by Katherine O. Rizzo (first published in the March 2025 Equiery)

Not sure you want to commit to owning a horse but have the desire to compete in equestrian sports? Thanks to a few national and local organizations, there are leagues you can participate in without owning a horse!

Most of the leagues on this list offer Hunt Seat Equitation competitions. In more recent years, however, leagues for Dressage and Western disciplines have been developed – and U.S. Pony Club, which is no longer just for kids, offers Riding Centers for multiple disciplines. The one thing they all have in common is… no horse ownership is needed!

Intercollegiate Horse Show Association – Hunter & Western
The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) has been providing competitions for collegiate riders since 1967. The organization was founded by Robert Cacchione, who was a sophomore at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey at the time. With the help of professor and renowned horseman Jack Fritz, Cacchione created a prototype competition program that began with Hunt Seat Equitation shows.

That first season, only two colleges participated but the series caught on quickly and now contains over 400 member colleges and university across 45 states and regions of Canada. Western competitions were added in 1979. Hunt Seat riders compete in both flat and over fences classes while Western riders compete in horsemanship, ranch riding and reining.

IHSA’s mission is to “provide equestrian competition for all college and university students regardless of riding level, gender, race, sexual orientation or financial status.”

IHSA host schools provide horses for their riders to train and compete. At shows, riders draw horses at random to compete, creating as close to an even playing field as possible. IHSA has competition classes for beginner through advanced riders with riders competing as individuals and teams. As with most equestrian sports, all genders of riders compete with and against each other as well.

In addition, IHSA strives to be an affordable option for riders, and does not allow personal tack to be used at competitions. Everything, except for the rider’s attire, is provided by the host school.

The league is open to full-time undergraduate students of member colleges. Riders can qualify for the National Championships each year through a point system with points earned at IHSA local shows. The top riders compete at a Regional Finals with then the top two riders in each class advancing to Zone Finals. The top two riders of each class at Zones then move on to the National Championships.

IHSA has produced several top riders including four-time Olympian and two-time U.S. Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden, who competed for Southern Seminary and won the Cacchione Cup in 1984. U.S. Olympic gold medalist Peter Wylde won the Cacchione Cup in 1986 representing Tufts University.

Here in Maryland, the following schools offer IHSA programs:

  • George Washington University (Hunt Seat)
  • Goucher College (Hunt Seat)
  • Hood College (Hunt Seat)
  • John Hopkins University (Hunt Seat)
  • Loyola University Maryland (Hunt Seat)
  • Mt. St. Mary’s University (Hunt Seat)
  • Salisbury University (Hunt Seat)
  • St. Mary’s College of Maryland (Hunt Seat)
  • Towson University (Hunt Seat & Western)
  • U.S. Naval Academy (currently inactive)
  • University of Maryland (Hunt Seat)
  • University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Hunt Seat)
  • Washington College (Hunt Seat & Western)
  • Wor-Wic Community College (Hunt Seat)

For more information about IHSA, go to ihsainc.com.

Interscholastic Equestrian Association
The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) is a nation-wide 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to “introducing and promoting lifelong involvement in equestrian athletics.” Currently, the league is open to riders in grades 4-12 who can compete as individuals or on Middle School or Upper School teams, though an Adult Pilot Program is in its third year.

The Adult IEA program is for amateur riders ages 21 and older. In order to participate, adult riders must become IEA members and ride with an approved IEA coach. At this time, adult riders can only participate as individuals, not on teams.

IEA offers Hunt Seat, Western and Dressage competition options, and just like the IHSA, riders do not need to own a horse, with competition horses selected by draw the day of the show. In this way, IEA strives to provide “greater affordability and access to the sport.” In addition, IEA also offers members a chance to earn cash and renewable collegiate scholarships. The scholarship fund offers $1.5 million in scholarships and cash awards annually.

Horsemanship and sportsmanship are also part of the IEA mission with the organization stating, “It is the responsibility of all attendees to foster a spirit of belongingness, an atmosphere of community enjoyment, and a mutual respect for all participants and their equine partners.”

Unlike IHSA, IEA teams do not have to be associated with an educational institution, though many schools in Maryland do participate. Riding stables can form teams as well. Currently, the IEA boasts over 900 teams across the country.

The following Maryland teams participate in IEA competitions:

