And on and on she goes !!!!!!!!!!!
The schedule for Haydock’s November Winter Dressage at Warren farm is now on the calendar. Entries are now open.
THANKS SARAH !
We must express our grateful thanks to Sarah Robertson, who is standing down as our Area 4 Tetrathlon Co-ordinator. Sarah has been incredibly supportive to our Area tetrathletes over the years, and her daughters Charlotte and Emily have both been great ambassadors for the sport. Her role will be taken on by Matt Horn, himself having had family involved in tetrathlon. Good luck Matt !
A FIRST FOR THE ISLE OF MAN BRANCH !
Congratulations to Lucy Parsons from the Isle of Man Branch who passed her B+ test on Tuesday 25th October with Louise Shepherd. Lucy has worked incredibly hard for this and we are delighted for her. The B+ is a new test introduced before the A test and Lucy is the first Manx pony club member to pass it.
2022 Junior World Championships – Zielona Góra, Poland 
 It’s GOLD for Emma Whitaker and Charlie Brown in the Mixed Relay!
After top 10 finishes for both in the individual events, the pair proved to be the perfect partnership to secure the podium in incredible style!
Eventing World Champion started in The Pony Club !
The Isle of Man Equestrian community and the Isle of Man Pony Club have had an extremely exciting weekend. Their very own Golden Girl, Yasmin Ingham Eventing and Banzai Du Loir have been crowned Eventing World Champions!
Sue Davies and Janette Chinn, Banzai’s owners, and World Champion Yas Ingham were all born and bred on the Isle of Man and are great supporters of the Isle of Man Branch of the Pony Club. Several years ago, Sue was guest at a Pony Club demonstration when Yas was a demo rider, and this was where the winning partnership was born. Sue at the time was connected to Mary King but wanted to support a young local rider, Yasmin had talent in abundance and looking back now Sue couldn’t have made a better choice! Yasmin will tell you herself that the Isle of Man pony club is where it all began, and she loved Camp and making fantastic memories with her friends.
Yasmin’s eventing career began at the Area 4 Area eventing at Kelsall which she followed up with a placing in the Open at the Pony Club Champs and at this she was awarded the Jane Holderness-Rodden Bursary. Yasmin went from strength to strength with the help of Sue Davies and her daughter Janette Chinn, she has been world champion from Juniors to now Seniors. Both Sue and Yas are wonderful friends to the Manx Pony Club, and Yas’s former DC Alice Corrin, old riding instructors and many friends she grew up with in Pony Club are incredibly proud of her, she is a true inspiration for current members not only in the Isle of Man but around the country.
Well Done and congratulations Yas, Sue, Janette and the whole Team.
As we start to gear up towards the half terms there is an opportunity for members to find out more about racing at our upcoming Careers Racedays, with a chance to go “behind the scenes”. For emails, the booking form link is as follows: Pony Club Careers Racedays – book my place.
This week Lancaster Branch has lost two very special people.
Doreen was branch secretary for over 30 years and worked tirelessly for the branch, she passed away peacefully with Louise down in Reading, she is fondly remembered by so many members and their families over several generations.
Helena passed away last night having fought a tough battle with cancer. She was a well respected member of the branch having been a member in her youth and then a parent and committee member and finally taking over roll as treasurer in later years. She inspired many a rider and trained our SJ teams to have the will and determination to win and that every turn is possible!
Rest in peace both of you and sending all our love to their respective families.
Area Dressage results are now on the Area Results tab
Fantastic ! Emma Whitaker, ex-Area 4 member, wins BRONZE at the European Modern Pentathlon Championships in Barcelona. Brilliant result Emma, well done.
And now she’s followed it with a SILVER in the Women’s Relay and a SILVER in the Mixed Relay ! I’ve run out of superlatives !
AREA MOUNTED GAMES
Well done to all who took part in the Area Mounted Games competition, and also to all the organisers, trainers, supporters and anyone else involved. We hope you all enjoyed the day.
