2026 USPC Festival Education Preview

By Liz Moyer, USPC Fundraising and Marketing Coordinator / Brought to you by Stoneleigh-Burnham School

The plans for 2026 USPC Festival Education are more exciting than ever, with incredible opportunities to learn and grow as an equestrian. Held every other year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., the USPC Festival is a special part of the Pony Club experience.

With a full schedule of workshops and clinics, followed by Championships competition, the USPC Festival is an event like no other. This summer, you’re invited to join Pony Club members from across the country for a week of riding, learning, and fun with friends at the 2026 USPC Festival, July 13–19, 2026.

Leading Off 2026 with USPC Festival Education

The 2026 USPC Festival will introduce some changes to the traditional schedule, designed to improve the flow of the event between Festival Championships and Education. This year, Education will kick off the event, running from Monday, July 13, through the morning of Thursday, July 16. Festival Championships competition begins Thursday afternoon and runs through Sunday, July 19, wrapping up with discipline awards ceremonies sponsored by Kentucky Performance Products.

“Festival Championships competitors can take advantage of this new schedule to settle in at the Kentucky Horse Park, ride with top-notch clinicians, and fine-tune their skills before Championships,” says Gillian Stover, USPC Activities and Events Director.

Equestrian Education for Everyone

Sign up to bring your horse for three incredible days of learning at the Kentucky Horse Park. No horse? No problem. Even if your horse can’t travel to Kentucky, there are still plenty of great learning opportunities for you at Festival. Nearly all the workshops involve hands-on participation, and you can learn a lot from observing the riding sessions as well. Non-members are also welcome to register and enjoy all the great education available at the USPC Festival.

Festival Education 2026 offers learning for all levels, including riding clinics in a variety of disciplines and unmounted workshops taught by a wide range of experts.

“Festival Education has something for equestrians of all ages and experience levels,” says Connie Jehlik, USPC Instruction Services Director. “This is an amazing opportunity to boost your learning while riding at the world-class Kentucky Horse Park and to build memories to last a lifetime. Coming to Festival is something that Pony Club members dream of, and education makes it so worthwhile.”

Ride and Learn from the Best

The 2026 USPC Festival Education mounted and unmounted clinics include expert instructors from all areas of the horse world. Get ready to learn from judges, experienced riders, coaches and instructors, including many USPC “A” members and alumni who are ready to share their knowledge with you.

“We are excited to bring top-level clinicians to the 2026 USPC Festival Education, including Olympians Lendon Gray, Doug Payne, and Lynn Symansky,” notes Jehlik.

A special highlight for this year’s Festival Education includes Masters evening clinics presented by two of USPC’s Olympic alumni:

• Monday, July 13: Lendon Gray Dressage Clinic
• Tuesday, July 14: Doug Payne Show Jumping Clinic

Lendon Gray is an “A” alum of Penobscot Pony Club and has represented the U.S. in dressage at the 1980 Alternate Olympics competition, the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, and the 1991 Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Cup Final in Paris. She is also the founder of the Dressage4Kids program.

Doug Payne is an FEI 5* Grand Prix show jumper and FEI 5* event rider. He was the highest-placing rider on the U.S. eventing team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and also earned a team gold medal at the 2019 Pan American Games. He is an “A” alum of Somerset Hills Pony Club.

Lynn Symansky will also be joining us as a Festival clinician in 2026. Symansky has represented the U.S. in eventing at the Pan American Games, earning two team golds and an individual silver medal, and she was the traveling reserve for the U.S. eventing team at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She is an A-level alum of Difficult Run Pony Club.

Guide to Mounted Clinics

The 2026 Festival Education mounted clinics feature a variety of disciplines. This is a great time to broaden your horizons and try something new. Get ready to saddle up for mounted clinics in Dressage, Eventing Cross-Country, Hunter Seat Equitation, Mounted Games, Polocrosse, Show Jumping, Trail, and Western Dressage. The Kentucky Horse Park Mounted Police will also be presenting their popular sensory training clinics, applying natural horsemanship principles to negotiate obstacles on the ground or in the saddle. Festival mounted education includes two morning riding sessions and two afternoon riding sessions each day, July 14–15.

D Camp

For younger Pony Club members, D Camp offers an introduction to Festival and the chance to ride and care for their horse or pony at the Kentucky Horse Park. Designed for youth members ages 6 to 12 up to the D-2 certification, D Camp features small-group riding instruction, unmounted instruction in the barn, and plenty of fun horse-related activities. Space for this opportunity is limited, so it’s best to sign up early.

Festival Mock Foxhunt

The early morning Mock Foxhunt is a favorite Festival tradition for riders and spectators alike. Run by the local Iroquois Hunt, it will take place at 6:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, July 16, 2026. Both horses and hounds are excited to ride through the cross-country fields at the Kentucky Horse Park. Get up early to learn about Foxhunting and watch the Master of Foxhounds and hounds work.

Festival Education Workshops

USPC Festival workshops offer hands-on learning opportunities for everything horse related. From July 13–15, dozens of workshops are planned. Your Festival Education registration includes access to all unmounted workshops for a customized learning experience.

“We have an exciting lineup of unmounted workshops planned for 2026 Festival Education,” says Jehlik. “No matter where you are in your equestrian journey, there’s something here to learn. Bring your love of horses and get ready to grow your knowledge and get inspired.”

Jim Masterson with Masterson Method will lead daily clinics on reading equine body language, connecting with your horse, understanding behaviors, and training. Additional experts will present on topics such as pre-purchase exams, equine bodywork, conformation, nutrition, and saddle-fitting. Specialty workshops are available to help Pony Clubs members prepare for the highest level of horse management certifications, while interactive sessions will offer opportunities to explore horse sports including Polocrosse Driving, and more.

Join Us for 2026 USPC Festival Education

Festival Education is open to horse lovers of all ages and experience levels. Participants are recommended to be at least 8 years of age, and adults are welcome, too! You do not have to be a Pony Club member to register for Festival education. Visit the Festival page to stay up to date on all 2026 USPC Festival information and sign up for Festival emails to stay in the know. Registration will be opening soon.

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About Stoneleigh-Burnham School

At Stoneleigh-Burnham School, we’re serious about helping our student riders achieve their equestrian dreams and goals. Stoneleigh-Burnham School is one of the few programs boasting an on-campus barn and riding rings with an indoor viewing lounge. Every rider, from beginner to advanced, receives personalized instruction that reflects her interests, goals, and abilities. Licensed coaches provide instruction tailored to all levels with training in equitation, hunters, jumpers, eventing, dressage, and an internship for students looking to take their knowledge beyond the ring. Group classes are typically comprised of four to six students, with great care taken to match ability levels within a group. Private and semi-private lessons are also available.

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