Fairfield, CT (February 1, 2017) Student riders looking to save on tuition will want to turn to www.IHSAinc.com now that the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association has announced its 2017 scholarship applications and deadlines.
Intercollegiate Equestrian Foundation (IEF) Scholarship ($1000-$1500) applications are open to IHSA undergraduate members and non-members, but you must apply! An application can be obtained from the IHSA Web site, from the President College of a Region, an IHSA member college Financial Aid Office, or directly from the I.E.F. Scholarship winners will be announced at the 2017 National Horse Show and scholarship awards will be mailed to the recipient following that event. IHSA member and non-member applicants must submit completed applications with all required materials to their Regional President by February 10, 2017. For more information contact Lisa Bailey in Greenwich CT, (203) 337-6477, lisabaileycassidy@gmail.com.
Bob Anthony Memorial Scholarship nominations are open until February 22 and must be submitted to Megan D. Taylor, megandtaylor310@gmail.com. The scholarship was established to honor an extraordinary horseman and an influential trainer who believed that reining horses should have their own stage to compete on and was instrumental in the creation of the NRHA. Inducted into the NRHA Hall of Fame in 1992, Bob was a competitor, trainer, and judge who won six NRHA World Championships in addition to countless other awards. The nominee must be a full-time undergraduate IHSA member in good standing; compete in Open Reining throughout the year; and demonstrate financial need to his or her coach. The winner will receive a financial award from the IEF and be announced at the 2017 IHSA Nationals. Nominations and required materials must be submitted by February 22, 2017.
$1500 Jon Conyers Memorial Scholarship nominations are due by February 22 to Megan D. Taylor, megandtaylor310@gmail.com. The IEF invites coaches to nominate a rider from their team in honor of the late Jon Conyers, a long-standing board member, dedicated coach, and teacher extraordinaire. The nominee must be a freshman or sophomore in his or her first year competing in Walk-Trot, Beginning Horsemanship, Walk-Trot-Canter, or Intermediate Horsemanship; be a full-time IHSA undergraduate member in good standing; display a passion for horses and desire to improve on and off the horse; and demonstrate financial need to their coach. The awardee is selected by the Jon Conyers Memorial Scholarship Committee and will receive a $1,500 scholarship from the I.E.F. (Intercollegiate Equestrian Foundation). In addition, the recipient’s name will be announced at the 2017 IHSA National Horse Show. Nominations and required materials must be submitted by Wednesday, February 22, 2017.
Teresa L. McDonald IHSA Scholarship Challenge sponsored by EQUUS is an online test with a $1500 scholarship for the winner. The free test on horsemanship and related equine topics is open to all IHSA undergraduate members. The timed test consists of 50 questions from the USHJA Study Guide and will be available by logging into IHSAinc.com and will remain online for two weeks, from Monday, February 20, 6 a.m. EST to Monday, March 6, at 6 p.m. EST. Participants that complete the test receive a digital magazine subscription courtesy of EQUUS. The top two scorers from each Zone are invited to compete in a practicum phase at IHSA Nationals where the top 10 scorers win scholarship awards, and the first place winner receives $1500.
USHJA/IHSA Regional Sportsmanship Award nominations are open until March 15 for USHJA/IHSA hunt seat members in good standing. Any full time student athlete, coach or college administrator in good standing may nominate a rider for the award by emailing a nomination, not to exceed 500 words, to their IHSA Regional President. One student athlete in each IHSA region will be selected for this award, which recognizes exceptional sportsmanship exhibited through all levels of riding across the country.
IHSA Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Awards recognize seniors who have earned a 3.5 GPA or higher. To be considered, the applicant must have been on an intercollegiate riding team for three full years if they attended a four-year institution, and two full years if they attended a two-year institution. Recipients of this award will be named in the 2017 IHSA National Horse Show program and receive a certificate of recognition for their achievement. All required materials and transcripts must be mailed and postmarked on or before March 29, 2017.
The $500 Senior Athletic Academic Achievement Essay Award has the same requirements as the Senior Athletic Achievement Award but in addition, the applicant must submit a 500-word essay about how intercollegiate experience and academic achievement have prepared them for a future career. The applicant is required to agree in writing to allow their essay to be published. Materials and transcripts must be mailed and postmarked on or before March 29, 2017.
The IHSA National All-Academic Award recognizes academic achievement for an IHSA undergraduate or alumni member based on their fall 2016 semester grades. The student must have competed in at least one IHSA horse show during the academic year. A certificate of recognition is awarded for a GPA of 3.8 or higher (First Team) or 3.5 or higher (Second Team) and each recipient’s name and institution are published in the 2017 National Horse Show program. Coaches are responsible for submitting the All-Academic reporting form postmarked no later than March 18, 2017.
In 2017 IHSA marks its first 50 years -- as a handful of northeast teams brought together by Fairleigh-Dickinson University sophomore Bob Cacchione -- and looks to its next 50 as an organization now serving over 400 educational institutions and 10,000 college riders. IHSA promotes competition for full time student riders of all skill levels, who compete individually and as teams at regional to national levels based on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows regardless of financial status, gender or skill. See www.ihsainc.com, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for more about the 50th Anniversary, teams, scholarships and alumni riding programs.