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46 SIDELINES JUNE 2011 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE f o c u s O N E D U C A T I O N

A competitor waits her turn to compete on an unknown horse in the College Preparatory Invitational.

College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show Provides Great Opportunities For College-Bound Riders

By Lauren Fisher

Following an extremely successful inaugural event in 2011, the College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show (CPI) is already in the midst of developing a bigger and better program for the 2012 season. The 2012 horse show will be larger, allowing more riders to compete, including the addition of dressage classes and an increase to fve scholarships that will be awarded. The inaugural CPI event was held this January during the prestigious 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Riders showed in Novice, Limit, Intermediate and Open divisions according to their level of experience, showing both over fences and on the fat. With over a hundred entries, classes were divided into sections of 12 and competitors were awarded ribbons through eighth place in each section. Judges included John French, Nona Garson, and Georgina Bloomberg. Students traveled from all over the country, Canada, Mexico, and the Bahamas to participate.

Preparing and Educating Riders

The mission of the CPI is to prepare and educate student riders in grades 8-12 about the format of college equestrian competition, encourage academics and horsemanship, and to provide the riders with resources to create their desired college equestrian experience. The show is specifcally geared to promote college recruitment of equestrians by providing the opportunity for coaches and potential students to meet. The College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show is rooted in the belief that equestrian talent, not fnances, should dictate a rider’s opportunity to be a part of a collegiate team. Given the fact that the CPI provides all the horses and necessary tack for the show, riders do not incur the expense of transporting horses to the show. By competing on unknown horses at the CPI, riders have a chance to be seen in a formal competition by a variety of prospective equestrian college coaches on a level playing feld. Along with the competition, the CPI will offer seminars and question & answer sessions during the show. Riders and their families will hear about the college

equestrian experience and familiarize themselves with the different associations that govern collegiate riding. There will also be a number of colleges and universities present at the CPI to distribute literature and introduce the academic and riding opportunities, including scholarships, offered at their institution. The future leaders of the equestrian business and sport are the college bound riders. The College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show Scholarship Fund rewards social conduct and academic excellence as well as competitive success. In total, there will be fve scholarships awarded to eligible CPI participants, including: CPI Horsemanship Test Award, CPI Highest Point Hunt Seat Equitation Rider, CPI Essay Contest, CPI Champion of Service Award, and CPI Highest Point Dressage Rider.

The Entry Deadline for the Horsemanship Test Award and the Champion of Service Award is the same date as the CPI Application Deadline: October 1, 2011. The Entry Deadline for the Essay Contest is November 1, 2011. The essay topic will be posted on the website on September 1, 2011, allowing two months time for riders to submit their essay.

The College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show is dedicated to providing a frst-class experience for the CPI competitors and spectators alike.

The next College Preparatory Invitational Horse Show will take place on January 13-16, 2012, and will be based on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) hunt seat equitation classifcation. In addition, the 2012 CPI will feature classes for riders interested in the Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA).

Please visit the CPI horse show’s website at

www.collegeprepinvitational.com for more information about the event, venue, scholarships and much more.

Nona Garson, Georgina Bloomberg, and John French were the judges at last year’s CPI