Tuesday, May 20, 2025 (Columbus, Ohio) – The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) and longtime member partner association, The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) recently renewed their multi-year contract to collaborate on a variety of cross-promotional benefits and opportunities for both organizations and for USPC to continue as the Title Sponsor for the USPC IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test.
With similar missions of introducing youth to the equestrian industry and creating knowledgeable young horsemen and horsewomen, both IEA and USPC, two of the largest youth equestrian organizations in the country, are eager to expand this partnership to include more educational opportunities over the coming years.
Historically, USPC has been the proud sponsor of the USPC IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test (formerly called the Virtual Written Horseman’s Knowledge Test) at the IEA Hunt Seat, Dressage and Western National Finals and will continue to sponsor that important event and awards. What started out years ago as an in-person handwritten test only for National Finals Qualifiers has in recent years expanded to an online format that allows all IEA members to participate in the National Finals Horsemanship Test regardless of qualifying for or attending National Finals. This has given many more IEA youth members the opportunity to test their on-the-ground horse knowledge about equine nutrition, health care, IEA rules, grooming, tack identification, anatomy, horse care and more.
In addition to putting on the annual USPC IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test, to encourage good horsemanship and proper safe handling of horses, IEA suggests members use USPC materials as one resource to study for the test and for monthly online knowledge tests in the IEA National Hippology Academy. For IEA members looking for a complete horsemanship curriculum, Pony Club offers a variety of membership types at www.ponyclub.org for full access to its curriculum. And for USPC members looking for additional team competition opportunities, IEA membership may be a good fit at www.rideiea.org.
“The United States Pony Clubs is excited to renew our longtime partnership with the Interscholastic Equestrian Association and continue working together with our shared mission of welcoming newcomers to equestrian pursuits,” said Teresa Woods, USPC Executive Director. “We are proud to sponsor the USPC IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test, with questions extracted from Pony Club’s proven riding and horse-care curriculum. We hope it inspires participants to continue learning and further their equestrian education.”
“As a riding instructor, judge and lifelong educator, I love seeing the continued expansion of IEA’s educational programming outside of our draw-based competition format,” says Megan Taylor, IEA Sponsorship Manager. “Riders who understand and practice good horsemanship skills can better identify potential health issues, can quickly problem solve, are safer around the barn and have a better connection to the animals in their care in and out of the saddle. And that is ultimately what makes for longevity in the industry.”
USPC will again be present with a booth at the 2025 IEA Western National Finals on June 21-23, 2025, in Fort Worth, TX, during the APHA World Championship Show, where winners who are present can receive their awards for the Western USPC IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test.
In addition, USPC is offering IEA members a 25% discount on a Single User Subscription on Allpony.com (available via a code to be communicated via IEA), which offers dozens of educational courses and interactive games and quizzes, along with printables, about horses. Anyone can explore Allpony, and it has already gained a loyal following of young riders, parents, and instructors, who are also using Allpony as a resource for their curriculums for their students through the Instructor Subscription. Now backed by the expertise of the United States Pony Clubs, who is continually adding additional courses and games, Allponyis poised to offer even more learning opportunities for the next generation of equestrians.
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ABOUT UNITED STATES PONY CLUBS, INC (USPC)
The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that builds the foundation of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, and care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members. USPC is proud to offer instruction and competitive opportunities in 11 competitive disciplines through hundreds of clubs and centers across the United States. USPC’s educational standards continue to be instrumental in curriculum development for schools, universities, equestrian professionals, and organizations across the United States. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including Olympic team members, as well as successful business professionals and leaders in a variety of fields, have roots in Pony Club. For more information, please visit http://www.ponyclub.org.
ABOUT INTERSCHOLASTIC EQUESTRIAN ASSOCIATION (IEA)
Inclusive. Equitable. Affordable. The IEA was established to provide competitive and educational opportunities through equestrian athletics for students in grades 4-12 without the expense of owning a horse. Good Horsemanship and honorable participation are priorities at every event. It is the responsibility of all members to foster a spirit of belongingness, an atmosphere of community enjoyment, and a mutual respect for all participants and their equine partners. Founded in 2002, the IEA currently has approximately 15,000 members nationwide participating in Hunt Seat, Western and Dressage disciplines. Open to public school, private school and home-school students, each season, the IEA offers nearly $1.5M in cash and collegiate scholarships to our members as well as multiple educational and leadership opportunities. For more information, go to www.rideiea.org
Media Contact:
Kimber L. Whanger
Director of Marketing & Communications
Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA)
509 S. Otterbein Avenue, Suite 9 | Westerville, OH 43081
C: 614.542.9415 | O: 1-877-RIDE-IEA
kimber@rideiea.org