United States Eventing Association

Win the Spirit Contest and Future Students: USEA Intercollegiate College Fair

The coveted Spirit Award at the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships is incorporating a new component to the always exciting contests and activities: a College Fair! This is an important opportunity for college students to market their schools, not only to impress the Spirit Award judges, but to capture potential new members for their teams from the Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) riders that are looking toward their futures.

Each college or university team in attendance at this year's USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, which will take place at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 2-4, will be given one table that will be covered with a plain tablecloth to present their materials. There are few restrictions on promotion and decorations, so students are encouraged to exercise their creativity. Please refrain from taping or adhering anything to the tables, as it is not permitted. However, teams are encouraged to bring laptops or small, portable televisions, if they desire, to share their team presentations, videos, or other materials that are produced to encourage new members to join. Stable View will provide outlets. Colleges are encouraged to bring additional marketing materials and make their table a true representation of why someone should attend their school.

Teams can begin setting their tables up on Thursday, May 1. Tables must be completed by the conclusion of Graze and Gaze on Friday evening, which will be at approximately 8:00 p.m. EST. The College Fair will take place throughout the day on Saturday, as well as leading up to the evening’s Hobby Horse Combined Trials. Collegiate teams will be judged on their participation, the quality of their set-up and how well they promote their school. Interscholastic teams will be judged on their attendance and interaction with the teams at the college fair.

Entries for the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships at the Stable View Local Charities H.T. opened today, Tuesday, March 18 and will close on Tuesday, April 15. The USEA anticipates significant interest in the Championships and entries are limited to a maximum of 400 competitors, so early entry is highly recommended to ensure your spot. A waitlist will be initiated once the maximum number of competitors is met, and the event cannot guarantee entry after said point.

All Collegiate Teams and IEL Clubs are encouraged to enter to compete. There are no qualification requirements to enter, but teams represented must be registered affiliates of the USEA. 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.

Once the definite roster deadline has passed, further changes will not be accepted. 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].

For any other questions about the College Fair or the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, please contact USEA staff liasion, 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, Nunn Finer, 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, Nunn Finer, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, World Equestrian Brands, and Young Rider for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.