2026 USPC Festival Features Fresh Format and Unified Divisions; Discipline Opportunities Expanded

November 12, 2025 (Lexington, KY) — As The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) continues to evolve and enhance the Pony Club experience for members and participants, multiple changes will go into effect in 2026 that will impact both members and the wider equestrian community. The biggest changes will be seen at the 2026 USPC Festival, to be held July 13–19, 2026, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. In addition, various competition disciplines within Pony Club saw updates to rules that will expand opportunities.

“In a desire to improve accessibility and add simplicity for the Pony Club community, we’re excited for these innovative discipline and Festival changes,” said Gillian Stover, USPC Activities and Events Director. “USPC Festival is such a treasured event for many, and we are excited to see new participants and longtime attendees next year at the Kentucky Horse Park. We especially welcome nonmembers to participate in and enjoy our educational sessions, cheer on competitors during Championships, and see what Pony Club is all about.”

2026 USPC Festival Changes

The USPC Festival has several big changes—most notably, the Education sessions will now kick off the event in 2026. With the Kentucky Horse Park hosting multiple large events back-to-back, the Festival schedule has been condensed by one day, with Education running from Monday, July 13, through Thursday morning, July 16, concluding with the traditional early morning foxhunt before Championships officially kicks off with the opening ceremonies and the competitors party on Thursday night. The very popular D Camp, for USPC members only, will run Monday, July 13, through Wednesday, July 15. 

Olympian Lendon Gray will be teaching her Dressage4Kids program on Monday and Tuesday and will be a Master Clinician presenter on Monday night, July 13 in the Alltech arena. Gray is an A Eventing alum of the Penobscot Pony Club in the Northeast Region, along with a USPC National Instruction Legend Award winner and a 2000 USPC Academy of Achievement inductee. “Lendon presented a phenomenal evening clinic for us back in 2014 using demo riders, and we look forward to this again at Festival,” said Connie Jehlik, USPC Instruction Services Director.  

Championships competitors can move in beginning on Monday, July 13, at noon through Thursday, July 16, by 10:00 a.m. and will remain in the same stall for both Education and Championships. Competition begins on Thursday and runs through Sunday, July 19, with discipline awards ceremonies wrapping up the festivities of the 2026 USPC Festival.

These updates mark a shift from the traditional Festival schedule, but we’re excited they will ease traffic flow between Education and Championships participants and eliminate mid-week stall moves. In addition, riders can try new disciplines or take advantage of fine-tuning their horse before Championships. Members and non-members can ride in Eventing cross-country, Western Dressage, Mounted Games, Hunter Seat Equitation, Show Jumping, Dressage, Trail, and Groundwork and Natural Horsemanship. Members and non-members can also register for unmounted education, with workshops focused on hands-on learning, demonstrations for all levels of equestrians, advances in equine health care, and more. Something else exciting is the opportunity for members and non-members to sign up for a schooling jump round or ride a dressage test with critique.

Pony Club is seeking equestrian professionals and clinicians to present workshops, teach mounted clinics, or provide other hands-on education during Education. Learn more and apply at www.ponyclub.org/events/festival.

In addition to the schedule change, Championships will no longer include a Modified division. Originally developed in 2019, the Modified Championships division opened an important door for a new class of competitors to experience the USPC Championships. Now, by unifying the divisions, USPC hopes to realign its competition with championships run by other organizations and stay consistent with broader horse industry standards.

And perhaps most importantly, competitors will have a better opportunity to compete against those riders riding at their level without being separated into Standard or Modified divisions. This change also simplifies qualification requirements for participants, families, volunteers, and USPC leaders. Finally, it should lessen the burden on each discipline show secretary in forming teams, allowing riders from a region to stay together instead of being split into multi-region scramble (mixed) teams.

The minimum age requirement is now 10 years old across all disciplines and divisions, and age divisions for riders depend upon the discipline being entered. Riders wishing to compete in Dressage, Mounted Games, Polocrosse, and Western Dressage at Championships must be certified as a D-2 or above in one of the four USPC certification tracks: Dressage, Eventing, Hunt Seat Equitation, or Western. Those wanting to compete in Eventing, Show Jumping, or Tetrathlon at Championships will need a D-2 Eventing or D-2 Hunt Seat Equitation certification. Those participating in Quiz at Championships will need a D-2 Horse Management certification. For more details, all changes will be published in the 2026 discipline rulebooks in December and take effect on February 1, 2026.

Disciplines Changes

Eventing: During Championships, the Eventing divisions will be run along with the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation’s Kentucky Summer Horse Trials, offering additional opportunities for competitors to be involved with a United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) competition with a course designed by David O’Connor.

Jump Height Changes: There will also be the addition of a 0.65-meter (2’2”) jump height as the lowest height in Show Jumping and Tetrathlon disciplines during Championships. Prior to this change, 0.75 meters (2’6”) was the lowest jump height. Additionally, Eventing Championships will offer Starter level for the first time.

Tetrathlon Changes: In Tetrathlon, the biggest change is the addition of a Master Division, which divides the former Senior division (previously age 18 and up) into two divisions: Seniors (ages 18–34) and Masters (ages 35 and up). This new division allows older adults to be judged separately from younger adults, recognizing that athletic capabilities in running and swimming can change over time. The Master Division will follow the same specifications and scoring tables as the Intermediate (14–15-year-old) division and will be offered at Championships. In addition, jump heights are no longer associated with age divisions, allowing Tetrathlon competitors to choose the jump height that best suits themselves and their horses.

Trail Changes: Trail rallies have allowed competitors to use English or Western tack and attire, but a rule clarification specifies that Trail competitors during rallies must choose one style—English or Western—and must follow either the Western tack/attire rules or the English tack/attire rules, without mixing styles. For those using an Australian stock saddle, it may be considered either English or Western, but the rest of the tack and attire must match accordingly.

In addition, the Trail discipline successfully piloted a new In-Hand division during the 2025 USPC Virtual Trail Competition, and the division will be officially added to the 2026 USPC Trail Rulebook.

A variety of other rules were passed by USPC. Details related to Horse Management and each competitive discipline will be published in the rulebooks in December online at www.ponyclub.org/events/competitions/disciplines, with a printed version available for purchase at the USPC Convention and online at www.shopponyclub.org.

For more information about the 2026 USPC Festival, please visit www.ponyclub.org/events/festival, and to explore USPC activities, visit www.ponyclub.org and mouse over the Activities menu tab.

About The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. — The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that builds the foundation of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, and care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members. USPC is proud to offer instruction and competitive opportunities in 11 competitive disciplines through hundreds of clubs and centers across the United States. USPC’s educational standards continue to be instrumental in curriculum development for schools, universities, equestrian professionals, and organizations across the United States. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including Olympic team members, as well as successful business professionals and leaders in a variety of fields, have roots in Pony Club. For more information, please visit www.ponyclub.org.