Pendle’s report of the day – Our report from Area 4 Mounted Games. Well what a day!!! As organisers it’s non stop all day, hoping things run smoothly and the weather gods are nice  It was very busy with 9 Novice teams, 13 Senior teams, 5 Junior teams and 8 sets of pairs with 13 branches and centres represented. The stewards commented on how impressed they were with the standard of competition across the teams, so well done everyone  Pendle showed that practice pays off with our novice team coming a very respectable =4th. Our Senior Witches keeping the pressure on Blackburn for  with our Wizzards team keeping cool heads and quietly picking up points for 7th place. Our Junior team proved that it’s not all about the Seniors to take the win our pairs went on to take 2nd, 3rd and 5th . So a very good day for team Pendle  Next stop Zones for Seniors, Juniors and Pairs.
Games Results 2022
INFORMATION FOR TRIATHLETES AND TETRATHLETES
Information for Triathletes and Tetrathletes
CHANGES TO THE EVENTING RULE BOOK
there is an error in the 2022 Eventing Rule Book and the incorrect test to be used for PC100+ Eventing Dressage is listed. Please note the correct tests below, which are as per the organiser info you have already received:
| Level |
Area Test |
| PC80 Grassroots Regional Competitions |
Grassroots Dressage Test 2018 |
| PC90 & Open PC90 |
PC90 Eventing Test 2013 |
| PC100 |
PC100 Eventing Test 2015 |
| PC100+ |
PC110 Eventing Test 2022 |
| PC110 |
PC110 Eventing Test 2022 |
The rule book is being amended and updated shortly.
A REMINDER OF VACCINATION RULES FOR THE PONY CLUB CHAMPIONSHIPS AT OFFCHURCH BURY :
At the Championship Working Group meeting, it was agreed that DCs should continue to ensure that ALL horses/ponies coming to the Pony Club Championships at Offchurch Bury should have been vaccinated within 6 months and 21days and NOT 7 days prior to the Championships and stop checks will be carried out daily at the Championships by the vets on duty.
This works out that the booster should be given any time from 1st February 2022 but not within the 7 days prior to the day of competing. The minimum time a horse/pony that has not previously been vaccinated or needs to start again due to a lapse in the administration of the vaccination is 28 days. Wed 13th July primary injection, 21days later 2nd injection 3rd August and compete on 11st August (first day of Champs).
PARENTS — An ideal opportunity to find out more about Pony Club. An exclusive Pony Club Parent Webinar “Supporting your Child’s Pony Club Journey” 18:30 Tuesday 10th May 2022 Pony Club Parents Webinar
Competitor times for the Spring Festival are now available on https://www.ponyclubresults.co.uk. Competitors will need to print their own numbers
IMPORTANT NEWS FROM THE OFIICE
An important update to the stirrup rule, comes into effect immediately.
Stirrups should be of the correct size to suit the rider’s boots. They must have 7mm (¼”) clearance on either side of the boot. To find this measurement, tack checkers should move the foot across to one side of the stirrup, with the widest part of the foot on the tread. From the side of the boot to the edge of the stirrup should not be less than 14mm.
There are now many types of stirrups marketed as ‘safety stirrups’. All riders must ensure that their stirrups are suitable for the type of footwear they are wearing and the activities in which they are taking part and that the stirrup leathers are in good condition.
There are no prescribed weight limits on metal stirrups, however with the advent of stirrups of other materials, weight limits are seen to be given by manufacturers. Any person buying these stirrups, should take particular notice if weight limits are on the box or attached information leaflets. Neither the feet nor the stirrup leathers or irons, may be attached to the girth, or the feet attached to the stirrup irons.
It is strongly recommended that the design of the stirrup chosen allows the foot to be released easily in the event of a rider fall. Specific rules for individual sports can be found in the respective sports rulebooks.
