05/07/2026
IEA National Finals 2026! Our middle school IEA team earned 7th place overall, and it was truly an unbelievable weekend for all of us.
Going into Nationals, we were prepared. The kids rode as many horses as they could every day leading up to the show. There were countless hours without irons and countless hours of hard work. Each rider gave it their absolute all in the arena. Everyone rode their hearts out with focus, determination, and no major mistakes. They were true stars under immense pressure.
The crowd was huge, the ribbons were big, but so were these kidsā aspirations and their support for one another. Before finals, we also received the sweetest visit from our fellow Region 1 team, Gladstone Equestrian. Joanne, Molly, and Olive showed up at our stable with a surprise: a good luck cake and the cutest pink poster signed by their team. It was so heartwarming to feel the community rally around and support our team.
While we were at Finals, we rode hard, but there were also so many core memories created beyond the arena. Iām so thankful these kids had the opportunity to represent our team and walk away in matching unicorn onesies with a 7th-place overall finish.
