Editor's Note: This aricle, originally published in the Fall 2022 US Equestrian magazine, has been updated to reflect current USEF Education Partners.

Back-to-school season heralds the end of summer, but it doesn’t have to spell the end of horse sports for junior and collegiate equestrians. US Equestrian and its official Education Partners give students a lot of good reasons to stay in the saddle during the school year, whether for competition, lessons, or pleasure riding, even if they don’t have their own horse or pony. Some US Equestrian programs can even help students fund their equestrian or academic educations and find colleges that have equine-related programs. 

So there’s no need to hang up your tack just because you’re heading back to school this fall. Here’s our guide to get you started. 

YOUTH PROGRAMS 

Start by visiting US Equestrian’s Start Riding web page at usef.org/learning-center/start-riding to check out the many opportunities US Equestrian and its partners offer to continue and expand students’ equestrian opportunities from elementary school right through the college years. If you’re interested in learning to ride or trying a new discipline, the Start Riding page can help you locate a trainer through links to a number of programs: 

• United States Dressage Federation Instructor/Trainer Program 
• United States Eventing Association Instructors’ Certification Program 
• United States Hunter Jumper Association Trainer Certification Program 
• United States Hunter Jumper Association Recognized Riding Academy Program 
• American Riding Instructors Association 
• Certified Horsemanship Association 

Even if you already are an experienced young rider, the Start Riding page has a lot to offer, including a riding facility locator map powered by Time To Ride® and a handy online listing of the many youth opportunities available through US Equestrian’s affiliate breed and discipline organizations. You’ll also find a link to the United States Pony Clubs, a US Equestrian Alliance Partner, which also has grants, awards, and scholarship opportunities for young riders. 

USEF’S INTERSCHOLASTIC ATHLETE PROGRAM 

You don’t have to be a record-setting quarterback, point guard, or track star to letter in junior-high or high school sports anymore. US Equestrian’s Interscholastic Athlete Program is making sure equestrian athletes get their due, too. The program is open to USEF competing or subscribing members in grades five through 12, regardless of their breed or discipline affiliation. The program awards patches and pins for accumulated hours of equestrian activity—and not only from competing. Students who trail ride, take lessons, ground train, or school a horse or pony also can log that time toward their equestrian letter patch or pin. 

To participate, students must submit proof of enrollment in school and either an activity log showing a minimum of 100 hours of equestrian activity or verification that they have competed in three competitions (these do not have to be USEF-licensed competitions and can include rodeos, polo matches, drill team competitions, and more). 

The program starts each year on June 1 and runs through May 31 of the following year. Athletes receive an Interscholastic Athlete patch and pin after completing the first year in the program; for each additional year completed, they receive an Interscholastic Athlete pin and an award letter. Student athletes also can request that US Equestrian President Tom O’Mara send their current school a letter recognizing their achievement as equestrian athletes. 

Students can also apply retroactively for activity from previous years, provided they’re still in grades five through 12 and can provide verification of their equestrian activities for the previous years. 

For program requirements and details, check out usef.org/ learning-center/youth-programs/lettering. 

USEF GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS 

Thinking about going to college and wondering how to pay for it? US Equestrian also offers grant and scholarship opportunities that you won’t want to miss. 

The USEF National Youth Sportsman’s Award includes a $1,000 grant payable to an educational program of the winner’s choice (the reserve winner also gets a $500 grant payable to the educational program of their choice). The award is open to equestrians age 17 and under (as of the current competition year) who are active members in good standing both with US Equestrian and their recognized national affiliate organization. In applying for the award, these equestrians must demonstrate continuing commitment to promoting equestrian sport, and they also must embody positive sportsmanship principles and serve as positive role models. Applicants also must demonstrate that they are active both in equestrian competition at any level and in their communities, and they must provide three letters of reference. 

US Equestrian’s Higher Education Equestrian Scholarship, which is open to active competing or subscribing US Equestrian members who are graduating high-school seniors, offers $1,000 scholarships to as many as five students who will continue their equestrian activity while at college or university, whether by pursuing an equine-related degree, competing on an intercollegiate team, or participating in other horse-related endeavors. 

Applicants must submit a completed application form, an essay, and a reference from an individual in the horse industry. 

For complete details about USEF grants and scholarships, visit usef.org/learning-center/youth-programs and scroll down for the Grants and Scholarships tile. 

The Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant is open to junior riders competing in hunter/jumper pony classes at participating horse shows at the Zone and National levels. Winners at the Zone level receive a $100 grant to be used toward educational or equestrian-related expenses; winners at the National level receive a $500 grant toward education-related expenses. 

The Emerson Burr Horsemanship Grant test consists of a written multiple-choice horsemanship quiz and a possible essay question and is hosted at a variety of Zone competitions around the country. The National competition, which takes place at USEF Pony Finals presented by Honor Hill Farms at the Kentucky Horse Park each August, consists of a multiple-choice test and, for the top four finishers in each age group, a hands-on horsemanship test. 

USEF EDUCATION PARTNERS

On the Start Riding page, you also can scout for interscholastic and intercollegiate riding programs led by USEF’s Education Partners. These non-profit organizations share a mission: to provide elementary, high school, and college students with opportunities to participate in equestrian sport. They also offer competition programs, including a final championship event that includes team and/or individual participation and recognition. 

USEF developed its Education Partner Program with two goals in mind. The first is to introduce young equestrians, their parent(s), and equestrian coaches to the federation, and the second is to maintain a connection with collegiate equestrians as they further their education and careers within the equestrian industry. To date, the USEF has two Education Partners. 

The National Collegiate Equestrian Association is designed specifically for college-age equestrians who are interested in competing on teams affiliated with their college or university. Featuring competitions in both the hunt seat and Western disciplines, the NCEA features head-to-head team competitions in jumping seat flat, jumping seat fences, Western horsemanship, and reining. 

For collegiate equestrians specifically focused on the disciplines of eventing, the United States Eventing Association’s USEA Intercollegiate Eventing is a good bet. USEA Intercollegiate Eventing offers individual competition as well as Intercollegiate Team Challenges incorporated into recognized horse trials around the country. 

AFFILIATE OPPORTUNITIES 

US Equestrian’s numerous affiliate organizations also have vibrant youth programs of their own, including some scholarships and grants, as well as club and special activities. 

The American Morgan Horse Association’s youth organization, for example, hosts a number of programs, as well as the Youth Patch initiative, which allows young members to collect a patch for each AMHA Youth program they participate in. The American Road Horse and Pony Association has a $1,500 Junior Exhibitor Roadster Pony Scholarship Challenge, and the American Saddlebred Horse and Breeders Association also offers scholarships. Find out more about the many affiliate youth programs on offer, from Andalusians and Arabian horses to Welsh ponies and Western dressage, by visiting usef.org/learning-center/youth-programs. 

Now that it’s back-to-school season, there’s no better time to learn more about your favorite breed or discipline, get involved with an affiliate organization, and build your equestrian knowledge and skills as a US Equestrian member.