Particular focus should be on ensuring that the boot and stirrup are the correct size for the rider taking part and used in line with the manufacturer’s guidance.
For the avoidance of doubt, at Pony Club events.
stirrups which connect the boot and the stirrup magnetically are not allowed
Interlocking boot soles and stirrup Treads are not allowed
Bostock & Free Jump stirrups are not allowed at Pony Club Mounted Games events.
Stirrups which include Metal/ Metal type treads, including but not limited to those with protruding spikes and / or perforated grip features are NOT Permitted.
Congratulations to George K from Lancaster who WON the Minimus Boys at the Pony Club National Winter Triathlon Championships (out of 47 boys) and also had the Best Swim.
XXXX UPDATE XXXX Emma finishes in Bronze position at her first World Cup !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is where Pony Club can take you ! Well done Emma !
WORLD CUP 1 – Cairo, Egypt
Kerenza Bryson, Olivia Green, Jess Varley and Emma Whitaker all maintain top positions to cruise through to the World Cup final.
Overall winners of the 2021-2022 Winter League Mounted Games were Lancaster Dots (Juniors) and Blackburn Bombers (Seniors). Huge thanks to Fylde for putting such a lot of hard work into running this competition and making it so successful
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RESULTS FROM THE PONY CLUB SPRING FESTIVAL ARENA EVENTING AREA 4 AREA QUALIFIER, HELD AT KELSALL HILL ON 13TH MARCH. OUR THANKS TO HAYDOCK AND CHIPPING FOR RUNNING THE SERIES.
Area 4 Results Spring Festival AE Area qualifier
Fylde just wanted to share with you their branch’s volunteering exercise. ”
So today (Sunday 13th March), our members put on their wellies, PC Jumpers with spade in hand and headed to World Horse Welfare at Penny Farm here in Blackpool. They helped plant some 420 trees and I have to say they really all got stuck in and put their backs in to it, not to mention how well they worked as such an amazing team, children and parents. The members were also interviewed by Radio Lancashire and it aired on the radio station at 3pm today. We are very proud of our members and parents for giving up their spare time on a Sunday to help with the planting and supporting our local Horse Welfare Association”.
   
AREA 4 QUIZ Well done to the Oxenholme Fells and the Larkrigg Leopards who took 1st place in the Branch & Centre Competitions respectively. Good luck to both teams in the National Finals.
A reminder for all members competing in Spring Festival area classes at the West Lancs County Show Jumping on 27th February. All horses and ponies in the Area competition must have had a booster vaccination within 12 months of the competition. Also, please note the new whip rule which DOES APPLY TO THE SPRING FESTIVAL AREA competition (padded whips must be used)
PONY CLUB RACING
As you may know, Area 4 hold an annual race day at Haydock Park (next one scheduled for 8th May 2022), which is a fantastic opportunity for our members to experience the adrenaline rush of racing their pony on the hallowed turf of the race course!
Race days are very expensive to run, as we need full paramedic / ambulance and vet /horse ambulance provision, on top of race course costs etc. Entry fees generally cover these big costs, but not the race cards, rosettes, prizes etc. For these we rely on sponsorship.
We want our race day to be special, for our members to make memories that last a lifetime, especially those racing for the first time. Last year we raised sponsorship to create professionally printed 12 page full colour race cards, with rosettes and goody bags for all jockeys, as well as place rosettes, best turned out rosettes & prizes for all races.
This year we would love to repeat this, if we can get the sponsorship we need.
So – can anyone help me out?
Is there someone with great business contacts who would be happy to approach companies for sponsorship?
Is there anyone willing to provide sponsorship themselves? Either personally or through their own company?
Ideally we are looking for
– Prizes for about 9 races, to 6th place
– Goody bags for at least the Beginners races (jockeys racing for the first time). Last year we had 25 entries in the Beginners races, 68 entries across the full race card
– BTO rosettes for each race
– Rosettes to 6th place for each race
– 100-150 (depending on entry numbers) copies of the race card
What do you get in return?
