The Roger Elder Memorial Coach Sportsmanship Award 2024
Nominations Due:  Wednesday, April 17, 2024

ABOUT THIS AWARD
In 2021, the Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA) thought it fitting to honor long-time IEA coach Roger Elder by renaming the IEA Coach Sportsmanship Award at Western National Finals to become a new perpetual trophy titled The Roger Elder Memorial Coach Sportsmanship Award.  This new award not only recognizes good sportsmanship at National Finals, but throughout the entire season.  The IEA Western Committee has developed criteria and nomination process detailed below.  This award in Roger’s name was graciously donated by members of the Tennessee Quarter Horse Association as well as friends and fans of Roger from IEA and the Western community.

The IEA Western Committee will choose a recipient based on nominations for the 2024 Roger Elder Memorial Coach Sportsmanship Award.  Current Western Committee members are ineligible.

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ABOUT ROGER ELDER

For those of you that knew him, no one would argue that the epitome of good Coach Sportsmanship was held by the late Roger Dale Elder.  Unfortunately, Roger left us on January 21, 2021 at the age of 71.  

Roger Elder was a cowboy. Easy to smile and quick with a joke or a story, his life was patchworked with tales of road life adventures, cowboy escapades, a matchless work ethic, deep devotion to children and horses, an uncanny ability to fix anything with hay string and he could teach anyone to two-step.

If you knew Roger, you knew the love of his life, Sandra. Theirs was a love that could write a thousand songs, and they shared a life full of family and horses. They loved life together – from rodeo bible camps to covered arenas, they took on projects that meant a lot to them and would mean a lot to everyone else in their lives. They were partners in every sense of the word.

He rode through life on a horse, tractor or down the highway behind the wheel of a truck. With the road always in front of him and his family square in his heart, Roger understood what it would take to make his family’s dreams come true. And his family was big and included generations of kids and boarders at the Elder’s Last Lap Ranch, hundreds of 4-Hers and American Quarter Horse Association members, industry friends and colleagues, and his own cherished family. In short, he gave a lot more than he got. But he would tell you differently; he would say that his life was rich with the joy of helping others, the love of family, and earnest appreciation of endless possibilities. He was surrounded by friends that had the common goal of helping people find the love of horses, but more importantly, showed them what that love would bring back to them tenfold. He was a business owner of Elder’s Last Lap Ranch and Double R Sales and Associates. He volunteered his time to ensure the future of the industry to which he was so devoted. He was an AQHA Director, Judge, Breeder, Steward, the AQHA National Youth Committee Chairman, and he sat on two Tennessee Governor’s commissions for horse racing and animal welfare.  

Both Roger and Sandra have been long time IEA Coaches and supporters of both the western and hunt seat IEA programs and have coached hundreds of kids through their program.  

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CRITERIA FOR NOMINATIONS:

Individuals to be considered for the annual Roger Elder Memorial Coach Sportsmanship award should exemplify the following standards of excellent sportsmanship shown by Roger:

• Individuals who know how to win the right way. The best coaches refuse to bend or break the rules to keep their teams on top and require the same from their riders. They set an example for everyone to follow.
• Individuals who conduct themselves in an honorable way in and out the arena. Examples should be given of the coach promoting sportsmanship not only to their team but also to opposing teams and officials.
• Individuals who show initiative in promoting positive growth of equestrian sport and industry - not only through youth involvement but outreach to other professionals, new coaches, and the wider community.
• Individuals who encourage riders to excel in the classroom, expand horsemanship knowledge and life skills so they can be successful in life.
• Individuals who recognize success not only seen in wins, but in year-over-year improvements by the coach, riders, and team.

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ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must be a current or former IEA Western coach.
• Must be nominated by any IEA member in good standing (IEA member includes riders, coaches, adult contributing members, or stewards), however an individual may only be nominated once per year. (Multiple nominations will not factor into the decision. Team members should coordinate when submitting a nomination so only one write-up is submitted for committee review).
• Nominations must be received by midnight on Wednesday, April 15, 2024 via the attached google form below.
• Nominated individuals will be considered for the award by current Western Committee members and the winner will be announced during the 2023 IEA Western National Finals.
• The following current IEA Western Committee Members are not eligible to be nominated in 2024:  Jessica Bein, Dustin Boehmer, Tammy Braham, Rebecca Halvorson, Chris McElyea, Katie Morehead, Amanda Pope, Kelsey Ebke, Suzanne Ferris and Christy Landwehr.