4 minute read
IEA 20th Anniversary: K. Whanger
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN WILLOUGHBY, OHIO, TO THE LARGEST YOUTH EQUESTRIAN ASSOCIATION IN THE COUNTRY –
By Kimber Whanger, IEA Director of Marketing & Communications
Looking Back on 20 Years
Prior to becoming an official association in 2002, the seedling Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) was the Interscholastic Invitational Horse Show hosted by The Andrews School in Willoughby, Ohio. Only a handful of people can claim first-hand knowledge of how truly special that inaugural competition was. It’s doubtful many, if any, of those attendees imagined that event would grow into the largest youth equestrian association in the United States, with over 14,000 members and growing! When organizing the Interscholastic Invitational, Roxane Durant, then Director of Riding at The Andrews School and now IEA Executive Director, dreamt of making riding a legitimate high school sport with a national championship serving as a stepping stone for those looking to ride in college. Hoping to promote the same horsemanship, team spirit, and excellence that were hallmarks of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), she enlisted the support of Robert Cacchione, founder of the IHSA. He helped pitch the idea to The Andrews School Board of Trustees, members of the riding team, and the school faculty. Using the IHSA competition format, Roxane opened the inaugural event to middle and high schools that recognized riding as a club or varsity sport. Of the 150 schools invited, eight answered the call. A total of forty-nine Hunt Seat riders competed from Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, Georgia, and Washington, DC. Enthusiasm surrounding the event was high, and Roxane’s talk of future plans inspiring. Gratified participants departed, eager for more competitions of this type. Buoyed by that successful first attempt, Roxane set about gathering the founding members, four other horse enthusiasts from the Cleveland and Columbus areas, each with unique talents to contribute. As professional trainers, Roxane and Wayne Ackerer provided working knowledge of the equine industry. Timothy J. Boone served as legal counsel, while Myron Leff covered the business and marketing angles. Plans for the future were under way. The second Interscholastic Invitational held the following year doubled in size, with the schedule expanding across two days. Over 130 riders from sixteen different teams competed. Victor Hugo-Vidal served as judge, nine colleges from across the country were represented, and an Alumni division was added to the prize list. It was another stupendous event! In a coaches’ meeting at the conclusion of competition, teams were asked to take the Interscholastic format home and host competitions. Those planning to participate in the spring 2002 Interscholastic Invitational were asked to qualify by attending an interscholastic competition held in their area of the country. The Interscholastic Equestrian Association was officially formed as a non-profit organization for the 2002-03 competition season, and individuals and teams applied to become IEA members. Regular season shows were held in assigned zones and points were tracked by the National Office. Individuals and teams had to qualify to compete in the first IEA National Finals competition held once again at The Andrews School. Fast forward to the 2021-2022 competition season, where IEA is preparing to mark its 20th anniversary as an official non-profit association, serving thousands of aspiring equestrians from across the United States, the Bahamas and Jamaica.
Photo Credit: Ron Schwane Photography Photo Credit: Maddi Terry Photo Credit: Larry Williams Photography WWW.SADDLEUPMAG.COM
FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN WILLOUGHBY, OHIO, TO THE LARGEST YOUTH EQUESTRIAN ASSOCIATION IN THE COUNTRY –
Along with competitions in hunt seat, western, and dressage disciplines, members also have access to financial assistance through numerous scholarships and the IEA Benevolent Fund, leadership opportunities within individual teams and on the National Youth Board, online horsemanship testing, National and local sportsmanship awards, educational webinars, virtual horse shows and the offerings continue to expand! Each season, IEA awards countless recognitions for both riders and horses, as well as over $50,000 in Senior scholarships. IEA’s growing membership currently includes approximately 1,500 teams and over the past 20 seasons, has seen more than 65,000 riders come through the program. Exciting new initiatives this season have included new class opportunities and expanded options for the youngest riders in 4th and 5th grades. For the first time ever, IEA will combine their National Finals to include all three disciplines (Hunt Seat, Western and Dressage) over a four-day/two arena celebratory horse show at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania on April 28-May 1, 2022. IEA’s future appears to be rocketing along the same spirited trajectory it has followed since 2000! Membership is still open for the 2021-2022 season for riders, coaches and teams. To learn more visit: https://www.rideiea.org/
Photo Credit: Josh Winslow Photography Photo Credit: Josh Winslow Photography
Photo Credit: Ron Schwane Photography Photo Credit: Larry Williams Photography Photo Credit: Waltenberry Photography
