Tag Archives: USEF High School Equestrian Athlete program

Community/Charity, Equestrian Assistance, USEF

Dedicated Young Equestrian Athletes Receive Grants through USEF High School Equestrian Athlete Program

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Lexington, KY – Sarah Hood is not your typical high school cross country runner. On torrid Georgia afternoons, after classes are over, she joins her teammates for practice and runs for miles. After that, most of her teammates head home. Sarah Hood heads to the barn.

“As my teammates and l left every day, drenched in sweat and exhausted,” she says, “many complained about being tired and couldn’t wait to go home and crash. I just smiled as l left, knowing that I had horses waiting to be ridden, and stalls to clean, before I could call it a day.”

Sarah participates in the USEF High School Equestrian Athlete program and, thanks to the strength of an essay she submitted, is one of eleven high school riders chosen to receive a $1,000 grant. The program totals over 5,000 participants and strives to provide young equestrians with an avenue through which they can be recognized as high school athletes.

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Associations/Breeds, Breeds, Community/Charity, Dressage, Driving, Eventing/H.T., Hunter/Equitation, Para-Equestrian, Show Jumping, USEF, Vaulting

Announcing 2012 High School Equestrian Athlete Grants

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Lexington, KY – In 2012 the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will offer more than $20,000 in grant money to qualified students and high school equestrian clubs or teams across the nation through its High School Equestrian Athlete program.

To be eligible for a grant an applicant must be a current USEF High School Equestrian Athlete program participant and have successfully completed at least one year of the program. The applicant must also be a member of at least one USEF Recognized Breed/Discipline Affiliate or International Affiliate Association. (See below for a list of affiliate organizations). A subcommittee of the National Affiliate Working Group will select one applicant from each Recognized Breed/Discipline Affiliate or International Affiliate Association to receive a $1,000 grant to be used for academic or equestrian educational pursuits.

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Community/Charity, Equestrian Assistance, USEF

USEF High School Equestrian Athletes Write from Their Hearts – and Receive Grants

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Lexington, KY – Skylar Rowan’s high school in Knoxville, TN, offers a plethora of sports teams – even bowling and sailing. More than 20. But, there is one missing – the most important one to Rowan: an equestrian team.

“Just like the majority of schools in my area, my school doesn’t have the facilities or the budget to support an equestrian team,” the 16-year-old says.

But what is more frustrating to this high school sophomore is that most people outside the horse world, she says, don’t understand the time, effort, dedication and athleticism – for both horse and rider – that are required to compete in any equestrian discipline.

“It’s not just learning how to compete as an individual, or even as a member of a team … it’s forming a partnership with an animal athlete to whom you trust your very existence. And while jumping a course or completing a dressage test looks beautiful to spectators, it is every bit as difficult as the quarterback completing the perfect touchdown pass or the baseball pitcher pitching a perfect game.”

Rowan wrote those words when asked, “What does the USEF High School Equestrian Athlete Program mean to you?”

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Community/Charity, USEF

USEF’s High School Equestrian Athlete Program Kicks Off Third Year

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Lexington, KY – The USEF High School Equestrian Athlete program is officially underway for the 2011-2012 school year!  Students are encouraged to sign up now to count their summer practice and competition hours toward their goal of lettering as a USEF High School Equestrian Athlete.

The USEF High School Equestrian Athlete program is open to equestrian athletes involved in all breeds and disciplines who are enrolled in grades 9-12. The program honors participants who document their equestrian training and competitions with a varsity letterman patch, year pin and certificate commemorating their achievement.  Grants also will be offered for students who complete the program and meet additional requirements.

“This is becoming the new standard of achievement among young equestrian athletes,” explains Lori Rawls, executive director at USEF. “We have athletes who are thrilled to earn their first letter because their high schools don’t recognize equestrian as a competitive sport. We also have athletes who have already earned letters through their school’s equestrian program, but realize this is a symbol of achievement within the national equestrian community. Either way, this is a perfect fit.”

Annual program registration and USEF membership are required to participate. In addition, retroactive applications are available to high school students who are interested in earning their letters for previous school years.  The program – now in its third year – is tracking more than 3,200 students who have earned, or are in the process of earning, their letters and pins.

For more information, or to enroll, visit the USEF website here. You can also visit the Frequently Asked Questions section to learn more.

If you have additional questions about the program or need help signing up, contact Mary Vance at mvance@usef.org or Terra Schroeder at tschroeder@usef.org.