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Happy Independence Day and Welcome to the 2023-2024 IEA Season!
Hundreds of teams, riders, coaches, and adult contributing members have already signed up to participate and we love seeing so many familiar names and look forward to meeting all the new members joining.
Coaches and Show Hosts - As you plan your show hosting dates - be sure to communicate with your Regional Presidents/Zone Administrators to get those tentative show dates on the TENTATIVE CALENDARS for each discipline. These calendars can be found on each discipline homepage as a starting point before they get listed on the official show calendars. We know parents like to plan ahead and having at least a tentative date on the spreadsheet can help others plan their show dates. Questions? Ask Jennifer Eaton at jenn@rideiea.org.
Returning Members - the process is the same as always for renewing your membership. Coaches need to sign up their teams FIRST before any riders can join. Teams will become "active" once at least three paid riders have registered. It can take up to 10 business days to process your membership paperwork so register early. Remember, we have online signatures now (new as of last year) so no more need to mail hard copies into the membership office. It only takes a few minutes to register and pay for your membership once your team is registered.
New and Potential Rider Members - It is imperative to talk to your new coach/potential coach BEFORE registering your membership with IEA. Use the FIND A TEAM maps on the IEA website to locate coaches nearest you. We suggest you reach out to several coaches to inquire about their team fees, lesson schedules, and requirements before deciding which team to join. The IEA Membership staff can answer any questions for you - reach out to them at info@rideiea.org or by calling 1-877-RIDE-IEA.
Coaches Expanding Their Teams - Coaches whose teams are rapidly expanding may opt to split their teams into two different teams under the same coach(es). This does require two team memberships. We have a growing number of teams that are doing this. Additionally, we also have a number of coaches who are adding a discipline or two to their existing teams. If you have any questions about starting/expanding your team - reach out to Jennifer Eaton at jenn@rideiea.org.
Adult Riders Over 21 - The IEA Adult Pilot Program has been approved for a 2nd year and is growing! Rider points will continue to be tracked for post-season competition and the top 6 riders in each division will be invited to attend National Finals! Your official Adult Pilot Program Coordinator is Emily David at emily@rideiea.org. Check out the Adult Pilot Program webpage for more details.
Adult Contributing Members - Your role is important to your whole team. As an ACM, you will be an official member of the team and have access to team rosters, be able to input entries for shows, and have access to important information on show hosting. We suggest having at least one ACM on each team to assist the coach(es) with show responsibilities.
Dressage Riders and Coaches - IEA has posted the new Open, Intermediate, and Novice Tests for the 2023-2024 season on the main Dressage webpage and in the Show Host Hub. Summer is the perfect time to start practicing. Emily David is the Dressage Zone Administrator if you have any Dressage related questions - emily@rideiea.org.
Everyone - It is VERY IMPORTANT when signing up that you input accurate/true information into the IEA database. This information is used to not only send important emails and information to you and your families, but also to send out prizes in many cases. (The IEA database also is used to generate show programs, so if your child's name is mispelled upon initial entry - that is likely what it will be in every show program.) Correct spelling, punctuation, capitalization and full information is essential in helping us communicate with you throughout the season. With thousands of members to mail and email to, we sometimes waste too much time/money on insufficient/incorrect address returns. We appreciate your attention to detail when registering. Thank you.
In order to have a full show season, we strongly suggest registering your team/riders/etc. NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 1st. Many regions will have completed 2 or more shows by October 1st, so don't miss out. Ideally registering in June/July/August gets you the best chance of a full show season.
We can't wait to see how you've grown as equestrians over the summer! Keep posting your summer equine activities and tag #rideiea so we can see you!
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