Despite terribly wet conditions over the weekend - pouring rain for dressage and cross-country - the Fox River Valley Pony Club Horse Trials (FRVPC H.T.) of Area IV hosted a successful USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Team Challenge on June 24-27, 2021. Seven IEL teams, including three scramble teams, and 27 riders competed for top honors at the beautiful Barrington Hills Riding Center in Barrington Hills, Illinois.
The scramble team of “No Gelding No Glory” won by eight points with a score of 101.4. L’Esprit Equestrian Green took second, followed by Lake Geneva Equestrian taking third, L’Esprit Equestrian Purple taking fourth, and Team V Eventing rounding out the top five teams.
Congratulations to all these courageous IEL riders and their horses for toughing it out through the rain and mud!
Click here for more results from the previous 2021 IEL Team Challenges.
Do you have an IEL team challenge recap article you would like to share with the USEA? Send to [email protected] for it to be published on the USEA website.
About the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League
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 bring together junior riders who are in the 7-12th grade and provide a supportive community through which students can continue to pursue their riding interests. A group of junior members in the 7th-12th grade who share a common bond (same barn, same school, same Pony Club, etc.) register with the USEA as an interscholastic team. Click here to learn more about the Interscholastic Eventing League.
The Olympic gold medallists Tom McEwen and JL Dublin lit up the arena at the MARS Badminton Horse Trials with a stunning performance and took the lead after the first day of dressage with the excellent mark of 22.4. They have almost five penalties over second-placed Emily King and Valmy Biats on 27.3.
At some point in your riding career, you probably found yourself feeling or dealing with a little fear, failure, or frustration. We’ve all been there. Regardless of whether we’re competitive or recreational, we’ve likely found ourselves getting a bit stuck on stress or a struggle; dealing with a little defeat or disappointment, or feeling overwhelmed or underprepared.
We might still be recovering physically from the excitement of the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, but mentally we keep playing the weekend over and over again in our heads. This is a weekend that many eventers and lovers of the sport all over the country (ourselves included) look forward to each year and this year was no exception. From teams getting to experience their first time ever at the championship to mascots swapping gear in a show of camaraderie, there were so many great moments that took place during this year's end-of-the-school-year event. Take a look at some of our favorite moments from the three day competition below!
As we gear up for the summer, the competition season isn’t slowing down and it’s time for one of the staple events on the international calendar in the U.S., the Tryon International Three-Day Event (Mill Spring, North Carolina). This event hosts one of five CCI4*-L events on the U.S. calendar, and this year there are 13 competitors in the field. Continue reading below for more interesting facts pertaining to the event that kicks off this Thursday, May 8.