Youth Mentorship Program Now Open for Applications: Kick Off at USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Championships
The United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA) is excited to announce the opening of applications for the 2026 Youth Mentorship Program, which will be hosted at up to four major championships and events this year. The first deadline for applications is approaching on Tuesday, April 21 for those interested in participating in the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships.
Originally established at the USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships, the Youth Mentorship Program has been expanded to offer the opportunity for more Young Riders and Collegiate athletes to go behind-the-scenes to see what it takes to run a major event in the U.S. The following events will host participants in 2026:
- USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina | May 15-17, 2026
- Applications due April 21, 2026 (max. 4 participants)
- USEF Eventing Young Rider Championship at Loch Moy Farm in Adamstown, Maryland | June 25-28, 2026
- Applications due June 2, 2026 (max. 4 participants)
- The Event at Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, MT | July 15-19, 2026
- Applications due June 23, 2026 (min. 4 participants to confirm program at venue)
- Fall FEI Event (TBD) in Area II or III between September and October, 2026
- More details will be provided at a later date
The mentorship program strives to give participants an intensive and personal experience in understanding the demands of officiating at a championship level event and encourage future involvement in the sport. The goal is that by experiencing competition from the inside, as a part of the officiating and management teams, participants will have the chance to seek out and identify new career paths and job opportunities and network towards future roles in the sport.
Selected candidates for the USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Championships will attend the event at Stable View as a Mentorship Program participant, will be introduced to the officials, shadow them daily as they perform their duties, and will be able to ask questions one-on-one as they learn how a championship competition is conducted.
While the education is intense, it is also fun, and the officials are welcoming and encouraging to all participants. It can be a life-changing experience!
The application requirements and process for the USEA Youth Mentorship Program are as follows:
- Interested candidates must be 16 to 25 years of age.
- Candidates must be a current member of an Intercollegiate Eventing Program Team or a member of their Young Rider Area Program.
- Candidates must not be competing or volunteering at the selected event.
- Qualified candidates must fill out the USEA Youth Mentorship Program Application to be considered for the program.
- Intercollegiate & IEL Championships Mentorship Program Applications will be due to the USEA no later than Tuesday, April 21, 2026.
- The USEA Mentorship Coordinator, Holly Covey, will review the applications and contact the Collegiate Team Representatives or Young Rider Area Coordinators associated with the applicant, if necessary, for additional feedback.
- Selected participants will be contacted directly by the Mentorship Coordinator to confirm their spot, and an announcement will be made by Friday, May 1.
Click here to complete an application today.
Once selected, the USEA Mentorship Coordinator will assist the participants before, during, and after the championships with program requirements. Participants will be a part of their own collegiate teams during the championships and will be able to enjoy most team activities after competition hours, but they cannot compete, groom, or volunteer during mentorship participation.
Following the successful completion of the program, participants will be required to write a brief reflection on their experience for publication and may be asked to participate in other post-event promotions through the USEA. The program is free for qualified applicants between the ages of 16 and 25, but travel, accommodation, and meals will be at the applicant’s expense.
For more information or to ask questions about the USEA Young Rider Mentorship Program, please contact the USEA Mentorship Coordinator, Holly Covey, at [email protected]. For any questions regarding the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championship, please contact Kaleigh Collett at [email protected].
About the USEA Young Rider Program
The purpose of the USEA Young Rider Program is to encourage younger members up to 25 years of age to become involved in the sport of eventing and continue this involvement in their adult lives. This program is divided into 10 Areas throughout the country, and each Area program is facilitated by a volunteer Young Rider Coordinator. Each coordinator oversees the program for his/her Area and sets up different educational and developmental activities for their young riders to attend. Under the Young Rider Program umbrella, the USEA runs the Young Rider Mentorship Program, the Emerging Athlete U21 Program (EA21), supports the USEF Young Rider Championships presented by the USEA, and offers the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Program, USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Program, and the USEA Intercollegiate & IEL Championships. Additionally, the USEA offers Young Rider leaderboard points and recognition nationwide. Finally, the USEA Foundation provides grants for Young Riders through the MARS Bromont Rising U25 Grant. To learn more about the Young Rider Program, click here.
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.
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