IEA July 2021 Newsletter

Dear IEA Members and Friends,

ARE YOU READY FOR THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON? WE ARE!

We are beyond excited to be ushering in our 20th IEA year with lots of great things planned. This email is chock full of information and reminders.

We are thrilled to see so many new and returning teams signing up and welcoming back teams, coaches and riders who could not compete last year due to the pandemic. We can't wait to launch competitions next month already!

IEA Marketing and Digital Communications Coordinator, Montana McKnight, summed up our feelings with this season re-cap video below. We are so grateful for both the challenges and triumphs that was the 2020-2021 season and very happy to be moving forward with renewed energy and enthusiasm for an AWESOME 20th Year. Thank you to the ENTIRE IEA COMMUNITY!

It is gonna be a FANTASTIC SEASON. Is YOUR TEAM signed up yet?

Shows are eligible to open in 10 days. Yep, 10.

Don't delay - get your membership renewals and new team members signed up now. The sooner your register, the sooner you are able to compete.

JOIN HERE

Rider Members:

Have you voted for your YOUTH BOARD rep yet?

ONLY 1.5 more days. Voting ends on Friday, July 23rd at midnight.

Youth Board Nominees have worked hard to apply and are anxiously waiting for your support. Do YOUR part and read about all the nominee's in your Zone and then VOTE. 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 Rider members should have received an email ballot to the PRIMARY email on file for each rider. (That may be a parent email address.). Check your inbox(s).

REMEMBER: Only ONE vote per member, please.

(We can see who is voting and if there are multiple votes from the same email/IP address or from emails not on file with IEA.)

Didn't get the email? Contact Jennifer Eaton at jenn@rideiea.org with questions.

The National IEA Youth Board is a great leadership opportunity.

GOOD LUCK to all the nominees!

ATTENTION NEW and RETURNING IEA COACHES, STEWARDS and ADULT CONTRIBUTING MEMBERS...

Got Questions about Membership Enrollment and Rules?

Want to hear about best practices from seasoned coaches?

Join us for a virtual (Zoom) IEA TOWN HALL on WEDNESDAY, JULY 28th at 7:00 PM (EST). Open to all new and returning Coaches, Adult Members, and IEA Show Officials. This webinar is the first in a series of TOWN HALLS to be held this season.

JULY TOPIC: Membership Enrollment and New Rule Review

You may submit your questions with your registration or submit them live during the webinar. Open to the first 500 registrants.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Eaton at jenn@rideiea.org

or by calling 1-877-RIDE-IEA ext 203

IEA Names John Prize and Ava Mabboux at 2021 National Sportsmanship Winners

The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) annually awards a student rider the National Sportsmanship Award. This year’s award is presented to John Price, a Junior from Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania.

The national award winner is selected from a group of riders who earned a Sportsmanship Award at a local, regional or zone IEA show during the 2020-2021 season. These winners were then invited to submit an application for the National Sportsmanship Award. As part of the application process, student riders submitted a photo, resume, school transcripts, composed a 250-word essay explaining how horses and/or equestrian competition have influenced his/her life and three letters of recommendation. READ MORE...

ATTENTION 2021-2022 HUNT SEAT RIDERS applying for financial aid....

Thanks to a generous donation from the Colantuoni Family of

Raleigh, North Carolina, the IEA is excited to offer a supplemental grant for financial aid applicants in grades 4-12 in the Hunt Seat discipline.

DOWNLOAD INFO FLYER and APPLICATION DETAILS:

https://www.rideiea.org/opportunities/for-riders/

DEADLINE TO APPLY: AUGUST 15, 2021

Check out last week's The Plaid Horse Plaidcast #238 with IEA Co-Founders Roxane Durant and Myron Leff!

Thank you to Piper Klemm for this podcast highlighting IEA and informing listeners more about the history and success of our organization.

Interview begins at: 10:50

LISTEN HERE

IEA Is Getting RANCHY This Season...

IEA Western Rider Member, Abby Whitlock (Arizona Reining Equestrian Team). Photo by Osteen/Schatzberg 2021

IEA Introduces Ranch Riding Classes to Western Discipline Beginning in 2021-2022 Season

The IEA Board of Directors has recently approved the addition of a new Ranch Riding Class for the Upper School and Middle School Western Novice Divisions beginning with the 2021-2022 IEA Season. Currently, IEA offers five divisions of Western Horsemanship Classes (Beginner Walk/Jog, Beginner Walk/Jog/Lope, Novice, Intermediate and Open) and three divisions of Reining (Future Intermediate, Varsity Intermediate, and Varsity Open).

