Opportunities for Riders
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.
Application Deadline is August 15th!
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!
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.
Applications are Closed for the 2025-2026 Season.
Funded by a generous Donation from The Muzzy Family and MZ Farms
The purpose of the Muzzy Family/MZ Farms IEA Nationals Travel Grant is to assist INDIVIDUAL QUALIFIED riders who demonstrate financial need with up to $2,000 in grant money to assist them in attending Finals.
The grant will provide funding to support expenses related to one (1) rider plus a guardian and a coach to travel to IEA National Finals, in addition to related entry fees for any individual and team (if applicable) classes.
Awards will be available for all THREE IEA NATIONAL FINALS events as follows:
Six (6) for Hunt Seat Nationals
Two (2) for Dressage Nationals
Two (2) for Western Nationals
Questions about the Travel Grant can be sent to: [email protected]
NEW for 2026-2027
Application Deadline is August 15th!
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 is a deeply dedicated and gifted Hunt Seat rider whose discipline, empathy, and leadership in the saddle have 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—have remained a profound source of strength, motivation, and healing. Sadly, Rayas lost her battle in February 2026.
Created in Rayas’s honor, 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 via check and send them to the following:
Ride for Rayas Grant Fund
c/o Interscholastic Equestrian Association
P.O. Box 809
Chagrin Falls, OH 44022
Colantuoni Hunt Seat Supplemental Grant 2026-2027
Application Deadline is August 15th!
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]
AQHA-IEA Outstanding Leader Scholarship - Applications are now CLOSED
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
Applications for the 2025-2026 Season are now closed. Click HERE for details.
Winner(s) of the 2026 National Sportsmanship Award will be announced no later than July 30, 2026.
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.