Race card sponsor will have their name at the top of the race card, and full advert on the back cover. Sponsor is also invited to attend race day. Approx cost £200-£250 in cash.
Race sponsors will get a race named after them in the schedule and race card, their name on the rosettes, and an advert in the race card. Sponsors are also invited to attend race day and to present the rosettes & prizes for their race. Minimum cost £100 in prizes or cash
BTO sponsor will have name and business contact details in the racecard, and be invited to attend race day, select their BTO winner of each race, and award the BTO rosettes. Approx cost £20
Rosette sponsors will have name and business contact details in the racecard. Approx cost £10-£15 per set of rosettes
General sponsors will be included in the racecard, depending on level of sponsorship- in line with the above, so £10 gets your business contact details, £100 gives you an advert…
If you can help in any way, please get in touch. We would like to get all sponsorship in place early, well before the schedule is produced, so that we can include sponsor details on the schedule as well as the race card.
If Carlsberg made Mounted Games Chairmen !
The past, present and future Mounted Games Chairmen were together this evening at the Horse Of The Year Show.
A trio of dedicated volunteers united in their passion for the sport we all know and love.
Good Luck to Blackburn and District as they descend on HOYS next week for the Mounted Games Finals.
Daphne Garment and all her family on the death of her husband Gordon, who was President of the Branch. Gordon was a lovely man and a true gentleman. He will be sadly missed.
A brilliant WIN for Lancaster and District’s Maisie, with Bella Nutella in the 128 pony race at Haydock Park. Well done Maisie.
MYERSCOUGH JULY TRAINING COURSES
Bookings now open via Horse Events. See “Dates for your Diary”
RACING TO SCHOOLS TASTER SESSION
Why not try the exciting world of Pony Racing by Booking a Racing to Schools Taster Session?
Racing to Schools are part of the Pony Racing Pathway supported by The Racing Foundation who can help members learn more about the sport and skills needed, all through an interactive and fun session which who knows might set you up for a Career in Racing, just like Hollie Doyle!
Speak with your Branch or Centre about organising one in your area – more information can be found here.
Endurance Regional Rides
Pony Club Endurance are pleased to share the introduction of The Pony Club Regionals in association with Endurance Great Britain (EGB).
These events provide members with the opportunity to participate in Endurance locally and encourage progression through the distances available.
We have three more Endurance Regional Rides coming up for members to join this summer. These are being held in the Midlands, North, and East with a date to be confirmed for a Wales/ Boarders ride.
Find out more about eligibility and how to take part by following this link.
The Great Pony Club Hacking Challenge
Throughout the summer why not get out and explore outside of your arena or field with your Horse or Pony? The Great Pony Club Hacking Challenge helps you to recognise the distances you are covering whilst finding out more about your local area, bridleways and villages or towns.
All your hacking can be recorded on the Rides Tracker to achieve one of the six recognition mile stones, the first one being to cover 25 miles or 40 km by January 2022.
We already have over 150 members signed up to take part and sharing their journey with us through photos and videos. To find out more click here
Share Your Journey to Championships
We are fast approaching our biggest annual event The JCB Pony Club Championships. We are very busy getting ready and Area Qualifiers are taking place all over the country. Big congratulations to those already qualified!
We are looking for Members who are aiming for the championships and would like to document the journey on our social media channels. We would love to have short videos, written diary entries and photos, sharing with fellow Members what it takes to join us at Offchurch Bury in August.
If you are interested, please contact communications@pcuk.org for more information and register your interest.
Tackling Inequalities Fund for Centres
Following the success of the first Tackling Inequalities Fund, which aided 21 centres in the summer of 2020, British Equestrian has been granted a further £150,000 of funding from Sport England to support riding centres that are facing financial hardship as a result of the ongoing pandemic.
