United States Eventing Association

For riders at Class Act Farm in Apopka, Florida, eventing in a team environment is something they enjoy every day. Trainer Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis has built an inclusive, fun, and educational environment for young riders with aspirations from Starter to FEI.

So when Courtney Borton, whose daughter Addison Borton trains with Jarnstrom-Dennis, suggested they start a USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Club earlier this year, it was an easy answer.

Now as the 2025 season comes to a close, the Class Act Farm club has two wins under their belts and are eyeing the IEL Championship next spring.

Courtney was recruited to the USEA IEL Task Force this year, and began seeing the benefits of the program, whose mission is to unite junior riders from the 5^th-12^th grades and provide a supportive community as they pursue their riding interests.

With a background in higher education and collegiate admissions, Courtney was excited to help the Task Force and work with Jarnstrom-Dennis to start up Class Act Farm’s Club.

“[Jarnstrom-Dennis] is known just for horsemanship and bringing riders from a young age up to FEI levels, and she loved the idea that this was an opportunity for kids to ride in a team environment,” she said. “Because unless you get to the young riders stage, there just weren't many opportunities for a team.”

“[Courtney’s] a great asset, and she's the one that's been the big inspiration for this—the driving force,” said Jarnstrom-Dennis. “It’s such a great opportunity for the kids to get exposure and riding on teams, and the camaraderie. A lot of parents that I've had in the past don't look at it as a team sport. With this, it's opened that door for people—to the parents that are newer in the horse industry—by showing them how important it is for kids to support each other and build teamwork and maybe chose this over another sport.”

Class Act Farm’s club has 10 riders currently. They were out in full force at the USEA Area III Championships (Ocala, Florida) in May wearing the farm colors of pink and green, and one of their teams won the IEL team challenge.

“It was just really cool seeing team camaraderie and them coming together and supporting each other,” said Courtney. “And there was a lot of interest just to have that because several of the kids, this is their full-time sport. They don’t play a second sport, so this gives them a chance to experience being part of a team.”

Jarnstrom-Dennis has always held Wednesday jump groups during the school year to encourage a team environment and likes that it brings together kids of all ages—a 7-year-old might be in a lesson with a 17-year-old, and they can learn and be inspired. She’s an advocate for switching up horses at home to give a better understanding for what other riders are going through and works on building horsemanship skills with her students from the ground to riding.

Courtney, Winter Garden, Florida, has found that the IEL team has given Addison a chance to support her teammates in a competition setting.

“It’s a very individual sport, and at times she's competing against her own barn mates, and in the same division, and this gives an opportunity for them to really support each other, holistically, as a team,” she said. “It's not so individual, and on days that don't go our way, she has that team support, and on days that it doesn't go a way for a teammate, she's there for them. I've definitely seen just a lot of positivity come from it.”

Kennedy Langmo, 17, Maitland, Florida, is a student at Class Act Farm and just completed her first FEI event, the CCI1* at TerraNova (Myakka City, Florida) in November, where her IEL team also won. She’s leasing Jarnstrom-Dennis’ 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Knock Out (Canabis Z AKZ x Upaleen). She’s been in the Class Act Farm program since she was 7 and has found the IEL Club this year to be a wonderful experience.

“It really wasn't too much different from all of us being involved like before, but it's been super fun just to get closer and be more involved with everyone since being a part of the team,” she said. “It makes it a super positive environment, knowing that, even if it may not be your day, that you still have a group of supporters around you, for you, that are supporting you, and also a group of people to support representing your club.”

The IEL club has also opened doors for riders who live farther away, like Sofia Taveras, 12, who lives near Miami. While many youth riders train daily with a local program, Taveras’ situation looks a little different. She boards her horses in Southwest Ranches, an area without a formal eventing training program, yet her passion for competing and being part of a team remains strong.

“This is where Jennie Jarnstrom-Dennis and the Interscholastic Eventing League really make a difference,” said her mother, Chelsea Taveras. Through IEL, Sofia stays connected to Jarnstrom-Dennis and the club in Apopka, even though she lives hours away, proving that it’s not distance that defines a rider, but the opportunities they embrace.

Class Act Farm is hoping to head to the IEL Championship at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, next year. “Everything is more fun when you're working with other people,” Langmo said. “I think that making this not just you and your horse a team, but you and the other riders at your barn a team just makes it so much more fun, and it adds to a little bit more of the competition.”

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 2026 USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Championships will be held at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 15-17. 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 Magazine for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.