United States Eventing Association

The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is excited to announce that Galway Downs in Temecula, California, has been selected to host the first championships in the Western U.S. for the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program and Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) championships. The event, which will be hosted next year in 2027, will provide another opportunity for program members to compete with their peers, in addition to the existing USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Championships at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina on May 7-9, 2027.

“We are honored to have the next generation of event riders coming to Galway Downs for these Championships,” exclaimed Robert Kellerhouse, Galway Downs Equestrian Facility Manager. “Seeing the teams come together at Galway is going to be a blast, and we're looking forward to giving them the best of what we have for their championships. The addition of the West Coast Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships is demonstrative of the commitment the western areas of the U.S. have to developing the future of eventing on the international scale.”

The idea of expanding the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships was originally introduced in 2019, and at the time, the Board challenged the Intercollegiate Eventing Committee to host one team challenge with at least six participating schools in the western U.S. before the request would be approved. Following several successful Intercollegiate and IEL Team Challenges in 2025, the USEA Board of Governors approved the creation of a West Coast championship, and the bid process for a host venue was opened in early 2026. The Intercollegiate and IEL programs have seen great success in recent years at the Championships at Stable View, which received over 260 entries this year, further supporting the expansion of offerings.

“The addition of the program championships on the West Coast has been a long time in the making, and I am thrilled to see the vision come to fruition for our Intercollegiate and IEL members," said USEA CEO Rob Burk. "Robert Kellerhouse and his team at Galway Downs were fantastic partners for the 2025 USEA American Eventing Championships, and we are sure that they will pour the same level of care and enthusiasm into this inaugural event next year.”

With the help of the team at Galway Downs, the camaraderie and traditions that make the Intercollegiate & IEL Championships so special will be introduced to West Coast competitors at next year's event. Intercollegiate and IEL members that participate in 2027 will have the chance to compete as a team with fellow school-aged eventers for top honors and duel for bragging rights in the coveted Spirit Award competition. Galway Downs is sure to be a fantastic setting for this electric event.

The USEA will be requesting member feedback from all Intercollegiate and IEL members and team representatives in Areas IV, V, VI, VII, IX, and X before determining an ideal date for these championships in 2027. Galway Downs is willing and able to host the championships alongside their spring horse trials on May 14-16 or their fall FEI Eventing Championships on October 28-31 next year. Members can expect to receive a survey to record their feedback via email in June.

Any questions about the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program, the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL), or the upcoming championships in 2027 can be directed to Kaleigh Collett at [email protected]. To learn more about Galway Downs, please visit galwaydownsequestrian.com. The USEA will continue to keep the membership informed as planning progresses for this exciting event.

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 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 Intercollegiate Eventing Program.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Gallagher’s Water, Kerrits, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Aiken Saddlery, AllStar Tents & Events, Horse & Country, Meybohm Realtors – Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt, Powell Asset Protection Agency, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, Wendel Mobile Equine, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands, Young Rider Magazine, and 100xEquine 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 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, Gallagher’s Water, Kerrits, PulseVet, Schneiders Saddlery, Aiken Saddlery, AllStar Tents & Events, Horse & Country, Meybohm Realtors – Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt, Powell Asset Protection Agency, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, Wendel Mobile Equine, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands, Young Rider Magazine, and 100xEquine for sponsoring the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program.