Join DelVal's Interscholastic Equestrian Association.
The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) is a non-profit organization that was created to promote equestrian competition and instruction. The Delaware Valley University IEA Team is open to all middle and high school riders who can walk, trot, and canter independently on an unfamiliar horse. Students in our program will have the opportunity to lesson on college-owned horses and compete at local IEA shows in hunt seat equitation. At IEA shows, riders only have a brief warm-up on a horse supplied by the hosting team before competing over fences or on the flat. Riders accumulate points at each show to qualify individually or as a team for post season competitions such as regionals, zones, and nationals.
Students on the DelVal IEA Team will improve their equitation on the flat and over fences, as well as enhance their teamwork skills by working with other riders to develop a competitive riding team. Riders will develop the skills necessary for competing successfully at the IEA level. Riders may only compete in five IEA shows per year to qualify for post-season competitions. Throughout those five shows the riders will earn points towards their individual qualifications for regional finals Riders will assist in organizing and hosting IEA competitions at the college as well as organizing fundraising events. The IEA is a great way to prepare riders for intercollegiate riding and even offers several scholarships! Students are not required to compete at the horse shows to be a member of the DelVal IEA Team.
Program includes 10 lessons; each rider is scheduled for 13 one-hour lesson dates to choose from. Upon ride evaluation student will be placed in an assigned time slot based on skill level.
- Prerequisites: Program is for riders in Grades 4 -12 who can walk, trot, and canter independently on an unfamiliar horse.
- FIRST TIME REGISTRANTS: Contact CPS at 215.489.4848 or cps@delval.edu before completing the registration to make an appointment for a ride evaluation.
- Class Meetings: Mid-August to Mid-April
- Location: Delaware Valley University, Equestrian Center
- Cost: $1,325 includes riding lessons, coaches fee, team fee, insurance
- Instructor: Carol Ricci
Carol Ricci, an equine science instructor, with a B.S. in animal science and an A.S. in equine business from DelVal, brings a wealth of hands-on experiences into the classroom and the ring.
As an instructor at DelVal, she teaches students various riding skills classes, Balanced Equitation, Fundamentals I and II, as well as Horsemanship I and II. Over the years of teaching at DelVal, she has also taught the Equine practicum and Equine Event Management. Additionally, Carol owns and teaches at Platinum Equestrian, a boarding and lesson barn in Perkasie, PA.
Having worked within the equine industry for more than a decade, Carol teaches all ages and levels of riders. Over the last five years, she has been coaching an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) team, first for Platinum and the last three years exclusively for DelVal, where her team has been regional champions and have moved forward to zone finalist. Carol has coached several riders to IEA Nationals for the last two years. IEA is a program designed for riders grades six through 12 to compete on random horses in hunter equitation. Today, you will find her developing university students as well as young riders into balanced seat equitation riders and sharing her love and knowledge of the equine world with all her riders. Carol is very passionate and creative about teaching students through exciting hands-on learning opportunities that will engage all levels of learners.