Dear IEA Members and Friends,

Oh, what a year! As 2021 wraps up this week, we take a moment to look back on another extraordinary year full of incredible achievements. We are now more than halfway through our 20th Anniversary season - our biggest ever. IEA hit a milestone membership record and is STILL growing! We are incredibly thankful for all our members, parents, supporters, show officials, volunteers and sponsors who make up the IEA community.

This e-newsletter is chock full of information and highlights. See you in 2022!
Attention IEA Coaches, Riders and Parents:

Post-season allotments have now been posted on the IEA website on the main discipline pages as well as individual zone/region pages for Hunt Seat, Western and Dressage.

Allotments are the number of riders/teams that move on from Regionals to Zones (Hunt Seat); Zones to Nationals (Hunt Seat); and Regionals to Nationals (Western and Dressage).
These allotments are determined by the number of riders in any given region/zone from the previous season. (Example: If the number is a 1, that means riders/teams must place 1st in order to move ahead, if the number is a 2, then you must place 1st or 2nd to move ahead, etc.)

Questions about allotments can be directed to your zone administrator or info@rideiea.org.
Good Luck to all Riders and Teams heading to Regionals and Zones in the next few months!
Please consider an annual gift of $25, $50, $100, or more to the IEA Benevolent Fund.
The IEA Benevolent Fund was established nine years ago to provide financial aid to riders who need funding assistance in order to take lessons and compete in the IEA. The Fund also helps coaches who are dealing with unfortunate circumstances such as health issues, injuries, barn fires, wildfires, and other unexpected tragedies that translate into a loss of business income. Even in a normal year, the IEA cannot fulfill all requests for assistance. As you can imagine, we have a larger gap this year with the added complications of Covid-19.

The IEA initially has budgeted approximately $20,000 of operating funds for the 2021-2022 Benevolent Fund. Financial Aid is limited to $1,700 per approved-rider request and $1,000 is the Coach Grant cap. We hope to raise $20,000 by January 2022 so we will have additional funds for this year, and we will be able to budget similarly for next year.

We ask each of you to help us reach our goal.

Contributing to the IEA Benevolent Fund is easy to do! Just click on the link above or below, OR if you prefer to send a check, mail it to our National Office at: Interscholastic Equestrian Association, PO Box 809, Chagrin Falls, OH 44022. Because the IEA is a 501.c.3 non-profit corporation, your donation is tax deductible.

We are HORSE PEOPLE HELPING HORSE PEOPLE.
Thank you for your support.
GEARING UP FOR NATIONAL FINALS
We are rapidly nearing the FOUR MONTH mark until the IEA 20th ANNIVERSARY NATIONAL FINALS in Harrisburg, PA! For your convenience, IEA has set up National Finals web pages for all three disciplines with helpful information that is regularly being updated including links to hotels and the preliminary schedule below. Be sure to check frequently as we get closer to this exciting event.
IEA is excited to announce our new Youth Vendor opportunity!
Are you an IEA rider with your own small business? This is a fantastic chance to learn from current IEA vendors, network with successful entrepreneurs in the equine industry, and broaden your business' reach within IEA.

So what exactly is a Youth Vendor? The IEA recognizes that there is a growing number of its members who have started their own business. Whether making horse treats, belts or t-shirts, locating more customers is always a goal. IEA would like to recognize these young entrepreneurs and their businesses by offering an opportunity to become a vendor at the 2022 IEA National Finals. Special pricing is available for current IEA members who register as a youth vendor. To foster this experience, our youth vendors will also have access to mentors to talk about inventory, set up, how to market before, during and after the event and so much more.

If you are interested in learning more about the opportunities and cost of being an IEA Youth Vendor, please email IEA's Sales and Sponsorship Representative, Megan Taylor at megan@rideiea.org!
IEA IS NOW ON
What better stocking stuffers than IEA Seasonal Stickers?!? These designs and more are available on the Official IEA Redbubble Account!

Find us at Redbubble.com under @OfficialRideIEA or by searching Ride IEA & RideIEA in the search bar!

Great for prizes and team gifts!
Check out the PODCAST released from Athletic Equestrian: Riding in College Podcast Series with Host Sally Batton that features IEA!
Executive Director, ROXANE DURANT and Sales Representative, MEGAN TAYLOR discuss with Sally some interesting facts about IEA, their roles, and the history of the organization as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary season.

Thank you Sally for inviting IEA on your Podcast!

