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 2026 Roger Elder Memorial Coach Sportsmanship Award. Current Western Committee members are eligible. Any nominated Committee members will be recused from the review and decision.
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 western and hunt seat IEA and have coached hundreds of kids through their program.