May 2023 Issue

EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN May 2023 Page 19 44 Edgefield Rd. • Quarryville, PA 17566 Tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian! The Interscholastic Eques- trian Association (IEA) has partnered with The Junior Essex Troop of Cavalry (JET) to contin- ue the Troop’s legacy of fostering the love of horses among youth through education in the art of horsemanship and equine athlet- ics. The partnership will provide a Perpetual Trophy for both the Middle and Upper School Hunt Seat Championship Teams at annual IEA Hunt Seat National Finals. “The Junior Essex Troop of Cavalry Trophy” known as the "JET Trophy" were presented for the first time at the 2023 IEA Hunt Seat Finals being held at the Tryon International Equestri- an Center in Mill Spring, NC on April 27-30. Junior Essex Troop of Cavalry has pledged $80,000 that includes the Perpetual Trophies, along with funding support for the IEA through a generous financial gift that will be used to support additional prizes for the National Finals Championship Teams, as well as the IEA Benevolent Fund, educational offerings, and IEA general programming for riders in Grades 4-12 to further our joint mission. IEA currently has a member- ship of 14,600 nationwide and offers draw-based competitive programs for riders in grades 4-12, with the goal of promoting lifelong involvement, understand- ing and appreciation for equestri- an sport. "The Junior Essex Troop Show in West Orange, NJ, was the largest all junior show in the United States for a number of years", says Rodney Seelig, President. "Team competition was a primary and prestigious aspect of the show featuring the Junior Military Divisions and later the Junior Teams Divisions, in a format similar to the way IEA conducts their National Finals." JET teams of three would compete at one of the three different levels of skill. During the remainder of the year many of these organizations would participate in “Invitation Meets” where the teams would travel to a participating barn and compete on that barn’s horses, similar to the IEA's current draw-based format. Alumni and friends con- tinued to run the show after the daily operations of JET ceased. A 35-year labor of love by this group of dedicated individuals carried on JET's traditions and made possible the current spon- sorship. “IEA is quite like the Troop in its mission,” said Tim Cleary, an officer of The Junior Essex Troop who became its Horse- manship Instructor and is an Associate Professor of equine studies at Centenary University. “The Junior Essex Troop, and riding organizations like it, were the foundations of the Intercol- legiate Horse Shows Association IEA and JET Support Draw- Based Competition for Young Riders (Continued on page 23)