Junior Riders

Juniors are a vital part of endurance riding and the American Endurance Ride Conference. We encourage all members to encourage junior riders -- they are the future of endurance riding.

Juniors are those AERC members who are under 16 years of age as of the first day of the ride season each year (December 1).

AERC Rule 10 refers specifically to junior riders, in both endurance and limited distance rides:

Learn more about AERC and Juniors:

• Junior FAQ. Here's a lot of information for juniors (and parents of juniors) new to endurance.



• Junior Awards. This describes the awards which AERC junior riders are eligible to compete for each ride season. (Good luck!)



• Ensuring success as a junior sponsor. Determining when your junior is ready for riding, and great tips for keeping the junior's excitement about riding alive as they get older.



• Safety considerations for junior riders. A mom (and veterinarian) discusses equipment and other safety considerations for helping juniors feel competent and confident on the endurance trail.



• Stepping up from junior to senior level. Ready to ride alone? This tells you who is eligible to ride as an unsponsored junior, and gives you the pros and cons of making the leap.

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