frequently asked questions

1. What do I need to do to become a show team member?

To become a show team member, riders are first required to participate in an assessment lesson at the beginning of the semester. Then they must complete the necessary forms and memberships required by IHSA. Here are a few memberships that new show team members need to sign up for; follow these steps to successfully apply for USEF, USHJA, and IHSA memberships:

    1. Go to the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) website and apply for a membership (link here). This step requires no application fee, but write down your username and password for later use.
    2. Next, go to the United States Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) website to apply for a collegiate membership (link here). Your username and password will be the same as for your USEF account. This membership lasts for the whole school year (from August to the next August).
    3. Finally, go to the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and apply for a membership (link here). Natalie will then evaluate you in a trial lesson to determine your IHSA division placement and have you fill out an IHSA placement form. 

After you are a member of all three associations and have turned in your checks, you're ready to compete!


2. Are men allowed to join?

Men compete alongside women in IHSA shows and are always welcome to join URET!

3. Is Western style taught?

At this time, there is not enough interest in IHSA Zone IV Region 4 to hold Western classes in competitions. Interested riders are welcomed to contact us about future changes or a desire to switch to English.

4. How much does it cost to join the team?

Riding is not an inexpensive sport and although the University of Richmond puts forth a large sum of money to help subsidize our costs, riders are still left to pay the majority of their lesson fees and club membership dues. Membership dues are $50 per semester and lesson packages range from 8 lessons at $410 per semester to 20 lessons at $900 per semester.

To help alleviate some of the costs, we host a benefit horse show (VHSA associate show) every spring and hold multiple profit shares throughout the year.

5. What is the commitment like?

We are a club sport, so we understand that riders have other commitments on campus. However, we are a competitive and close-knit team, requiring at minimum one lesson per week at Haverhill Equestrian, attendance at meetings at least once per month, attendance at fundraisers, attendance atIHSA shows hosted by Haverhill Equestrian (one in the fall and potentially one in the spring), and participation is encouraged at activities organized by leadership to foster a unified team environment. Many of our riders have balanced their academic work and riding commitments along with other activities such as volunteer work off-campus, greek life, and other university sponsored clubs. 

6. How do I sign up?

Please do not hesitate to use the contact us page to reach out with any questions. We are happy to answer any questions about information sessions at the beginning of the semester or general inquiries about the team!