Taking the Reins in Equestrian Athletics

Local Teen Places Third in the Nation in the Interscholastic Equestrian Association

Photo by Darrin Phegley

Kaityn (Kate) Bailey found her love for horses at the age of 5 after attending her cousin’s birthday party at Blue Moon Stables. Kate’s mother, Ashley, decided to buy her a 5 lesson package as a Christmas present, and from that moment on, she started attending summer camps and the number of lessons and participation in horse shows continued to grow. Now, a sophomore at Henderson County High School, Kate has achieved a goal she didn’t know was possible – placing third in the nation at the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) finals. 

The Interscholastic Equestrian Association

Kate had always been encouraged to participate in IEA, but she didn’t know what IEA was in the beginning of her riding journey. The 2023-2024 school year was her first year in IEA and her first year training at her new barn in Newburgh, IN – Meadowbriar Stables. 

The Interscholastic Equestrian Association takes place during the school year from August – April. Local shows are located at Meadowbriar Stables  (Meadowbriar Stables Team), Schefelridge Farm (Powerhouse Equestrian), Blue Moon (Blue Moon Equestrian Team),  and St. Mary of the Woods (Commonwealth Equestrian). This season Champagne Run Equestrian team will be added, but the barn is to be determined.

The program is offered to those in 4th through 12th grade, but there is also a division for adults to participate, too. IEA is unique in that a rider is encouraged to compete two levels lower than they normally ride, as the horse they ride at each show is one that is selected by draw. 

Kate’s trainer is Kim Gundry. The trainers decide what is best for each rider and where he/she needs you in regards to what class you will be competing in. Whichever category a trainer places his or her rider, they will stay in that class all year. Last year, Kate’s class was the flat class. However, for the 2024-2025 year she will move up to cross rails because she will have reached the max number of points for that class.

IEA practice is once per week with a semiprivate lesson once a week with Kate’s trainer. Shows are typically one weekend a month with each show being held at a different barn. A typical IEA show consists of two shows per weekend – a Saturday show and a Sunday show. If two shows are held on a weekend, the second show is just a repeat of the first show. Based on a rider’s skill level, all the horses who are part of the IEA have their names placed into a basket. A rider will draw a horse’s name the day of the show, find the horse and go into the arena and start riding. Kate noted, “It’s definitely more risk taking because you don’t know the horse. You just have to trust what you know and trust yourself.”

Riders do not know anything about the horse they will be riding other than some very general information, nor do they get a warm up with the horse they have drawn. Kate has a horse of her own, Thomas, who they board at Meadowbriar Stables. He is an IEA horse and was put into her category, so there was a chance she could have ridden him, but unfortunately, she didn’t draw his name. 

Riders are required to have so many points in order to qualify for regionals, zones and nationals, so whether a rider competes in both shows depends on where they stand with their points. A rider must have 18 points to qualify for regionals and get 1st or 2nd place at regionals to go to zones. From there, they must place 1st or 2nd at zones to go to nationals. If a rider makes it to nationals, they have made the top 16 out of all IEA riders, and riders make top 8 to place. Nationals are highly competitive, and bring together the best of the best in the continental United States.

Show Day

Since IEA is a program in which the riders do not know what to expect, it is important for Kate to prepare herself as best she can. The day of the show, her morning begins by arriving early to watch the horses warm up. She wants to be able to visibly see them and how they move, even though she doesn’t know which horses are going to be in her class. “I go look at the horse list, and it tells you about the horses,” Kate explained. When the rider’s class is announced, the rider goes to the draw table, draws their horse and gets on right after that. Kate said, “There is no time to think. You just got to get on.”

When Kate isn’t performing, she is volunteering during weekend shows. IEA riders are required to assist one day – whether that be at the check-in table, taking care of the stalls, etc. The parents are also busy volunteering as they have to help keep IEA going by assisting with their shows. 

The Journey to Nationals 

The third place winner is hard-working and competitive. Not only does she participate in IEA while balancing school work during the school year, but she is also part of FFA, cares for her horse, Thomas, and participates in other private shows outside of the IEA program. 

Kate was nervous to try IEA. However, once she achieved a level with Thomas where she was confident in herself as a rider, her family encouraged her to give it a try. Ashley said, “She did and blew it out of the water!”

Joining IEA last year was so rewarding because Kate not only stepped into a new role as a rider, but she joined a team who became like family. They met people and formed so many friendships. They hold a team party and informational meeting at the beginning of the year, as well as have something during the Christmas season and at the end of the year. The team all hangs out at shows, so riders are never alone. Last year, there were about 12 riders she practiced with. There were approximately 35 team members ranging from 4th grade to adults.

