How to Compete Without Owning a Horse, continued...
school. Raskauskas asked the school’s athletic director about forming an equestrian team, and then invited other schools to form teams as well. Now, the league is open to middle and high
school age students in Maryland, DC and Vir- ginia. Riders can compete as individuals or teams. ISHS emphasizes “good sportsman- ship and teamwork” as well as striv- ing to “create a positive, encouraging community that celebrates the hard work, dedication and athleticism of our riders.” Today, all ISHS shows are run and hosted by NFF Stables in Pooles- ville. NFF Stables first joined ISHS in 2004 and has hosted competi- tions for the league for over 20 years. Like IHSA, riders who compete in ISHS shows represent their school, not a barn or stable. And like IHSA and IEA competitions, riders do not need to own a horse or any tack. However, ISHS does allow riders to compete their own horses should they choose to. ISHS shows are Hunt Seat Equitation only. Te league recognizes the fact that “not need- ing a horse dramatically decreases the cost of horse showing, opens the door for more kids to compete, and makes it possible for competitors of all equine disciplines to ride together.” Te following schools participate in ISHS: • Butler School (Junior Varsity) • Connelly School of the Holy Child (Junior Varsity & Varsity) • Lakeslands Park MS ( Junior Varsity & Varsity) • Marriotts Ridge (Junior Varsity & Varsity) • Middletown (Junior Varsity & Varsity) • Oakdale (Junior Varsity & Varsity) • St. Andrew’s (Junior Varsity & Varsity) • St. John Regional Catholic School ( Junior Varsity & Varsity) • Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart (Ju- nior Varsity) • Tomas Johnson HS (Junior Varsity & Varsity) • Winston Churchill HS (Junior Varsity) Don’t see your school on the above list?
Contact the league about riding as an individual or starting a new team! Visit
interschoolhorseshow.org for more in- formation.
U.S. Pony Club Riding Center Traditionally, the U.S. Pony Club
(USPC) program was only for riders who owned or leased a horse. In 2007, how- ever, USPC created its Riding Center program which opened USPC to riders who do not own or lease. USPC was founded in 1954 based on Great
Britain’s Te Pony Club. USPC teaches both riding skills and horse care through mounted and unmounted lessons as well as regional and
national competitions, called “rallies.” Its core mission is to “develop character, leadership, confidence, and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding, and mounted sports.” Riding Centers provide their members horses
and Delmarva regions of USPC. Te following facilities in Maryland offer USPC Riding Center programs: • Blaven (Capital Region) • Butler Equestrian (Capital Region) • Good Choice Farm (Capital Region) • Talbot Run (Capital Region) • Turnabout Farm (Capital Region) • Waredaca (Maryland Region) For more information on USPC, visit po-
nyclub.org.
National Capital Equitation League Te National Capital Equitation League
Waredaca Pony Club is one of six US Pony Club Riding Centers in Maryland.
and tack so that members have a more afford- able way to participate in USPC activities. USPC is open to riders of all ages and expe- rience levels. Individual Riding Centers may, however, have restrictions regarding ages or levels, based on the horses they have available to provide members. USPC offers its members the most diverse
competitions list with rallies at the regional and national levels in the following disciplines: Dressage, Eventing, Gymkhana, Mounted Games, Polocrosse, Show Jumping, Tetrathlon, Trail and Western Dressage. Members can also compete internation-
ally through the Pony Club International Ex- change Program in the disciplines of Dressage, Eventing, Foxhunting, Mounted Games, Quiz, Show Jumping and Tetrathlon. Te destination country for each program varies from year to year with the 2025 program being hosted by
(NCEL) is made up of riding schools through- out Maryland and Virginia. Teams compete at participating facilities from September through March. Te league is patterned after intercolle- giate leagues such as IHSA with host facilities providing horses and riders drawing horses to compete. NCEL is the parent organization for the Na-
tional Capital Short Stirrup Equitation League (NCSSEL) and Junior Equitation League (JEL). NCEL is for junior riders competing at 2’ through 2’3’’ divisions. Each team may have up to four riders per division for a total of nine riders per team. Te top scoring rider from each team in each class earns points for the overall team score. NCSSEL is for junior riders competing in flat
only classes or up to 18’’. Tis league allows for up to six primary “point” riders and up to three alternative riders per team. Only scores from point riders are added to the team’s overall score. JEL is for riders from leadline through 18’’. A
full JEL team has up to two riders per division with only the top scoring rider from each team in each class earning points for the overall team score. A team can only have five riders with one rider in each division. Te team does not have to have a rider in each division. All rider points go towards team scores.
In these leagues,
riders may use their own saddles if ap- proved by the host facility.
Te following Full Moon Farm is one of two stables in Maryland that offer NCEL, NCSSEL and JEL teams.
Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Hong Kong, Canada, South Africa and the U.S. Te state of Maryland has USPC Riding Centers that are part of the Maryland, Capital
28 | MARCH 2025 | THE EQUIERY YOUR MARYLAND HORSE COUNCIL PUBLICATION
Maryland barns participate in one or more of these leagues: • Clover Luck Sta- bles (NCSSEL) • Full Moon Farm (NCEL, NCSSEL & JEL) • Merkel Farm
Equestrian Center (NCEL, NCSSEL & JEL) • Talbot Run Equestrian Center (JEL) • Tranquility Manor Farm (NCEL & NCS- SEL)
800-244-9580 |
www.equiery.com
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