The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is excited to announce a request for expressions of interest to host the first standalone USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships in 2026 and 2027. With the success of the inaugural joint championships in 2024, the USEA is confident that the progression of these programs lends to a standalone event for these hardworking students in 5th through 12th grade and undergraduate college programs.
Host site(s) should: be attractive and presentable venues, offering at a minimum Starter through Intermediate levels, have consistently good footing, have the ability to promote to and accommodate spectators and supporters, and have a demonstrated record of implementing a media plan that includes a successful working relationship with local media.
The USEA strives for these Championships to serve as a pipeline for participation in the sport throughout a students educational journey by bringing these age groups together to celebrate their team’s success during the academic year. The competition should offer a unique and memorable atmosphere for the collegiate and scholastic members to compete and mingle with their peers as they mature within the sport.
The new standalone Championships will fall on rotating dates bi-annually. For the first year in 2026, the Championships must be hosted during the third week of May on Friday the 15th through Sunday the 17th. During the second year in 2027, the Championships must be hosted during the second week of May on Friday the 7th through Sunday the 9th. The USEA is accepting expressions of interest from potential host sites that would be willing and able to accommodate both years of competition, with the USEA attaining a special license to operate on each event date.
The inaugural USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship was held at the Virginia Horse Center in 2016 with 37 competitors and 10 teams. Since then, and with the addition of the IEL Championship, participation has grown exponentially with 192 competitors on 52 teams completing the 2024 Championships at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina. The Championships will return to Stable View in 2025. The USEA will license the rights to run these Championships to a host site/organizer with a small licensing fee, while retaining certain rights of control over the event.
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 consisting of no more than 800 words.
All expressions of interest should also include the following:
Expressions of interest for the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships in 2026 and 2027 must be submitted by the end of the day on Friday, December 6, 2024 for consideration.
Please direct inquiries and expressions to the following contact:
Kaleigh Collett, Marketing & Advertising Manager
Phone: (703) 669-9994
Fax: (703) 779-0550
[email protected]
The USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship has been hosted at the following locations:
2016 - 2018 – Lexington, Virginia (Virginia Horse Center)
2019 – Fairburn, Georgia (Bouckaert Farm)
2021 – Lexington, Virginia (Virginia Horse Center)
2022 – Fairburn, Georgia (Bouckaert Farm)
2023 – Mill Spring, North Carolina (Tryon International Equestrian Center)
The USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships have been hosted at the following locations:
2024 – 2025 – Aiken, South Carolina (Stable View)
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. The USEA offers a discount of $25 on annual USEA memberships for current students at universities and colleges registered as Affiliates with the USEA. Many events across the country offer Intercollegiate Team Challenges where collegiate eventers can compete individually or on 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 Affiliate. 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 hear of the sudden passing of Dr. Timothy “Tim” Holekamp on April 19. He was 79.
While we all attend the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event for the competition, the next best thing about the event is definitely the shopping! The USEA is excited to be back on-site at the Kentucky Horse Park for the competition this year and to debut some all-new apparel items for the 2025 season. Here is a sneak preview of what you can expect to see at our booth, located just behind the Rolex Stadium next to the large Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event booth, this year.
They don't call it the "Best Weekend All Year" for no reason! If you love the sport of eventing (or just horses in general) the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event is most likely a staple on your calendar or a must-see on your bucket list. This week, thousands of eventing lovers will flock to the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, for one of two U.S.-based five-stars that takes place each year, as well as top-shelf CCI4*-S competition and two nights of spectacular show jumping.
Will you be at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event this year? Are you a member of the USEA Adult Rider Program? Then you will not want to miss out on this exciting opportunity to join cross-country course designer Derek di Grazia on a walk of the CCI5*-L cross-country course. The USEA-hosted event will take place at 8:30 a.m. EST on Thursday, April 24.