Dear IEA Member:
The IEA Board of Directors and Staff have been extensively reviewing factors and options related to Covid-19 and the remainder of the IEA 2019-2020 season. With much disappointment, we announced on Monday, April 13th that all IEA competitions for Hunt Seat, Dressage and Western disciplines are cancelled for the remainder of this competition year, which was originally scheduled to conclude on June 14
th
.
As always, human and equine welfare are of the utmost importance to IEA and lie at the heart of this difficult decision. The Coronavirus continues to be a health danger across the Country for all—every age; everywhere. We all should follow the guidelines of our Government and Health officials and because IEA has members in 46 states, the rules vary extensively from state to state. It is expected the Coronavirus guideline variances will widen over the next few months, complicating parent and coach decisions regarding health, travel and expenses.
Roxane Durant, IEA Co-founder and Executive Director stated, “
As an organization that is based in community, we must consider the needs of our entire membership base across the country and across disciplines to make our decision that assures the safety and welfare of all IEA members and our equine partners. This was an unbelievably hard decision because it disappoints so many, especially our senior riders. To lessen the setback, we are revising some rules and making changes relative to this decision so current riders have more options for next season. In addition, we plan some special surprises for our riders, including providing a scholarship opportunity for every senior
.”
