that your requests are properly handled; but also helps maintain a positive relationship with organizers and helps the longevity of the sport.
The final day of competition at the the Yanmar America Tryon International Spring Three-Day Event presented by Tow & Collect crowned five new champions, featuring show jumping competition in Tryon Stadium and the final rounds of cross-country competition on the White Oak cross-country course at Tryon International Equestrian Center & Resort (Tryon International). Read more below.
At last fall's Full Moon Farm Horse Trials, 16-year-old Miriam Keefer guided her horse, Micky, over the final cross-country jump with quiet determination and a flash of joy. It was her first recognized event at the Novice level, and she placed second out of 16 competitors—qualifying her for both the USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds and a long-format three-day event.