ADDITIONAL EXPENSES
In addition to the annual college/university membership fee of $300 and the individual student membership fee of $45 for a riding discipline or $65 for a combined discipline, there are other expenses to consider.
ENTRY FEES
Entry fees vary between regions. You can expect to pay anywhere from $15 to $45 per class to enter a rider. A hunt seat rider can compete in one class on the flat and one class over fences at each show, or one western horsemanship class (open riders
can also do reining). Many regions combine two shows into a weekend to reduce travel expenses. Some regions combine hunt seat and western shows into one day or one weekend. When you receive a prize list for a scheduled IHSA horse
show, allow time to requisition a check from your school to cover all of the entry fees, plus any additional funds needed for travel expenses. Most horse shows are held on weekends, but some may be held during the week.
TRAVEL
Depending on your Region’s location, travel expenses can be a considerable part of your team’s budget. If you are a club team, fundraising will be a key component to
insure your team will meet expenses. Many teams travel in a van from the college motor pool, or in a charter bus, while others drive personal cars and share the cost of gas and tolls. Some horse shows may require an overnight stay so remember
to include the cost of one or two nights in a hotel.
RIDING FACILITY/LESSONS
Many teams have the luxury of riding at a campus facility with a college appointed coach. A good number of teams will approach a local stable and make arrangements for a discounted group lesson rate with a local professional trainer or instructor. When
this is the case, you may want to have a renewable one-year contract, either written or oral, to outline the expectations of the agreement. It is important to have a good working relationship with the facility owner/operator and instructor/coach.
You also want to consider the cost of riding lessons or any other fees that may be involved. Most importantly, your team members will need riding instruction by a qualified instructor or coach on a regular basis.
INSURANCE
The IHSA purchases a blanket horse show liability policy that covers all entrants, spectators, and horse providers, as well as the association, for liability issues that occur at an official IHSA horse show. Some teams carry additional liability
insurance either independently or through their school. All coaches are required to have professional liability insurance coverage. For more information on insurance specifics, e-mail the website committee and be sure to include "insurance" in the subject line.
Your team members need appropriate riding attire in the discipline in which they compete (Rule 4704). You can expect your riders to purchase their own show attire although you may find some riders are willing to share clothing or boots. Wearing
properly fitting horse show attire is important! In addition to riding attire, most teams purchase jackets, vests, sweatshirts, hats etc. with their school name/colors to represent their school. All riders must comply with state
laws regarding mandatory helmets for equestrian use.
FUNDING
Many college teams are self-supporting unless they receive funding as a varsity sport. Teams raise a significant part of their travel expenses through fund-raising activities and pay for the remainder out of their own pockets. By forming a club
or becoming a club sport, you will be in a good position to request funding from your school. If your team is active, growing, and successful, keeping a good relationship with your school’s administration and/or athletic department is
essential.
A COLLEGIATE HORSE SHOW
The IHSA was developed to allow student riders of any skill level or economic background to compete in a collegiate horse show at their own level of experience. A first-time team member will complete an IHSA Placement form to determine the division in
which they are eligible to compete. Divisions range from walk-trot/walk-jog to open in four disciplines---hunter seat equitation, hunter seat equitation over fences, western horsemanship and reining. College horse shows are like "meets", with all teams
from the region invited to compete against each other simultaneously. Each region will offer anywhere from 6-8 horse regular season horse shows per year. All IHSA shows are judged by USEF Hunter Seat Equitation approved judges or AQHA judges
for western horsemanship and reining.
HORSES AND TACK
In each region, all attending colleges ride horses provided from the host school, although some schools may provide additional mounts when needed. The host school provides the tack and equipment for each horse. Each competitor draws for their
mount before their entered class. Since no schooling is allowed, the host college provides a “horse description list” to give the rider helpful hints about the horse’s way of going. The rider simply mounts; adjust stirrups,
and rides before the judge!
INDIVIDUAL POINT TRACKING
The president college keeps track of rider’s points using the online horse show management program.
