Day in the Life: IEA Show

An IEA show really starts the night before, when the riders begin preparing the barn for the show. All horses with white legs and tails get a simple bath. We lay all of each horse's tack together on a saddle rack. Each horse's bridle also gets a number attached to it. Our team dinner follows sports, then our boot cleaning party happens in the Niche. We have great conversations that really settle everyone’s nerves for the next day. I then go back to my room to prepare for the next day. On IEA show mornings, I start off by waking up at 6:00 a.m. and eating a simple breakfast. I make sure my show bag is ready as well as my show clothes. The IEA team will meet in the Well at 7:15 a.m.

We head down to the barn as a team to tack up horses for schooling. This is where the horses get warmed up, just as any athlete would do before they compete. We each usually get two horses who need to be tacked up. We tack up the first horse at 8:00 a.m. and the second at 8:30-8:45 a.m. We work together as a team to get all the horses down for schooling, whether someone has to grab a horse that isn’t theirs or tack up a horse when someone is busy with another. After schooling, the course walk begins.

We have our team get together to know the plan for the day and head to tack up the morning horses. Then, Open and Intermediate riders get changed and ready to show. We also learn draws, also known as the horse you use in the show at this time. My morning horse is usually Americana, who doesn’t even go until the third class. I sit around in his stall with him until it gets close to his turn, then we head down and get his first rider on. He goes in as I wait at the out gate for him. 

While he is still working, I hand him off and go change for my turn to show. I go find my coaches and get prepared. They help with doing our hairnets and getting on our helmets, making sure we look professional. This time is very exciting for me. All riders mount outside of the indoor ring then go in so there are no traffic jams. I finish my class then head to get changed. I do a grab and run for lunch and go see what horses need to be held. I tend to end up with Ziti or Pie, with Gigi coming into my care here and there. IEA riders are required to stay from beginning till the end of the show. The show usually ends around 2:00 p.m. After the show itself is finished, all bridles must be cleaned, saddles must be put away, and horses must have no sweat marks. We all are then asked to meet in the classroom and our team captains announce the new Spirit Stick holder for that show. The team also learns what place we got all together from the show. After this, we are all free to leave and go back to our rooms. After almost 24 hours, the IEA team has accomplished one of multiple IEA shows.

The IEA season is now over for the team until next school year, but there will be one more home SWVJHA show in April.