Thursday, March 20, 2025 (Columbus, Ohio) – The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) is pleased to announce the winners and honorable mentions of the 2025 Dear Readers and Riders National Essay Contest generously supported by a donation from acclaimed wine columnist, author and equestrian enthusiast, Lettie Teague. The Dear Readers and Riders National Essay Contest pays tribute to the legacy of American children’s book writer, Marguerite Henry, and her lifelong relationship with her readers.
“IEA riders are exactly the readers for whom Marguerite Henry wrote her books: equestrians dedicated to the love and care of the horse,” says Teague. For more than five decades, Marguerite Henry wrote “true” stories of horses, and boys, and girls. That is, they were mostly true “with a little bit of magic” as Marguerite once said. For example, there was a pony named Misty, and she did come from Chincoteague and the Beebe Farm, but she also lived with Marguerite at her home in Illinois for ten years before she returned to Chincoteague to have her first foal.
IEA youth members were encouraged to explore their creativity in storytelling by writing their own true horse story – with a bit of added magic!After 100+ inspiring submissions from across the nation, the following participants stood out for their exceptional creativity, originality, and passion:
Winners and Honorable Mentions
Middle School Winning Essay: IEA is mine
– Dahlia Newman, Grade 7, Silvermine Farm, Zone 1
Middle School Honorable Mention
– Liv Allen, Grade 8, Cranberry Acres Equestrian IEA Team, Zone 1
Upper School Winning Essay: The Horse That Taught Her To Forgive
– Maddie Shoop-Gardner, Grade 10, Woodside, Zone 10
Upper School Honorable Mentions:
– Scout Mortensen, Grade 12, Ojai Valley School, Zone D6
– Josie Arnold, Grade 11, Dream Big Equestrian, Zone 4
Our winners will receive cash prizes of $500.00 for Middle School and $1,000.00 for Upper School, along with an autographed copy of Dear Readers and Riders: The Beloved Books, Faithful Fans, and Hidden Private Life of Marguerite Henry by Lettie Teague. Additionally, their essays will be published in the 2025 IEA Hunt Seat National Finals program celebrating their creative efforts.
“Lettie’s support of IEA programming as well as her commitment to young rider development is invaluable,” says Kathryn Dando, IEA Resource Development Director. “IEA was thrilled to see our students’ creativity blossom!” The Dear Readers and Riders National Essay contest aims to inspire a new generation of equestrian writers and enthusiasts.
We congratulate all our winners and honorable mentions for their outstanding contributions and thank every participant who shared their original true horse stories with us. These essays reflected the contestants’ dedication and love for equestrian life as well as their passion for writing. The IEA looks forward to fostering continued appreciation for our young readers and riders through future contests and initiatives.
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ABOUT THE INTERSCHOLASTIC EQUESTRIAN ASSOCIATION
Inclusive. Equitable. Affordable. The Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to promoting lifelong involvement in equestrian athletics by offering competitive and educational opportunities for students in grades 4-12 through our unique draw-based format.
This format allows young riders to compete without the additional expense of owning horses or riding equipment thanks to the shared resources provided by our IEA community of equestrians committed to fostering the growth and development of young athletes. Good horsemanship and honorable participation are priorities at every event. IEA has nearly 15,000 members across the United States participating in
Hunt Seat, Western and Dressage disciplines. For more information, visit www.RideIEA.org.
ABOUT LETTIE TEAGUE
Lettie Teaguehas been The Wall Street Journal’s wine columnist since 2010. Before joining the Journal, Teague was the executive wine editor and columnist for Food & Wine magazine. She is the author of two books, Wine in Words and Educating Peter, and co-author and illustrator of Fear of Wine. Her writing has won three James Beard Awards, including the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award.
More importantly, Teague has been a fan of bestselling children’s book author Marguerite Henry since she was nine years old. A horsewoman as well as an oenophile, Teague’s first horseback ride took place around the same time as her first Marguerite Henry book (Born to Trot) and she, like Henry, grew up in the Midwest aspiring to be a writer. Teague’s latest book, Dear Readers and Riders: A Biography, The Beloved Books, Faithful Fans and Hidden Private Life of Marguerite Henry was published by Trafalgar Square Books in the spring of 2024.
Teague is currently based in New Jersey, which she proudly notes happens to have one of the highest horse populations in America. As Teague points out, it may be called the “Garden State” but it might as well be entitled “The Horsiest State.” (Teague is working on this as a proposed license plate.)
Media Contact:
Kathy Dando
Director of Resource Development
C: 717.903.4792 | O: 1-877-RIDE-IEA
kdando@rideiea.org