United States Eventing Association

Unbridled Enthusiasm: What It Takes to Win the 2025 Spirit Award at the USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Championships

The second edition of the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships is anticipated to have record participation, and anyone who has attended the event in the past knows that the camaraderie is unbeatable. 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 extra pep will again be accessed in the race for the coveted Spirit Awards.

This year, participants in each program championship will have the opportunity to compete to be named the most spirited group on site, earning prizes, a trophy, and bragging rights for the year to come. As per tradition, the Spirit Award contests will be assessed by affiliate, meaning each college or university in the Intercollegiate Eventing Program, or 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 Randolph Macon College, and the IEL Spirit Award champion was River Run Eventing Club.

For each program, Stable View will determine 1^st through 3^rd place winners based on the cumulative results of the following spirit activities and attributes: Barn & Cross-Country Jump Decorations, the Hobby Horse Combined Test, the College Fair, and the teams’ Overall Spirit, Sportsmanship, and Camaraderie.

Barn & Cross-Country Jump Decorating Contests

The barn decorating contest is an opportunity to scream “team pride” to everyone on-site, and historically, students have spared no expense to put their best foot forward. Competitors can expect to see elaborate entranceways, streamers and pom-poms from floor to ceiling, life-size mascots, and proper horse introductions gracing every stall. Teams will have until Saturday, May 3 at 2:00 p.m. ET to perfect their decorations before being judged.

For the cross-country course, Stable View’s decorators need YOUR help to bring the team atmosphere to life. Collegiate teams and IEL clubs will be expected to provide decorations in their team colors to be considered for this component of the contest. Recommended items include team flags or pennants, stuffed mascots, pom-poms, or other items that can be safely attached to a jump or secured in the ground. Please mail one (1) box of decorations per team to Emma Young at Stable View at 117 Stable Dr., Aiken, SC 29801 no later than one week prior to the event to be included. 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 Combined Test

The Hobby Horse Championships are even bigger and better in 2025! This year, this component of the Spirit Award activities will be a two-phase competition with one teammate completing the show jumping phase and another heading out on the Hobby Horse Cross-Country Course. Both phases will be judged on accuracy and timing, while the cross-country course will feature full-size Sprout and Starter fences and a water complex! Start strategizing on the two team members that you would elect for these challenges now. The Stable View team will have a sign up at the Graze and Gaze Party on Friday, May 2, where teams will need to elect their competitors for each phase, which will take place the next evening on Saturday, May 3.

College Fair

The College Fair is the newest addition to the Spirit Award activities and is meant to give both programs an opportunity to interact and promote their teams. Taking place on Saturday, May 3, each Collegiate team that participates in the Championships will be provided with a table with a plain tablecloth upstairs in the Pavilion to promote their school. While you are not allowed to tape or adhere anything to the tables, all other decorations and marketing materials are allowed, and Stable View will be provide an outlet for anyone that would like to bring a laptop or TV to present digital slideshows or videos about their teams. Collegiate members will be judged on the quality of their presentation, while IEL competitors will be assessed on their team’s attendance at the fair. For more information, click here.

Overall Spirit, Sportsmanship, and Camaraderie

Team camaraderie and sportsmanship have always and will always be one of the largest components of the Spirit Award. The way competitors act towards 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 are at the heart of the true spirit of the Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championships!

In the end, the scores from all these activities and the assessment of each group’s overall spirit, sportsmanship, and camaraderie throughout the event 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 are now open and will close on Tuesday, April 15. Entries are limited to a maximum of 400 competitors, 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 2025 Championship, as there are no 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, along with your official rosters, to Jennifer Hardwick, USEA Senior Director of Membership Services, at [email protected] if you haven’t already.

Tentative team rosters for the Championships are due no later than the closing date on April 15, and definite team rosters must be provided by 12:00 p.m. EST on Monday, April 28. 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 Emma Young, Stable View Team Member, at [email protected], by April 15.

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 2025 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 2025 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship will be held at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 2-4. Click here to learn more about the Intercollegiate Eventing Program.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands and Young Rider 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 second annual USEA Interscholastic Eventing Championship will be held alongside the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 2-4, 2025. Click here to learn more about the Interscholastic Eventing League.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands, and Young Rider for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.