The new Novice Ranch Riding pattern class will replace the previously optional Novice Reining Prep classes as a standard class offering at every Western IEA horse show. Designed to be a preparatory introduction (or stepping-stone) to traditional reining classes, the Ranch Riding class will be an individual pattern class for Novice level riders – giving them the option of two classes at each regular and post-season show and will follow American Ranch Horse Association (ARHA) and/or American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Ranch Riding standards for maneuvers and dress code. READ MORE...

2021 NATIONAL FINALS RE-CAPS

What a wonderful and extremely busy past few months we have had hosting THREE National Finals events. Did you get a chance to read all about them? We've included the links to all the press releases for each finals for those who may have missed them or for those wanting to re-live these fantastic events. Enjoy!

IEA Hunt Seat National Finals 2021. Photo by Maddie Terry.

Hunt Seat National Finals Re-Cap

IEA Dressage National Finals 2021. Photo by Winslow Photography.

Dressage National Finals Re-Cap

IEA Western National Finals 2021. Photo by Larry Williams Photography.

Western National Finals Re-Cap

ORDER PROFESSIONAL PHOTOS FROM

NATIONAL FINALS

HUNT SEAT - RON SCHWANE PHOTOGRAPHY

DRESSAGE - WINSLOW PHOTOGRAPHY

WESTERN - LARRY WILLIAMS PHOTOGRAPHY

(Click on Arena Classes, then scroll to the very bottom of the photo folders until you see the IEA National Finals Logo.)

Watch the video class archives from all three 2021 IEA National Finals on the USEF Network.

WATCH HERE

Psssssst.....spread the word.

DID YOU KNOW THAT IEA HAS AN AFFILIATE DISCOUNT PROGRAM FOR NEW COACHES?

DID YOU KNOW EXISTING IEA COACHES COULD ACTUALLY MAKE MONEY JUST BY TALKING TO POTENTIAL COACHES ABOUT JOINING IEA?

2021-2022 AFFILIATE DISCOUNT PROGRAM

New coaches that join receive a one-time 10% discount off of their coach application if the coach is a member of any of the following IEA Affiliates: 4H, APHA, AQHA, CHA, IDA, IHSA, NRHA, NSBA, USDF, USEA, USEF, USHJA, or USPC.

2021-2022 REFERRAL PROGRAM FOR MEMBER COACHES

The “Referral Program” aims to utilize our existing coaches as recruiters of new coach members in an effort to increase team numbers across the United States.

***Program Goals

Refer another equine professional (coach) who is new to the IEA. Each referral will pay the IEA member coach $50.

• Only 1 referral will be credited per new professional / new team.

• There is no limit to how many Referrals an IEA coach member can be credited for.

***Eligibility 2021-2022

Any adult member of the IEA who is responsible for the enrollment of a new equine professional (coach) that successfully enrolls a new team (3 members) with the IEA for the 2021-2022 20th Anniversary season. Membership of the new team is required to be in effect on December 1, 2021 and it may not have a returning coach or more than two (2) returning riders.

Questions? Contact IEA Membership Marketing Coordinator, Jennifer Eaton at Jenn@rideiea.org or by calling 1-877-RIDE-IEA ext. 203

IEA Western Members - Mark you calendars for the

2021 All American Quarter Horse Congress IEA Western Horse Show!

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2021

Get your teams signed up NOW so you can be ready to enter the Congress Show. We are putting the finishing touches on the PRIZE LIST which will be coming out soon!

Interested in starting a WESTERN TEAM in time for the Congress?

Contact Tammy Braham (tammy.braham@rideiea.org)

or Jennifer Eaton (jenn@rideiea.org)

IEA Co-founder/Chief Operating and Marketing Officer Myron Leff Announces Transition

Roxane Durant (middle) announces the naming of the new Myron Leff Leading Western Rider Award at the 2021 IEA Western National Finals. Photo by Larry Williams Photography.

Co-founder / Chief Operating and Marketing Officer of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), Myron Leff, announced he will transition from his position as COO/CMO to his original responsibility as a voting member of the IEA Board of Directors. The transition is effective on August 1, 2021.

Although Myron is leaving his staff position, he will continue as an integral leader on the IEA Board of Directors. The IEA is beginning its 20^th Anniversary season, and Myron made the following statement in reflection of his ongoing commitment to the program:

“I am very proud to be part of the team that has accomplished so much over the years. It all started at a barn-meeting back in 2000...REA D MORE.

Deadline for US Equestrian $1,000 Higher Education Scholarships for Seniors is JULY 31, 2021.

APPLY HERE

Several months ago, the IEA Marketing Department put together an organizational overview for a small group presentation. As we officially enter our 20th Anniversary Competition Season next week, we thought we would share this "info-mercial" with our full membership as it might be a useful introduction to those who are new to IEA. This 11.5 minute video gives a little historical insight into who we are and what we do. Feel free to share it.