Outside of IEA practices, Kate and her mom drive over to Newburgh for her to ride Thomas each day. “He is our #1 priority,” Ashley stated. She laughed saying their horse is like her child as well. 

Kate inherited a horse, but unfortunately, he wasn’t fit for her events. Lesson horses are all Kate rode up until they bought Thomas in June of 2022. Most of the horses at Meadowbriar are lesson horses and used for the program. The Bailey family was always told not to buy a horse until Kate could ride all the lesson horses, and that’s what they did. The proud mother said, “We waited until she needed a challenge and needed more.”  

As Kate performed at each show throughout the season, the biggest challenge was knowing that everyone is competing for the same thing. Kate is very competitive, but she always knew her trainer believed in her so she had to believe in herself. “Everybody wants to get there and you have to know that everyone is trying to get the same thing, so you just have to go back to how good you are,” expressed the young rider. 

Throughout the season, they typically do not travel more than 2-3 hours for shows – except for larger shows such as those near Chicago and in North Carolina. All hotel accommodations and travel arrangements are made by each rider and their family.

Most of the IEA barns within the region provide their own horses. If a rider has to take his or her own horse, the trainers usually take care of the arrangements in regards to getting the horses to the show. The only barn they usually take Thomas to is Blue Moon Stables, and in that case, they will help Kate’s trainer get Thomas and the trailer ready. 

Once Kate made it to regionals, she was successful in achieving high point rider in the whole zone 5 – which included Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. Regionals took place in Ohio in March 2024. She then went on to zones in Gurnee, Illinois near Chicago at the end of March, and then nationals took place at Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina on April 26, 2024. 

Three individuals from Kate’s team qualified for nationals. Two were upper class in high school and one was an adult. The trainer takes the best rider out of each category and puts them on the team. A rider can still compete in regionals even if they weren’t asked to be on the team. Her team qualified to go to regionals and zones, but did not qualify to go to nationals. However, Kate qualified individually. 

There were 16 riders at nationals, and Kate needed to make the top 8 to place. “Making the callback was already so big to be in the top 8. When I got third, I was still in shock I was still there. Just getting there was the biggest thing ever. Getting third was something I didn’t think I could ever do,” Kate expressed enthusiastically. Her mom continued saying, “I don’t think she realizes how big this accomplishment is!” 

Kate encourages anyone who is interested in IEA to give it a try. “Do it because it makes you a better rider. It’s okay to be nervous but don’t let that tear you apart. Make sure to trust yourself, trust your trainer and trust your horse. Listen to what your trainers have to say and what the people tell you about your horse and do your best.”

The 2024-2025 IEA Year

Going into her second year of IEA, Kate now feels she has set a high standard for herself. The determined sophomore wants to do as well as she did last year. Her biggest question going into this new year is, “What if I don’t do as good this year?” It’s something she thinks about, but she said, “It’s all for the experience. You can’t get caught up in winning.” Her mom chuckled and said she has to listen to her own advice. 

Ashley stated, “That’s all we ask. Do your best. Make this a learning experience.” The first time the horse-loving girl took Thomas to a show, they placed but Kate fell off. Ashley explained how they made her get back on. She ended up ribboning, but all they wanted was for her to learn from it. “You don’t have to be in the ribbons because they are just a few cents anyways. Everything is worth more than a ribbon,” her supportive mother said.  

Looking Ahead 

Right now, Kate is focused on equitation. That is her strong suit. She has had an amazing opportunity to be given lessons and ride at Professional Showjumper Kady Abrahamson’s barns. Kady is working to get to the Olympics in Grand Prix jumping. Kate noted, “She is 26 and really making a name for herself.” Kady invited Kate to come up to her farm and ride one of her Grand Prix horses. From there, Kate started taking lessons from Kady. These horses jump 5-6ft at the Olympics and are $100,000 horses. It was such a cool experience for Kate to be noticed by such a well-known horse professional in the Bluegrass State.

Although her shows and practices keep her busy, she can still get credit for extracurricular activities through IEA. There are scholarship opportunities through IEA that are available to seniors, so Kate is hopeful she will be able to earn some as she moves into her senior year at Henderson County High School. For now, Kate is going to continue pushing herself and setting new goals, but most importantly, having fun doing what she loves! 

The sophomore laughed, saying, “Don’t give your kid a chance to meet horses if you aren’t ready for one, or if you think it’s cool your daughter likes ponies then you are in for a treat because it doesn’t stop there!” 

To learn more about the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, you can visit www.rideiea.org.