Pony Club and the Interscholastic Equestrian Association Announce Continued Partnership

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC) is pleased to announce the continuation of their partnership with the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA). As a longtime sponsor of IEA, USPC has provided horsemanship tests and quizzes for IEA riders, as well as prizes for the IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test.

“Our partnership with IEA is an important opportunity to bring Pony Club’s horsemanship education to this great group of young equestrians,” said USPC Executive Director Teresa Woods. “Together with IEA, we share the common goal of growing participation in the equine industry and promoting access to horses and riding sports.”

“Horsemanship Education is an important aspect of the IEA experience,” says IEA Executive Director Roxane Durant. “Not only have we benefited from the partnership with USPC at National Finals, but over the past decade, IEA has developed our own year-round online Horsemanship Program with the support of USPC that continues to grow and expand each year.”

The IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test is an online written and timed exam made up of discipline-specific questions, as well as general questions pertaining to equine health, nutrition, tack, best-practices and IEA rules. The test is open to all IEA Rider and Jr. Contributing Members, and is scored for Upper School and Middle School divisions. In addition to the test, riders submit answers to tie-breaker essay questions in order to determine placings. The top eight Upper School (grades 9-12) and top eight Middle School (grades 4-8) participants are awarded. As part of the sponsorship agreement, USPC has provided ribbons and first-place awards for the IEA National Finals Horsemanship Test for many years.  Test questions are made up from various USPC manuals and other source materials. Each year, approximately 100-150 riders submit answers for the National Finals Horsemanship Test.

Pony Club will be at the IEA National Finals on April 28-May 1, 2022 in Harrisburg, Pa., as the title sponsor of the Horsemanship Test for the event, which will feature all three IEA disciplines (Hunt Seat, Western and Dressage). Pony Club members, IEA riders and coaches, and all horse lovers in attendance are invited to stop by the Pony Club booth to say hello and learn more about Pony Club. Visit www.rideiea.org/2022nationalfinals for details.

About the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) — Now in its 20th year, the IEA has over 14,250 members across the United States participating in hunt seat, western and dressage disciplines. The non-profit 501(c)(3) IEA was organized to promote and improve the quality of equestrian competition and instruction available to middle and secondary school students (grades 4-12) and is open to public and private schools and barn teams. There is no need for a rider to own a horse, because the IEA supplies a mount and tack to each equestrian for competitions. Its purpose is to set minimum standards for competition, provide information concerning the creation and development of school-associated equestrian sport programs, and to generally promote the common interests of safe riding instruction. For more information, visit www.rideiea.org.

About The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. 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, 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 more than 10 different 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, visit www.ponyclub.org.

Press Contact: Sarah Evers Conrad, communications@ponyclub.org
Pony Club: ponyclub.org | (859) 254-7669

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