United States Eventing Association

Request for Expressions of Interest: USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Team Championship Host Sites

The USEA is accepting expressions of interest from potential host sites of the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Team Championship for two-to-three years, beginning in 2019.

Host site(s) should; be attractive and presentable venues, host recognized USEA/USEF eventing competitions, offer at a minimum Beginner Novice through Intermediate levels, have consistently good footing, have the ability to promote to and accommodate spectators, in addition to implementing a media plan with demonstrated ability to successfully work with local media. The USEA strives to have the Championship serve as a pipeline to success for college riders climbing the levels of the sport and the competition should offer a unique and memorable atmosphere for the collegiate competitors.

The Championship, which has been conducted over three days on Memorial Day weekend, may be held anywhere in the United States and will ideally be held in the spring before the completion of the academic year (i.e. before June). The inaugural Championship was held at the Virginia Horse Center in 2016 with 37 competitors and 10 teams. In 2017, attendance multiplied, hosting 85 competitors and 21 teams at the same venue. The Championship will return to the Virginia Horse Center for its third year in May 2018, running in conjunction with the Virginia Horse Trials. Under the USEA’s current Intercollegiate business model, the USEA licenses the rights to run the Championship to a host site/organizer and retains certain rights of control over the event. It has been anticipated that the Championship will run in conjunction with regularly scheduled recognized events.

Only organizers with an established relationship with a facility and proof of support for the expression of interest from the host site owners/operators, or the owner(s) and/or operator(s) of a prospective host site may nominate said venue for consideration. Expressions of interest should be submitted in the form of a letter and consist of no more than 800 words.

All expressions of interest should also include the following:

1. address of proposed site(s),
2. a list of site features relevant to eventing competitions including but not limited to;
   1. the permanent and/or temporary stall capacity,
   2. the number of arenas (including dimensions and footing type),
   3. existing infrastructure and acreage available for cross-country,
   4. a plan for team scoring tabulation (information on Intercollegiate Team Challenges),
   5. the allocation of a “College Town” area for teams to gather and have pep rallies and evening functions, and,
   6. any other features of note.
3. contact information for the person or entity submitting the expression of interest,
4. indication of live scoring platform,
5. plan for supplying ribbons and awards at a formal awards ceremony, and
6. the proposed date of the competition.

The possibility exists for the contract to extend beyond three years or held at multiple sites, depending on the venue and contractual terms required by the host site(s). All expressions should be submitted by May 1, 2018.

Please direct inquiries and expressions to the following contact:

Kate Lokey, Director of Programs and Marketing
Phone: (703) 779-9897
Fax: (703) 779-0550
[email protected]