More than 600 of the nation’s leading middle school and high school equestrians are currently converging on the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, as the 2016 Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) National Finals prepare to get under way on Wednesday, April 20 and continue through Sunday, April 24.

The student-riders have traveled from across the United States to compete for individual and team national championship titles in Hunt Seat and Western divisions. The young riders qualifying to compete at the IEA National Finals will have first bested other competitors in their respective regions and zones throughout the United States, with those competing at the national finals representing the best of the best from among the more than 12,500 IEA members.

Spectator admission to watch the 2016 IEA National Finals Horse Show is included with admittance into the Kentucky Horse Park, and spectators are welcome at all events.

“Since our founding, we’ve seen many IEA riders go on to pursue full-time careers within the equestrian industry. These riders competing at the national finals represent the bright future of our sport, and the finals are a great opportunity for spectators to come out to watch and support them,” said Roxane Lawrence, co-founder/executive director of the IEA.

Founded in 2002, the IEA has more than 12,500 middle and high school student-riders across the United States. The IEA was organized to promote and improve the quality of equestrian competition and instruction available to middle and secondary school students and is open to public and private schools and barn teams. There is no need for a rider to own a horse because the IEA supplies a mount and tack to each equestrian for competitions.  Its purpose is to set minimum standards for competition, provide information concerning the creation and development of school associated equestrian sport programs, to generally promote the common interests of safe riding instruction and competition and education on matters related to equestrian competition at the middle and secondary school levels.

For more information, please view the IEA website at: www.rideiea.org.