The specific procedures are set out in the 2016-2017 IEA Rules and Regulations of Membership beginning on Page 50 and are extracted below:
9303.1 Formal petitions, protests and appeals must be written by a coach member, steward or show official and submitted through the IEA Membership Secretary on the appropriate form. The Membership Secretary will immediately forward the petition, protest or appeal on to the Zone Administrator who will bring the matter before the Zone Ethics Committee. (emphasis added)
9303.2 Formal Petition – Any request submitted in writing to the Zone Administrator with respect to a particular cause, including a review of a decision made by a show steward. Petitions relating to events or decisions made at an IEA show must be submitted within ten (10) days of the pertaining show.
9303.3 Formal Protest – A notice of alleged violation must be in writing, submitted through the IEA Membership Secretary and addressed to the Zone Administrator within ten (10) days of discovery and must state the full name and address of the accused and the accuser and contain a complete and definitive statement of the acts which constitute the alleged violation. Precise details regarding a violation of the Rules are necessary.
9303.4 Appeal – Refer to Rule 9303.7.
9303.5 Hearings:
9303.6 Notification of Verdict and Penalty
The verdict and penalty, if any, shall be set forth in writing by the chairman of the ZEC within seven (7) days of the determination, and sent by certified (or “Fed Ex”) mail or return receipt email to the defendant and the accuser. A copy shall also be sent to the Membership Secretary, National Steward and the President.
9303.7 Appeal
9304 Extraordinary Procedure
9304.1 In the event that the ZEC upon receipt of written charge determines 1) that the outcome of the hearing could affect eligibility for either a Regional, Zone or National Horse Show and 2) that a hearing upon the notice required cannot be held in sufficient time before such Regional, Zone or National Horse Show to ensure that only qualified riders or teams will be able to compete, the ZEC may on a two-thirds vote follow the extraordinary procedure herein.
9304.2 If the ZEC determines that the extraordinary procedure is necessary it shall follow all procedures outlined in Judicial Procedure except all communications shall be carried out as soon as possible by telephone.
9304.3 The date of the hearing must be no less than twenty-four (24) hours after notification.
All of the foregoing information, including the IEA Rulebook and submission forms, is available on the IEA website: www.rideiea.org.
Also, in addition to the formality of procedures outlined above, please note that ANYONE can submit an IEA Show Evaluation Form.
IEA’s success is dependent on the teams, riders, coaches, and parents who participate with a cooperative spirit and enthusiastically support activities at the Regional, Zone, and National levels. Working closely with other leading national equine associations, IEA is committed to our mission to provide educational and competitive opportunities for middle and secondary school students. Many thanks to those who choose to help us in these worthy endeavors.