The fund is specifically targeted at riding centres and groups delivering activity for participants from lower socio-economic groups or diverse ethnic communities, or those with disabilities or long-term health problems. These centres will have been affected by COVID-19, but have been unable to secure funding or financial support from other sources during this difficult time.
Applications for the fund are open now and are set to close no sooner than Monday 26 July. The online application form can be accessed here, and full guidance and the list of questions is available here. Further information or queries can be addressed to participation@bef.co.uk.
Arena Eventing Fences
Arena Eventing is an exciting addition to our Spring Festival but it is vital that we are all aware of the importance of having the correct type of cross country fence, to reduce the risk of accidents. Portable cross country fences must not be used unless they are in a fixed position in an arena, where is it not possible to secure them to the arena surface, then these fences should have a concrete base.
As always it is important for coaches to walk courses before any coaching session commences, so that the coach can identify which fences are safe to jump.
If you would like more information about portable cross country fences you can click here.
Risk Reduce Portal
As you will be aware we have been working with our insurers, Liberty Specialty Markets and our insurance broker, Howden, to create an online accident report form. The ability to report accidents online has been requested by many of our Branches and we hope that this will make the reporting of incidents that bit quicker and easier for Branch Officials.
The online system used to hold all of the accident reporting forms is called Risk Reduce. Logins to this system have been emailed to all Branches and there is an activation link that needs to be clicked on within 14 days otherwise it will expire. If you have missed the deadline and have let us know we are working through the list with the Risk Reduce technical team to resend the links. When you receive the new link please click on it to ensure you can get access to the system. As we all become familiar with this way of reporting we do hope Branches will feel the benefit of this investment of time and resources.
Health and Safety is paramount at The Pony Club and something we are always reviewing to ensure we limit risk as much as reasonably possible for our Members.
TETRATHON NEWS Well done to Charlie Lavin, Lancaster Branch, part of the North England Tetrathlon team finishing 3rd at Royal Windsor ! Brilliant result.
The Pony Club A Test
The Training Committee took on a project earlier this year to collate feedback and consult with previous A Test candidates to develop the A Test training and assessment process. This was an incredibly valuable and important project to undertake and one that was necessary to uphold the highest standards of our A Test qualification.
The committee have implemented the changes to the A Test journey for candidates applying this year and we are pleased to say we now have dates in the dairy this summer for training and for tests to take place in early autumn. The candidates will benefit from an updated timetable for the test to offer a more user-friendly experience and mentors will now be available offering support to each candidate, sharing valuable knowledge and experiences to support candidates’ preparations. Along with further subtle changes we hope to see candidates growing in confidence and learning throughout the A test journey, ultimately achieving greater success.
We thank you for your patience in awaiting the dates and we look forward to tracking the impact of these improvements as we move forward to 2022.
For more information about the A Test and dates click here.
Event Ticket Discount Code
As event tickets go on sale, we have been contacted by many of you asking for Pony Club discount codes. Today we can release the code for the London International Horse Show taking place on 16th-20th December at ExCel in London.
As a Pony Club Member you have been given a 30% discount on Groups of ten or more and you will also benefit from a reduced booking fee of £1 per ticket. There is no individual offer. This discount is valid for – Thursday afternoon performance, Friday afternoon performance, Sunday evening performance and Monday afternoon and evening performances. The code is in your email, for more information about the event and to book tickets visit – www.londonhorseshow.com
As we have news of any others, we will let you know.
Eventing Scores Website
We know many of you are finding the new www.ponyclubresults.co.uk website a great resource as you are planning events around the country in Areas and Branches. To continue delivering the great service Eventing Scores have provided, they have now recruited a new team member to support us all, which is great news! We very much look forward to seeing them at the Championships.
Congratulations to Jessica Lavin (Lancaster) who has been selected to represent Northern England Tetrathlon at Windsor in July.
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Patrick Print OBE – FBHS 
