United States Eventing Association

As the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships embarks on its first edition as a standalone event, the expectations for spirit just got higher! Since the inception of the Intercollegiate Eventing Championships in 2016, our youth members have brought their A-game to making this weekend a truly special experience for everyone on site.

From the endless decorations to the team chants heard around the grounds, the Collegiate and IEL competitors know how to show their spirit, and their pep will be put to the test in the coveted Spirit Award competition. As is customary, participants in each championship will have the opportunity to compete to be named the most spirited group on site for their program, earning prizes, a trophy, and bragging rights for the year to come.

Spirit Award contests will be assessed by affiliate, meaning each college or university in the Intercollegiate Eventing Program, and each club in the IEL Program, will be competing as one, rather than each Championship team of 3-4 riders being assessed individually. For example, last year’s Intercollegiate Spirit Award winner was the University of Georgia, and the IEL Spirit Award Champion was the Go With It Farm Groupies.

For each program, Stable View will determine first through third place winners based on the cumulative results of the following spirit activities and attributes: Barn & Cross-Country Jump Decorations, the Hobby Horse Championships, the College Fair, and the teams’ Overall Spirit, Sportsmanship, and Camaraderie.

Barn & Cross-Country Jump Decorating Contests

The barn decorating allows students to go above in beyond in creating a home base that screams “team pride” to all that enter. Competitors can expect to see elaborate entryways, streamers, and pom-poms from floor to ceiling, life-size mascots, and proper horse introductions gracing every stall. Teams will have until Saturday, May 16 at 2:00 p.m. EST to perfect their decorations before being judged.

For the cross-country course, head volunteer decorator, Diane Bird, has some best practices to share with the teams on recommended décor:

• Best Options:
  • Felt or cloth pennant banners and flags
  • Stuffed mascots
  • Plastic pom-poms, streamers, and/or garland
  • Car decals or magnets
  • Vinyl banners or signs
• Not recommended
  • Paper signs or streamers
  • Ribbons
  • Cardboard signs or photos
  • Non-waterproof items

Remember: if it can’t be safely attached to a jump, don’t send it! Collegiate teams and IEL clubs will be expected to provide decorations in their team colors no later than Friday, May 1 to be considered for this component of the contest. Please mail one (1) box of decorations per team to Emma Rogers at Stable View at 117 Stable Dr., Aiken, SC 29801 by Friday, May 1 to guarantee inclusion. Teams will only be assessed on their contribution of decorations, not the final appearance of the fence, as it will be the volunteers’ job to bring the vision to life.

Hobby Horse Championships

The fiercely competitive and beloved Hobby Horse Championships will return in 2026! This year, the contest will be offered as a relay with a three (3) person team from each affiliate taking on a combined show jumping and cross-country course. During the Graze and Gaze Party on Friday, May 15, each affiliate will be expected to elect the three members of their group that will represent them in the relay. The course will be judged on accuracy and timing. Start strategizing who you plan to elect for these challenges now and get excited for the contest to commence on the evening of Saturday, May 16.

College Fair

The College Fair is one of the newest additions to the Spirit Award activities and is meant to give all affiliates the opportunity to interact and promote their programs. Each Collegiate team that participates in the Championships will have access to one table to promote their school. Collegiate members will be judged on the quality of their presentation, while IEL competitors will be assessed on their participant’s attendance at the fair. More information on the specifications for the decorations and location of the event will be forthcoming.

Overall Spirit, Sportsmanship, and Camaraderie

Team camaraderie and sportsmanship have and will always be one of the most important components of the Spirit Award. The way competitors treat each other and their opponents, as well as the organizers, officials, volunteers, and staff, will be heavily considered in the final placings, as kindness and good-hearted competition exemplify the true spirit of the Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships!

At the end of the weekend, the scores from all these activities and the assessment of each group’s overall spirit, sportsmanship, and camaraderie will be tallied up to determine the Spirit Award Champions for each program. Each champion team will be honored with perpetual trophies and prizes during the Awards Ceremony at the end of the competition. Prizes and recognition will be given to the second and third place winners as well.

Entries for the Championships open on Tuesday, March 31 and will close on Tuesday, April 28. Stable View has set a goal to increase team participation by 25% over last year’s event, so early entry is highly recommended to ensure your spot. All Collegiate Teams and IEL Clubs are welcome and encouraged to enter to compete at the 2026 Championship, as there are no competitive qualifications necessary to enter, but teams represented must be registered affiliates of the USEA. Don’t forget to submit your Collegiate Team Applications or IEL Application Form to Jennifer Hardwick, USEA Senior Director of Membership Services, at [email protected] if you haven’t done so already.

Tentative team rosters for the Championships will be due no later than the closing date on April 28, and definite team rosters must be provided by 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday, May 11. For the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship, please submit your team rosters to Leslie Threlkeld, Chair of the Intercollegiate Eventing Committee, at [email protected]. For the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League Championship, please submit your team rosters to Kate Boggan, Chair of the IEL Task Force, at [email protected]. Alumni Cup rosters are due to Cyndy Olliff, Event Secretary, at [email protected] by April 28.

Please be sure to include your stabling requests with your entry. Separate stabling blocks will be allotted for each program, and each affiliate will receive one complimentary tack stall upon entry. Alumni can request to be stabled with fellow Alumni Cup participants near the College Town stabling, but they will not be able to be included in stabling with the Intercollegiate Eventing Championship participants.

If you plan to compete in the 2026 Intercollegiate and IEL Championships, don’t forget to sign up to join the Stable View WhatsApp group for the Championships. Click here or scan the QR code to the right to join the group. The team at Stable View will post regular updates and share news related to the championships in this group chat, so members will be first to know about all the exciting updates as the event takes shape.

Any questions regarding the Intercollegiate Eventing Program or Interscholastic Eventing League and the upcoming 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, Gallagher’s Water, Horse & Country, Kerrits, PulseVet, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, 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, Horse & Country, Kerrits, PulseVet, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands, Young Rider Magazine, and 100xEquine for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.