The 2016 Time to Ride Challenge, a nationwide grassroots contest designed to introduce new people to horses, began June 1 for hundreds of competing stables, clubs, and other equine businesses.

Event hosts will compete through Sept. 30 by putting on beginner-friendly events designed to safely introduce horse-interested families to equine activities and encourage them to become regularly involved in riding. Hosts who introduce the greatest number of newcomers to horses can win up to $10,000 cash and related prizes in three divisions: small, medium, and large.

In preparation for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the United States Olympic Committee has aligned with First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative to bring 25,000 new young people into equestrian sports, thereby increaseing opportunities for physical activity among the nation’s youth.

Since 2014, the challenge has introduced more than 60,000 new people to horses through hundreds of stables nationwide. Horse professionals who join the challenge work hard to plan and produce events, but their efforts are rewarded many times over with the growth in their businesses eclipsing even the coveted cash prizes. In a 2015 survey, 65.5% of participating stables saw a positive increase in their business as a result of the challenge and 9.1% reported gaining 15 or more new clients