Pony Club
The Pony Club is one of the most popular young equestrian organisations in the world; it is a club for children and young adults until they turn 21, with an optional extension to 25 years of age. It originated in England in 1929 with 700 members. There are branches in 30 countries all over the world. Although the name Pony Club implies that only ponies are allowed to be ridden, any height horse is acceptable. It was named The Pony Club because it was originally started in England where children learn to ride on one of the nine breeds of native ponies found in Great Britain.
USPC
In America Pony Club began in 1954 and it is called the USPC or United States Pony Club. USPC headquarters is at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The USPC ideal is to teach children to be well rounded horse people with complete knowledge of riding on the flat, jumping, riding in the open and horse care. Their Mission Statement is "The mission of the United States Pony Clubs is to provide a program for youth that teaches riding, mounted sports, and the care of horses and ponies, thereby developing responsibility, moral judgment, leadership and self-confidence."-Pony Club Mission Statement
Clubs
There are over 600 clubs in the United States and over 12,000 members. Kids have to have access to a horse or pony but they do not have to own one. Many programs are offered including dressage, cross-country, show-jumping, mounted games, tetrathlon, horsemanship, vaulting, foxhunting, polo, and polocrosse. Not all programs will be offered in every club so be sure to check what is offered in your area. Pony Club includes unmounted meetings where children are taught about the health and care of their horses. Some of the unmounted lessons are feeding, shoeing and veterinary care. Under adult supervision, some of the more experienced Pony Clubbers may instruct and assist younger members.
Ratings
One of the aspects that makes Pony Club one of the most popular and highly regarded equestrian instructional programs in the world is their rating system. When a child enters Pony Club they are unrated they can begin to test into the higher ratings beginning with D-1 then D-2,D-3,C-1,C-2,C-3,B,H-A and finally A. D-1 through C-2 are local ratings given at the club level with the C-3, B, H-A, and A are at the National level. In the UK, the tests start with D (the lowest) and proceed through D+, C, C+, B, AH and A. The last three are awarded after riders have been tested by outside examiners appointed by Pony Club Headquarters.
The USPC has recently begun specialized ratings, focusing on eventing (the traditional format), dressage, or show jumping. Beginning at the C-3 level, the candidate may choose a path and follow that discipline through to the A rating. These ratings would go as follows:
- Eventing (traditional): C-3 approx. training level, B approx. preliminary level, A approx. intermediate level
- Show Jumping: C-3 rides 3'3-3'6" (level II-III jumpers), B rides 3'9" (level III-IV jumpers), A rides 4'3" (level V-VI jumpers)
- Dressage: C-3 approx. first level, B second level, A third level Th
All riders would still be required to take their H/H-A rating.
Competitions
Competions are held annually for Dressage, Show-Jumping, Eventing, Games, and Quiz/ Horsemanship. The competitions are known as rallies and they are team rather than individual competitions. Quiz questions are asked for each particular members rating level with varying degrees of difficulty. Questions cover such areas as equine nutrition, conformation, competition rules, riding skills, vetrinary knowledge, and equine first aid. National Championships are held every three years at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. This event normally brings over 4,000 Pony Club members and has educational clinics in addition to the competitions.
External link
Misc. Errata
The Pony Club is also the title of a little-known independant film by a comedy troupe in Texas. It chronicals the tale of two detectives hot on the trail of a McDonalds theft ring based out of the Pony Club. It stars Ryan as the figment of Pony's imagination, Zach as Pony, the evil mastermind obsessed with lesbian Lego horses, and Jarrod (Billy) and James as Oreo loving detectives determined to bust the case. Also starring were Laura and Lesbian Horse #2. It has a thrillingly satisfactory climax as the figment and the detective fight it out in a lightsaber duel over the death of Billy. Afterwards are funny out-takes and a music video to Weezer's Island in the Sun. This group is also famed for doing Lord of the Ticket and Topiest Gun. --This entry edited by tbe filmmakers
NZPCA
NZPCA is an Association of 82 Clubs encompassing 250 Branches which work together to promote and improve the quality of riding and horse management instruction for riders and their coaches throughout New Zealand.
History
The formation of the New Zealand Pony Clubs Association began in 1944, when Dorothy Campbell read about the British Horse Society and Pony Club in the magazine Riding, which inspired her to write to the secretary of the organisation.
At that time, many children in New Zealand were growing up on farms and most had ponies and often rode them to get to school. There was no television and not as many other sports activities available as there are now. So these children spent a lot of time with their ponies, but there was often no instruction available to teach them to ride safely or to care for their ponies properly.
Dorothy Campbell thought that both children and ponies would benefit from some organised activities and she arranged to hold a first fund raising gymkhana in Hawkes Bay. She was amazed by the number of riders who attended.
As a result of this enthusiasm, Dorothy established the Heretaunga Pony Club, which became affiliated to the British organisation. Over the next two years, quite a number of other pony clubs were formed, and a meeting was called in Palmerston North on 15th October 1946, at which the NZPCA was formed.
From this beginning, the NZPCA has grown to encompass 16 Areas with 82 Clubs and 250 Branches throughout New Zealand.