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Anticipation for the 2024 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship and inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championship is growing, and the host venue, Stable View, is up for the task of making both events an unforgettable experience for all involved. For the first time, the Intercollegiate and IEL program championships will be hosted on the same weekend at the Stable View H.T. in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 4-5, 2024, creating greater unity between the programs and demonstrating a clear pipeline of participation in the sport from grade school through college and beyond.
As the fall competition season ramps up across the country, Stable View has their eyes set on their Oktoberfest 2/3/4* and H.T. on Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, 2023, which will host Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Team Challenges. Team challenge participants will get a first look at what the venue has to offer for the joint championships next spring. Not planning on competing? Consider attending as a spectator to cheer on fellow program participants, get a lay of the land, and enjoy several activities and shopping opportunities available during the event.
For those already planning to participate in the 2024 Intercollegiate and IEL Championships, Stable View has created a WhatsApp group to keep everyone informed as the event approaches. 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.
Stable View also has a tentative schedule of events and team bonding activities available for the championships. On Friday, Intercollegiate and Interscholastic teams will be invited to participate in the opening ceremony, which will include a parade of teams for each program. Graduating seniors of the Intercollegiate program will also be honored during this time. On Saturday night, Stable View will host a special game night themed “Graze and Gaze” for program participants and their coaches, family, and friends.
Saturday night’s party will feature a hobby horse competition and mechanical bull contest, which will factor into the coveted Spirit Award contest. Throughout the weekend, Intercollegiate and Interscholastic members will be judged on their spirit and camaraderie within their teams and their support of fellow competitors. Each program will be judging separately on the following criteria as well to determine which teams are crowned Spirit Champions: stall decorations, pavilion window decorations, hobby horse competition, and mechanical bull competition.
For any program participants that aspire to ride at the five-star level and for fans of the top level of sport, the Badminton Horse Trials will be taking place on the weekend of May 4-5 as well, and the team at Stable View will be streaming the competition live in the upper floor of the pavilion for attendees to enjoy. Root for Team USA and get inspired for the competition at hand!
The Intercollegiate and IEL Championships will each host divisions at the Beginner Novice through Intermediate levels. There will be no qualifications necessary to enter the Intercollegiate Eventing Championship or the IEL Championship, however, all schools and teams represented must be registered affiliates of the USEA. Don’t forget to submit Collegiate Team Applications or IEL Application Forms, along with official affiliate rosters, to Jennifer Hardwick, USEA Senior Director of Membership Services, at Jennifer@useventing.com by Feb. 15, 2024.
All collegiate participants must be enrolled as undergraduate students, or with their school’s approval, be no more than 6 months past the completion of their undergraduate education, allowing December graduates to compete in the May championship. Collegiate participants are also required to hold an active USEA Membership and be listed on the Intercollegiate Affiliate Roster for their respective college or university. If you attend an accredited university or college that isn’t currently listed on the Intercollegiate Eventing Program List, consider starting a new team by reviewing the program information here and submitting a Collegiate Team Application.
All IEL participants must be enrolled in 7th through 12th grade at a public school, private school, online school or homeschool. Unlike the Intercollegiate Eventing Program, IEL Affiliates can be any group of junior riders who share a common bond – like riding at the same barn, competing with the same trainer, attending the same school or being a part of the same Pony Club. For a list of the current Interscholastic Eventing Affiliate Teams, please click here. If you are interested in starting a new IEL Affiliate, click here to learn more about the program and submit an IEL Application Form today.
Any questions regarding the Intercollegiate Eventing Program or Interscholastic Eventing League and the upcoming 2024/2025 championships can be directed to USEA Staff Liaison, Kaleigh Collett, at kcollett@useventing.com.
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. The USEA offers a discount of $25 on annual USEA memberships for current students of universities and colleges registered as Affiliates with the USEA. Many events across the country now offer Intercollegiate Team Challenges where collegiate eventers can compete individually as well as on 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. Click here to learn more about the Intercollegiate Eventing Program.
The USEA would like to thank this year's USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships Sponsors: Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, U.S. Equestrian, and World Equestrian Brands.
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 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, such as the same barn, school, Pony Club, or other connection, register with the USEA as an interscholastic team. The USEA Board of Governors recently approved an inaugural IEL Championship to kick-off in 2024, in correlation with the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships. Click here to learn more about the Interscholastic Eventing League.
