United States Eventing Association

The USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships have become a spring staple for 5^th through 12^th graders and undergraduate collegiate athletes. The weekend brings joy, camaraderie, and celebration of a year of growth with their fellow teammates, and a chance to represent their school on the big stage. Each year, interest in the Championships has grown, and with the help of our partners at Stable View, the USEA is thrilled that 2026 will mark the first standalone event for program members.

This means that on the weekend of May 15-17, 2026, the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships will be held exclusively for Intercollegiate and Interscholastic program members. In the past, the championships have been hosted alongside an existing USEA-recognized horse trial to bolster numbers, but now that the championships have proven to attract the interest of more than 200 participants each year, there isn’t a need for non-championship entries. The growth of the joint championships over the last two years since the inaugural event in 2024 has been nothing short of incredible, and that is thanks to the enthusiasm of the students’ athletes and their support networks.

“Stable View is looking forward to welcoming students to the first standalone USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships,” said Barry Olliff, co-owner of Stable View with his wife, Cindy Olliff. “The ongoing development of these Championships has been very inspiring to watch. We will be continuing to play our part in what has become one of the outstanding events on the Stable View Eventing calendar.”

The Intercollegiate & IEL Championships have been proudly hosted by Stable View for the last two years, and the Event Organizers have dedicated themselves to enhancing the experience for the competitors at every turn. In addition to opening and closing ceremonies, evening parties and team bonding opportunities each night of the event, and creative Spirit Award competitions, Stable View offered a College Fair in 2025 that gained great traction, allowing collegiate members to promote their programs to the IEL riders as they consider the next steps in their educational and eventing journey.

In 2026, there will be even more in store. The USEA plans to include exciting educational opportunities for students to attend, including a session on grooming and horsemanship best practices, and there will be exclusive championships merch available at the Shop USEA booth on-site for the first time.

“We are thrilled to see the evolution of the Intercollegiate & IEL Championships into the first standalone event,” exclaimed Rob Burk, USEA CEO. “I am so thankful for the work of the respective committees and USEA staff who have championed these programs. This is the culmination of years of effort on their part. We can’t wait for an even bigger and better event at Stable View next spring!”

If you haven’t already, sign up to join the Championships WhatsApp group hosted by Stable View for updates in the lead up to the event. Click here or scan the QR code to the right to join the group. Both championships will host divisions at the Starter through Preliminary levels, and Spirit Awards will be offered separately for each program. There will be no qualifications necessary to enter the Intercollegiate Eventing Championship or the IEL Championship, however, all schools and teams represented must be registered affiliates of the USEA.

Don’t forget to submit your Collegiate Team Applications or IEL Application Forms, along with an official roster, to Jennifer Hardwick, USEA Senior Director of Membership Services, at [email protected] by February 15, 2025.

All collegiate participants must be enrolled as undergraduate students, or with their school’s approval, be no more than 6 months past the completion of their undergraduate education, allowing December graduates to compete in the May championship. Collegiate participants are also required to hold an active USEA Membership, and if they intend to compete in the Championship, they must hold a Full or Life membership.

If you attend an accredited university or college that isn’t currently listed on the Intercollegiate Eventing Program List, consider starting a new team by reviewing the program information here and submitting a Collegiate Team Application.

All IEL participants must be enrolled in 5^th through 12^th grade at a public school, private school, online school or homeschool program. Unlike the Intercollegiate Eventing Program, IEL Clubs can be made up of any group of junior riders who share a common bond – like riding at the same barn, competing with the same trainer, attending the same school or being a part of the same Pony Club. For a list of the current Interscholastic Eventing Clubs, please click here. All Interscholastic participants are also required to hold an active USEA Membership, and if they intend to compete in the Championship, they must hold a Full or Life membership.

If you are interested in starting a new IEL Club, click here to learn more about the program and submit an IEL Application Form today. Any questions regarding the Intercollegiate Eventing Program or Interscholastic Eventing League and the upcoming 2026 Championships can be directed to USEA Staff Liaison, Kaleigh Collett, at [email protected].

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, Horse & Country, Kerrits, PulseVet, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands and Young Rider Magazine 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, Horse & Country, Kerrits, PulseVet, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands, and Young Rider Magazine for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.