1st Place 7 points
2nd Place 5 points
3rd Place 4 points
4th Place 3 points
5th Place 2 points
6th Place 1 point
- Individuals start at zero when first starting IHSA competition, but carry over points each year until they qualify for the next division by earning 36 points. When they earn 36 points they qualify for Regionals.
- Important! If a rider qualifies out of their division, do not automatically assume they are safe to compete at the next higher division. It is a judgment call and the rider’s safety should be the primary consideration.
- Riders may only ride in Introductory (Hunter Seat) or Beginner (Western) for two years. They must advance to Pre-Novice 2A or Rookie 12A no matter how many points they have acquired. They will not advance to Regionals or Semi-Finals unless they receive 36 points.
- Riders who begin showing in a beginner section ( Pre-Novice 2A or Rookie 12A) must move to the
advanced section (Novice 2B or Rookie 12B) when they have accumulated 18 or more points. All previous points earned are carried over within the class to the next section 2b or 12B. Riders are qualified for Regionals once they have earned a total
of 36 points in class 2B or 12B.
- Open Flat/Open Fences/Open Western/Open Reining and Alumni riders start from “zero” each year and qualify for Regionals when they acquire 28 points in one season
- The Regional Horse Show determines which individual riders will advance to Zones or Semi-Finals in each division.
- Riders that place first or second at Zones and/or and riders that place first through fourth at Semi-Finals qualify for Nationals as an individual competitor.
- Open Flat/Open Fences/Open Western/Open Reining and Alumni riders start from “zero” each year and qualify for Regionals when they acquire 28 points in one season
- Aggregate point totals earned by riders in Classes 7 and 8 for Hunter Seat, and Classes 15 and 16 for Western Horsemanship shall be kept to determine the Regional High Point Rider in each discipline. Points transferred from another region will not count toward Regional High Point Rider. In the event of a tie, there will be a ride-off at the Regional horse show to determine the High
Point and Reserve High Point Rider. The Regional High Point Hunter Seat Rider from each Region must compete at their Zone Finals in a USEF/Cacchione cup Qualifying class.
- All points recorded by the President College will become final and not subject to protest at the close of each show season; therefore any adjustments or corrections must be made before the last show of each season.
TEAM POINT TRACKING
- Each year, teams begin with “0” points.
- At each show, team points are tabulated from the “Point Rider Sheets”. The lowest score is dropped in Hunter Seat Shows to determine the winner. This rule only applies to full teams that have a point rider designated in each division.
Note: you can only designate one point rider for either class (2A OR 2B)
- Western shows do not drop the lowest score.
- The team with the highest points at the end of the day is Champion Team.
- The team with the second highest points at the end of the day is Reserve Champion Team.
- At the end of the season, each Regional Champion College for Hunter Seat shall compete at the Zone Horse Show for the Zone Champion College title. The top two hunter seat teams will advance in each Zone. Each Regional Champion college
for Western shall compete at one of three Western Semi-Finals, from which the top three teams will be determined for entry to the National Horse Show.
IHSA ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
The IHSA was founded in 1967 by Bob Cacchione, a student rider at Fairleigh-Dickinson University in New Jersey. Only around six colleges attended shows the first year in the New York metro
area, before Bob named a board of directors and incorporated the association. Cacchione is the executive director of the IHSA and maintains an active role on the board of directors and the executive committee.
WHERE THE IHSA EXISTS
From that first group of colleges, the association expanded in all directions with the formation of new regions of competition.
Currently the IHSA is divided into 40 regions and eight zones
in the United States and Canada and there are over 400 college teams with 8,000+ riders involved in IHSA competition.
REGIONAL PRESIDENTS
In each region, coaches elect a regional president every two years. The president college is responsible for all regional records, organization
and planning, and acts as
liaison between the colleges of that region and the association. The regional president is the best person to answer your questions and offer advice, and will be the person most directly involved in helping you to establish a new team at your
institution.
NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The IHSA is governed by a national board of directors, which consists of every regional president, plus the national executive committee, and several directors–at–large. The national board meets in June and January each year to set national
policies, make rule changes, and develop new programs within the association. The executive committee of the board of directors consists of the executive director, national vice president, national secretary, national treasurer, and the national steward
plus two rotating zone chairmen and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the association and its policies.