Ontario Collegiate Equestrian Association
The OCEA offers catch-riding-based hunter-equitation classes to riders of various skill levels. Entirely run by students, it relies on kind donations from those involved in the equestrian industry.
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Competing riders require only their own show apparel to compete. Horses and tack are provided by each show's host school.
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Competing on the OCEA entails being assigned to one of four divisions. Riders in each division will compete in an over fences class and a under saddle class, and will ride a different horse for each.
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Riders are not permitted to interact with, or warm up their horse prior to competition. Each horse will receive an appropriate warmup by a qualified individual to ensure they are ready for competition.
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Competitors will mount their draw with the help of the team captains, and then immediately compete in their classes.
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These shows are very valuable for riders to gauge their current skill level, and to demonstrate their growth should they continue with the circuit throughout their education.
The History of the OCEA
The OCEA, previously known as the OUEA, was officially founded in 2007 by a group of dedicated and hardworking university students. The original goal of the organization was to offer students a way to continue riding and competing without the same financial and time commitments traditionally associated with the sport. The OUEA was originally structured based on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) in the USA, but over time has evolved into something truly its own. Like the IHSA, the OCEA offers equitation classes to riders ranging in ability, and riders compete on donated horses which they ideally have not previously ridden.
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The OCEA started out with only seven member universities from south-central Ontario (Brock, McMaster, Guelph, Waterloo, Western, Laurier, and Trent) and over the years has grown to include schools from across Ontario and Quebec. We currently have 21 schools involved in the OCEA, and as such have divided the organization into north, east, central, and west. By dividing into zones, travel times were reduced, but more importantly, this allowed for each school to send more riders to every show.
Despite the organization’s rapid growth, it is still entirely run by students and relies on kind donations from those involved in the equestrian industry. Several students and recent alumni from many different member schools make up the OCEA Executive Team, and they are responsible for the overall management of the organization. Individual shows are run by member teams and the majority of teams each host at least one show per season.
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