IEA TEAM

The Interscholastic Equestrian Association offers a unique opportunity for competition for riders grades 6-12.  Blue Moon is delighted to be home to the M.T. Pockets Equestrian Hunt Seat Team

 We are excited about the upcoming year and are excited that you may want to join us.  Here is  some information about what the IEA is about and how we run our team.     If you have any questions please feel free to contact our Coach, Stacy Denton at (270)957-0234 or bluemoonstables@gmail.com.


The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) is an association formed to help promote equestrian sports to Middle and High School Students and mirrors the Intercollegiate system (IHSA). Students compete as a team and as individuals in flat and over fences classes and are awarded points for their placings. This helps them qualify for Regional, Zone, and National Finals.  The season runs with the school year starting in September and ending with the National Finals in April or May.  Membership closes for the year on November 1 each year.  The IEA is unique in that each host show provides the horses and they are assigned by a random drawing.  This helps level the playing field and will help those riders who plan to ride in college get used to a system where you are expected to perform on a strange horse with only a short warm-up to get to know the horse. You can get more information about the IEA on their website www.RideIEA.org.

Team Information 
The IEA is a great way for kids who do not own horses to show and also a fun way for kids who do have horses to get  to be part of a team.  Riding is mostly an individual sport so being part of a team can teach riders important life skills as well as being lots of fun. To be able to compete, riders need to be able to walk, trot, and canter, but do not need to be able to jump yet. Riders may be team members while they work up to cantering, and act as team managers.  All team members will be expected to help when we cohost a show or bring horses to the show.

Competitions 
Each rider is expected to participate in the allowed 5 regular point shows per season.  We do not haul horses to the shows, as the horses we rided are determined by a draw.  Each show starts between 6:30 and 7:00 AM with the schooling of the horses. This gives the riders a chance to observe the horses perform over the jumps.  This helps give the riders a chance to see how each horse goes and how they are ridden. These insights into how to ride the horses will help riders understand the horses they draw for their classes and aid them in riding each horse correctly.  The actual show starts between 8:00 and 8:30 AM and continues until the classes are finished around 5:00PM.

We are a team and need to support  each other. Everyone has ups and  downs and having the support of their teammates can really make a  difference.  We will arrive at the  shows together to watch the horses go in the morning and everyone is expected to  stay until the last rider is done competing.  We take working together as a team  seriously and hope our team members will take is as seriously as we  do.

Sometimes the location of the show will dictate the need for us to arrive the night before.  We will book hotel rooms together and go out to dinner the night before, if possible. In this case the cost of the coach’s hotel room will be split among competing team members.

Practices 
Each team member is required to keep attending their regular weekly lesson at Blue Moon Stables or a coach-approved similar facility. In addition to their regular lesson, each team member will be required to attend team practices each month. With the IEA becoming extremely competitive we are also offering a weekly practice option for our students.  With the increasing number of competitors in our zone qualifying for the Regional, Zone, and National Finals is getting very competitive, and we hope that giving our team members the option of additional time in the saddle will help them keep their edge.

Attire 
Traditional attire is required to show.  This includes tan or buff breeches, tall black field or dress boots or jodphurs and straps, a light colored, long sleeved riding blouse with a collar, dark colored jacket, black gloves, and a  black ASTM/SEI approved riding helmet. Your coach can help you pick out an appropriate outfit. Remember that winter shows will be very cold so warm clothes to wear while you are not riding are also a necessity. Keep in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression and polished boots and a clean, wrinkle free outfit show that you are serious about your riding.

For practices members will be expected to be dressed neatly and appropriately.  This means that hair should be up in  your hat or tied back neatly in a ponytail or a braid and shirts should be  tucked in neatly.  Tank tops,  spaghetti straps, and any article of clothing that shows an excessive amount of skin are not appropriate for riding.