Opportunities for Riders
Created in partnership between IEA and the EQUUS Foundation, this new team-based award honors IEA teams that go beyond the show ring to make a meaningful difference in the well-being of America’s horses and the people who benefit from their interaction with horses. LEARN MORE >
AQHA-IEA Outstanding Leader Scholarship - Applications will open in Fall of 2026
The AQHA-IEA Outstanding Leader Scholarship is sponsored by the American Quarter Horse Youth Association and recognizes IEA /AQHYA members who have shown outstanding leadership qualities and a commitment to participation in one or both organizations. LEARN MORE >>
SPONSORED BY
During the IEA show season, each IEA horse show at the local, Region and Zone level is encouraged to select an IEA rider member who stood out for their outstanding Sportsmanship. These Sportsmanship Award winners must be active IEA rider members in grades 4-12.
Each winner will receive a commemorative IEA Sportsmanship Award patch and an invitation to participate in the annual MZ Farms IEA National Sportsmanship Award Program. Winners will be listed on the IEA website through June 30th of each year and then archived.
Applications for the 2026-2027 Season will open on September 1, 2026. Click HERE for details.
Winner(s) of the 2027 National Sportsmanship Award will be announced no later than July 30, 2027.
IEA Founders College Scholarship Awards
Each year at the IEA National Final competitions, the IEA awards upwards of $25,000 in scholarships to the top placing and second highest placing Seniors in Individual classes at our National Finals.
IEA Benevolent Fund
Each year the IEA offers assistance to our members through programs funded through the IEA Benevolent Fund. The Financial Assistance Program offers aid to incoming rider members who require help financing their IEA competition. The Coaches Assistance Grant offers financial assistance to our member Coaches in their time of need.
Applications are Closed for the Season.
Submit Your Financial Assistance Application:
Fill Out the Applicable Online Application Forms (coach portion plus parent portion)
IEA Finacial Assistance Application – To Be Completed by Sponsoring Coach
IEA Financial Assistance Application – To Be Completed by Parent or Guardian
Please DO NOT Submit a Rider Financial Aid Application without first obtaining your IEA Sponsoring Coach’s Approval. Applications without IEA Sponsoring Coach Approval will NOT be considered!
Applications are Closed for the Season.
The IEA Youth Board was created to provide adult members and leadership an avenue for which to hear the youth voice and to offer leadership opportunities to rider members. The Youth Board consists of elected representatives from all IEA Zones and disciplines. Members serve one-year terms running from July to June. LEARN MORE.
NEW for 2026-2027
Applications are Closed for the Season.
RIDE FOR RAYAS GRANT
Thanks to a generous donation from the Family of Rayas Angelina Niccolini Greenlee of Croton-on-Hudson, NY, IEA Is proud to offer the Ride for Rayas Grant.
Rayas was a deeply dedicated and gifted Hunt Seat rider whose discipline, empathy, and leadership in the saddle had long reflected the very best of the sport. In 2025, Rayas’s life changed dramatically when she was diagnosed with an extraordinarily rare and aggressive pediatric brain cancer. Throughout her treatment and recovery, horses—and riding—had remained a profound source of strength, motivation, and healing. Sadly, Rayas lost her battle in February 2026.
Created in Rayas’s memory, this grant is designed to expand access to IEA competition for Hunt Seat riders in New York (IEA Zone 2). The Ride for Rayas Grant will be awarded to one or two applicants per year to support riders whose passion, perseverance, and commitment mirror the spirit Rayas brought to the sport she loved.
Interested in supporting the Ride for Rayas Grant with a monetary gift? Please make gifts at IEA Grant Honoring Rayas Niccolini Greenlee GoFundMe.
Colantuoni Hunt Seat Supplemental Grant 2026-2027
Applications are Closed for the Season.
Open to Hunt Seat riders in grades 4-12 who demonstrate financial need. Riders must also apply to the IEA Benevolent Fund Financial Assistance Program to be considered for these additional grant funds.
Questions about the Colantuoni Grant can be sent to: [email protected]
