WASHINGTON, June 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — STRIDER, the premier equestrian booking platform in North America, today announced it has collaborated with PayPal to innovate payment processing for United States Pony Club (USPC) events, benefiting over 475 clubs across the country, through STRIDER’s popular “Give Back” initiative.
As the 2024 Summer Olympics approach in a few months, the U.S. equine industry is valued at approximately $177 billion, with equestrian activities and payments contributing an estimated $5 billion to the market1. Historically, the absence of a secure and convenient digital payment solution that shields small businesses and associations from digital processing fees has stunted industry growth. The innovative StriderPay payment processing system launched last year, a collaborative effort between STRIDER and PayPal integrated into the Strider Entry Platform, effectively addresses this challenge.
STRIDER’s “Give Back” initiative enables participating United States Pony Clubs to use StriderPay to process digital payments at a discounted rate across credit/debit cards, Venmo and PayPal, eliminating the need for clubs to accept time-consuming paper checks. Through StriderPay, participating clubs can also earn up to 2% back on entry fees. This transition to digital payments not only broadens access to Pony Club events in the broader community but also improves revenue generation for clubs, securing their ongoing success.
Brittanie Webster, Director of Customer Success Management at PayPal, stated,”At PayPal, we’re thrilled to work with Strider to bring innovative payment solutions to the equestrian community. We’re excited to see the positive impact this integration will have on the industry,”
Top equine professionals, to include multiple Olympic equestrians in dressage, show-jumping, and eventing, often credit competitive events organized by local Pony Clubs as being instrumental during their formative years, emphasizing the long-term market impact that such events have.
Natasha Sprengers-Levine, Chief Operating Officer at Strider, USDF Bronze & Silver Medalist, and a Pony Club graduate, said, ” As someone who has paid by paper check for Pony Club events, it has been a very rewarding journey collaborating with PayPal to smoothly transition Pony Clubs over to digital payments. As we see more attention to equestrian sport with the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, it’s a win-win for all to expand access to the grassroot competitions.”
The Rio Grande Region-United States Pony Club, who recently converted to StriderPay, has 10 clubs and two riding centers, each hosting multiple competitive and educational events for riders. Amy Etheridge, Vice Regional Supervisor for Rio Grande Region Pony Club, noted, “It’s important for Pony Club to move online. [The Strider Entry Platform] makes it seamless.”
Building on STRIDER’s successful entry into the dressage, eventing, and show jumping markets, this development further cements STRIDER’s role as the industry leader in processing entries to competitive equestrian events. STRIDER is committed to elevating the equestrian community and fostering the growth and accessibility of Pony Club events for riders and enthusiasts nationwide.
About STRIDER
STRIDER is the leading market provider in equestrian sport for digital entries and payments, supporting over 1.2M equestrians annually with its suite of innovative software solutions. For information about STRIDER’s products and seamless revenue collection in collaboration with PayPal, please visit www.striderpro.com.
SOURCE STRIDER
