CLEVELAND PONY CLUB
Welcome to the Cleveland Hunt branch (formed 1935) of The Pony Club. The Pony Club (formed 1929) is a youth organisation aimed at furthering its members knowledge of horsemanship and stable management. The Cleveland Pony Club Committee very much hopes that you will take advantage of and enjoy the activities and tuition that are arranged for you. We aim to provide help for a wide range of abilities; from the complete beginner to the advanced rider. We try to give our members the opportunity to enjoy, learn and compete in all disciplines with other members of their own age who share the love o f horses and ponies. Please do not hesitate to ask if there is anything that you do not understand or have a query about. Any of the Committee members will be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Calendar of events – During the year we hold rallies on a regular basis. We also hold competitions – some of which are only for our Pony Club members and others are open to other Pony Clubs and/or the general public. Competitions take the form of dressage, quizzes, show jumping, Prince Philip Games, one-day events, hunter trials and tetrathlons. In order to fund tuition and training etc. we hold social events we need your participation in these events to make them both successful and financially viable. So please come along and join in!
News- You will receive news through email about events and what is happening in the club.
Age Groups – There is always confusion amongst new members (and also the not so new members too!) on the definition of age groups at Pony Club rallies and competitions. So, please note that unless otherwise stated on the entry form, all Pony Club events are – age as on 1st January of the current year. For example, if your 13th birthday is on the 2nd of January, you are still eligible to compete in Pony Club 12 years and under classes all that year. In the same way, this applies to all ages. The terms ‘Junior’ and ‘Senior’ also cause problems, as these often vary at different events and at Camp. There isn’t a hard and fast rule about this. Usually you become a senior when you start to attend the comprehensive school, but in some cases ‘Juniors’ will be 11 years and under, and others it will be 12 years and under. The answer is, ask one of our Committee members, – especially if you are 11 or 12!
Inter-Branch competitions – During the course of the year other Pony Clubs as well as ourselves hold various competitions which are open to all branches.
Open Area Competitions – Each Pony Club Area runs a series of annual competitions (sort of semi-finals) in the above disciplines. Success at Area level enables the club involved to go and compete at the British Pony Club Championships. Cleveland Pony Club has had considerable success over the years with teams and individuals qualifying, and being placed at the Championships in all disciplines. The Teams representing our Pony Club are trained and chosen by the instructor in charge.
Intermediate and Novice Area Competitions – Show Jumping, Horse Trials and Dressage. This area of competition is of a lower standard than the open competition and is open to all members. *NOTE* – To be considered for a Senior, Intermediate or Novice Area Team, members must have renewed their subs before 28th February and must attend a minimum of 3 Rallies in any one year riding the pony/horse they are competing at area. Camp counts as 1 rally for the following year. It is therefore important to take your Rally Card along to every rally you attend in order for the instructor to record your attendance.
General – Please try to support as many as possible of our social activities and pony events. Remember, the Committee is here to help, so if you have any problems or queries please ring.
We now have a Facebook page where we will be posting news, this is just a web page which anyone one can view (you don’t have to be a Facebook user). Members who are Facebook users are welcome to like the page and post Pony Club news.
Click on the facebook icon to view our page-
Gift Aid-
You are entitled to sign the gift aid declaration if you are an income tax payer or a capital gains tax payer and it will cost you absolutely nothing. As a registered charity The Pony Club can claim back from the Inland Revenue the notional tax. On an individual subscription the Pony Club can get extra money from the taxman! This is a very important source of income for us and helps to run our activities for the year, please complete this part of the form too!
Horse Passport Reminder-
The existing horse passport regulation states that all owners must obtain a passport for each horse they own. Further requirements were brought in last year, which mean all horses issued with a new passport after 30th June 2009, must be micro-chipped. If you have not got a horse passport for your pony please contact Fiona and I will send you some further advice. Remember Owners must ensure their horses are correctly identified and be able to produce the passport without delay in the event of an inspection. The passport must accompany the horse at all times unless stabled or at pasture or moved on foot when the passport can be made available within 3 hours. Failure to comply with the new legislation is punishable by a fine of up to £5000.
A special note to all parents We are always looking for extra help at our events so if you feel you would like to offer assistance in any way please do let one of us know.