ABOUT SALLY:
Navigating the world of collegiate riding is a mystery to most young rider athletes and their families. Sally Batton, a collegiate varsity equestrian coach for over 30 years, interviews coaches, organizations and riders for their insight on what it takes to ride on a collegiate equestrian team. So saddle up and join her as she reveals the inner workings of collegiate equestrian.
BOB'S CUSTOM SADDLES
IS THE OFFICIAL WESTERN SADDLE OF THE IEA.
#RIDEIEAINABOBS
Need a last minute stocking stuffer? The IEA Online Horsemanship Program is another great way to get involved in the IEA community this holiday season! You can join individually or better yet, get your entire team involved. Put your knowledge to the test on various equine topics, and who knows… you might even earn yourself a shirt!
The HORSE GONE SILENT Trilogy and author, SHANE LEDYARD are proud sponsors of IEA.
IEA YOUTH BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN BUSY!
IEA Youth Board Members have been extremely busy the past few months - not only showing, but promoting IEA in their Regions and Zones through social media, informational displays, attending events and meetings, planning special projects for National Finals, and giving back to their communities through toy drives, canned food drives, and fundraising for local charities. These 16 elected representatives are a joy to work with and are a great asset to IEA! Thanks for giving back! Interested in IEA Youth Board? LEARN MORE.

GREAT JOB YOUTH BOARD
MEMBERS!
R.J. CLASSICS RENEWS PARTNERSHIP AGAIN WITH IEA

READ RECENT PRESS RELEASE
WINTER ART CONTEST WINNERS
In no particular order, here are your IEA Winter Art Contest winners who will be featured on the first ever Official IEA Notecards!

Congratulations to KELSEY HILDEN, CATE BATES, ANNABELLE HAGAN, EVANGELINE WASSER, SAMANTHA THOMAS, LILY GROFF, CHLOE KLOTZ, MADISON BALDWIN, SOFIA BARUFFI, SAVANNAH HATFIELD, CARLY SZERENCSY and MADI CHAMPAGNE.

Head over to IEA's Redbubble account @OfficialRideIEA to scroll through all the wonderful artwork and be sure to get your favorite cards now!

All proceeds from the Official IEA Notecards will be donated to the IEA Benevolent Fund to help the IEA Community members in need.
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DRESSAGE RIDERS & COACHES
Nominate an Extraordinary Horse!

2021 Horse Stars Hall of Fame Nominations Open
Nomination Deadline - December 31, 2021

The Horse Stars Hall of Fame was established by the EQUUS Foundation and the US Equestrian in 2013 to celebrate the extraordinary talent of horses and the magical bond between horses and people.

The EQUUS Foundation inducts horses that have had a life-changing impact in public service or on the public's perception of horses; have excelled or are excelling in the area of equine assisted activities and therapies, and/or have excelled or are excelling in their competitive or public service career after overcoming significant hardship. The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) inducts the its "Horses of Honor" selected by USEF annually.

Check out 2017 Hall of Fame inductee and “First Horse of IEA”, BILLY WHITE SHOES (1994-2016) owned by IEA Executive Director, Roxane Durant.

We know we have thousands of amazing horses in our program across the US and would love to see more IEA horses inducted into the Horse Stars Hall of Fame.
Thank you to US Equestrian and EQUUS Foundation for recognizing these beautiful animals and for being long-time sponsors of the IEA.
LOOKING FOR IEA AWARD IDEAS, TEAM GIFTS, OR IEA SWAG?
Check out these awesome 20th Anniversary prizes available from IEA national logo vendor, Michelle's Equestrian Solutions.
Interscholastic Equestrian Association
Membership Office
607 North Avenue, Door 18,2nd Floor
Wakefield, MA 01880

Hours: Monday - Friday 10:00am - 4:00pm (Eastern)
Phone: 877-RIDE-IEA | 877-743-3432
Fax: 508-597-7373
IEA MEMBER PARTNERS
IEA OFFICIAL SPONSORS
Official Western Saddle of the IEA
Official Show Clothing of the IEA
Official Helmet of the IEA
Official Tack and Equipment Supplier of the IEA
The IEA was established to provide competitive and educational opportunities through equestrian athletics. Good Horsemanship and honorable participation are priorities at every event. It is the responsibility of all attendees to foster a spirit of belongingness, an atmosphere of community enjoyment, and a mutual respect for all participants and their equine partners.