  • A Moment in Time (Hunt Seat)
  • Academy of the Holy Cross (Hunt Seat)
  • All’s Well at Woodbrook Farm (Hunt Seat)
  • Autumn Grove Equestrian Team (Hunt Seat)
  • Buoniconti Stables (Hunt Seat)
  • Calvert Equestrian (Hunt Seat)
  • Can You Keep a Secret (Hunt Seat)
  • Clover Luck Stables (Hunt Seat)
  • Dreamer’s Quest Equestrian (Hunt Seat)
  • En-Tice-Ment Stables/Indian Creek School (Hunt Seat)
  • Free Rein Equine (Hunt Seat)
  • Free Rein Farm LLC (Hunt Seat)
  • Full Moon Farm (Hunt Seat)
  • Garrison Forest School (Hunt Seat)
  • Glendale Riding School (Hunt Seat)
  • Good Counsel Equestrian Team (Hunt Seat)
  • Greenway at Featherdown (Hunt Seat)
  • Hidden Lane Farm (Hunt Seat)
  • John Carroll (Hunt Seat)
  • Kindred Spirit Farm (Hunt Seat)
  • Little Clovelly/Havenshire Farm (Hunt Seat)
  • Meadowbrook Stables (Hunt Seat)
  • Morningside Stables (Hunt Seat)
  • Oldfields School (Hunt Seat & Dressage)
  • Patuxent Run Stables (Hunt Seat)
  • PM Equestrian (Hunt Seat)
  • Sandy Point Equestrian (Hunt Seat)
  • Snapdragon Stables (Hunt Seat)
  • South Breeze (Hunt Seat)
  • St. Augustine (Hunt Seat)
  • St. John’s College High School (Hunt Seat)
  • St. Timothy’s School (Hunt Seat)
  • Talbot Run (Dressage)
  • The Key School (Hunt Seat)
  • The Other Left LLC (Hunt Seat)
  • Willow Mist (Hunt Seat)
  • Willowbend (Hunt Seat)

For more information on IEA, visit rideiea.org.

Intercollegiate Dressage Association
In a lot of ways, the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) is the dressage version of IHSA. IDA offers collegiate level riders an affordable way to compete in dressage while attending college and universities in the U.S. and Canada. IDA’s mission is to “introduce students to the equestrian discipline of dressage and to foster continued development, understanding and appreciation in the art of dressage through organized student competitions and educational opportunities.”

Like IHSA, regional competitions lead to a National Championships each year. Riders may compete as individuals or as a team at USDF Introductory through First Level. In addition, IDA offers Dressage Seat Equitation classes and a Quiz Challenge.

Currently, there are no Maryland colleges or universities that offer IDA teams. For more information and/or to form a team, visit teamdressage.com.

US Polo Association Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Programs
Yes, you can play the sport of kings without owning a horse! The U.S. Polo Association (USPA) has multiple national programs for high school and college players looking to compete as a team outside of a local USPA club. Their Intercollegiate and Interscholastic leagues are designed for those playing the sport at all levels without their own horses. Polo matches in these leagues are played in an arena using a “split string” in which each team plays all of the horses provided for the game.

While a team must be based out of a club or school that has appropriate polo ponies, the host team may provide horses for the tournament or source horses from local clubs. At regional and national championships, teams must either bring their own horses or source from local clubs.

The USPA Intercollegiate program is for students attending college or universities and is open to new and seasoned players. There are currently 41 teams in the U.S. with University of Maryland being one of the newest universities to form a team. The UMD Polo team is a women’s team however the club is open to all sexes. Read more about UMD’s new polo team on page 30 of this issue! Intercollegiate polo players are also eligible for scholarships and teams can apply for USPA support grants.

The USPA Interscholastic Polo league is for high school age students that play in regional and national tournaments. Interscholastic players must be in grades 7-12 and under the age of 19 as of September 1 of the current season. These players must also be in good academic standing with a school and be eligible to compete in sports for their school. Players compete for teams that are within a 100-mile radius of their residence. Interscholastic polo players are also eligible for scholarships, grants and the USPA Interscholastic Polo Varsity Letter.

Inter-School Horse Show Series
The Inter-School Horse Show series (ISHS) was founded by Deveraux Raskauskas here in Maryland. Raskauskas’ oldest daughter wanted to participate in a school sport but was not interested in the standard sports offered by her high 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 Virginia. Riders can compete as individuals or teams. ISHS emphasizes “good sportsmanship and teamwork” as well as striving 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 Poolesville. NFF Stables first joined ISHS in 2004 and has hosted competitions 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.

The league recognizes the fact that “not needing 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.”

The 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 (Junior Varsity)
  • Thomas 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 information.

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, however, 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 The 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 tack so that members have a more affordable way to participate in USPC activities. USPC is open to riders of all ages and experience 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 internationally through the Pony Club International Exchange Program in the disciplines of Dressage, Eventing, Foxhunting, Mounted Games, Quiz, Show Jumping and Tetrathlon. The destination country for each program varies from year to year with the 2025 program being hosted by Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Hong Kong, Canada, South Africa and the U.S.
The state of Maryland has USPC Riding Centers that are part of the Maryland, Capital and Delmarva regions of USPC.

The 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 ponyclub.org.

National Capital Equitation League
The National Capital Equitation League (NCEL) is made up of riding schools throughout Maryland and Virginia. Teams compete at participating facilities from September through March. The league is patterned after intercollegiate leagues such as IHSA with host facilities providing horses and riders drawing horses to compete.

NCEL is the parent organization for the National 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. The 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’’. This 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. The 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 approved by the host facility.

The following Maryland barns participate in one or more of these leagues:

  • Clover Luck Stables (NCSSEL)
  • Full Moon Farm (NCEL, NCSSEL & JEL)
  • Merkel Farm Equestrian Center (NCEL, NCSSEL & JEL)
  • Talbot Run Equestrian Center (JEL)
  • Tranquility Manor Farm (NCEL & NCSSEL)

For more information on the various NCEL programs, go to ncelus.com.