Morningside Stables’ Inaugural IEA Team
Who can join the team?
Open to Middle and High Schoolers who ride at Morningside regularly. Open to riders at all three locations.We have 12 spots open for the Middle School Team and 15 for the High School Team. The levels run as follows; Walk Trot, Walk Trot Canter, 18”, 2’, 2’6”. Middle School does not have a 2’6” level. We can pick 3 riders per levelper team, 1 rider per level per team will be an alternate. Riders can compete in only 5 shows per season, if a rider misses an earlier show there will be chances to make it up.
What is IEA?
IEA stands for the Interscholastic Equestrian Association. IEA has been around for many years and allowsmiddle and high schoolers to compete against each other throughout the United States. Teams can be for specific schools or for barns. This will be our first year having a Morningside specific IEA team but we do have experiencewith IEA because Saint Johns College High School rides out of our Columbia location.
Where will we practice and compete?
Practices will be held twice a month at our Andover location. If we have enough interest at our Columbia location we may hold some practices there as well. Riders will be required to attend the twice monthly practices throughout the season. They will also be required to stay in their normal weekly lessons. Shows will be held inMaryland, usually at the most an hour away from the barn.
When are practices? How long is the season?
We will start with tryouts and practices in September, dates will be sent out to all who show interest. Theseason goes until April of 2024. Riders will be able to qualify for Regional, Zone, and National Finals depending on how well they do throughout the season. These are generally held toward February/March/May with the rest of the season ending in January.
Practices will end once the shows are over unless we have riders qualifying for regionals/ zones/nationals, in which those riders will still be required to attend practices.
Why should I tryout?
IEA is a great way to expand a riders resume. It looks good on college applications and turns riding into a team sport. It teaches riders a lot about working together as a team and pushing each other to do their best. It also isa great way for riders to push themselves outside of their comfort zone. Normally riders ride one horse and compete that horse after riding it over many months. In IEA riders are given horses they’ve never sat on and must go into the show ring confidently and perform over jumps and on the flat. Because IEA runs through our slow season, it is also a great way for riders to keep competing and to prepare for the 2024 spring/summer show season.
What does it cost to be on the team? (Estimated costs for the season)
Fees: Morningside Stables Team fee $50/person + IEA Membership Fee $70/person
Tryouts/Practices: $65/person per practice
Show Entry: $45/class, generally riders will do 1-2 classes per show
Show Coaching: $60/person per show
*Pricing can vary for Regionals, Zones, and Nationals*
What are the next steps?
If you have a rider interested in competing with us on the Morningside IEA team please respond to the informational email sent out announcing the team or text Tiffany at 443-534-6921 if you did not receive the email or have questions.
