N&T PC RULES (2024)
There are a number of important Rules that we, as a Pony Club, have to implement. You will not be able to attend ANY mounted N&T Pony Club activity without complying with them so PLEASE READ VERY CAREFULLY.
To minimise the risks to venues, children, parents, support persons, volunteers and instructors we have implemented the following: Event entries must be made on www.horse-events online in advance of the event. Please park where instructed. The Entrance/Exit Gates onto A1307 to be kept shut at all times EI Horse/Pony Vaccination certificates must be submitted to Victoria Murrell vjadelawson@yahoo.com in advance and comply with current Pony Club rules. All riding hats have to be checked and correctly tagged with the PINK PC tag. If your hat is not tagged they you must take it, dismounted, to your instructor before the designated Rally time. If a Body protector is worn for any Pony Club activity it must meet BETA 2018 Level 3 standard (blue and black label). Spectators to bring own seating – no sitting on jump fences allowed. No dogs are allowed at any venues
We run a number of N&TPC competitions & The Fetlock Ball to raise vital funds for our Pony Club so please, please do not wait to be asked but volunteer to help.
These competitions are vital to enable us to subsidise rallies & camps, to pay for all the test training for our members, to pay for Championship entries, to provide a trainer at Area & Championship competitions, to invest in new equipment & jumps, pay our licence and fees for the use of Horseheath, The British Racing School & Palace House etc.
None of these can be run without all of your support and help.
1. ALL BOOKING FOR N&T TRAINING, RALLIES ETC WILL CLOSE TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE EVENT.
This is to ensure that the correct number of instructors are booked and that they have time, in advance, to plan your tuition.
2. VACCINATION POLICY
The Newmarket & Thurlow Pony Club require ALL horses & ponies taking part in ANY Pony Club activity to be fully vaccinated. Victoria Murrell very kindly collects, records and checks vaccination records for horses and ponies belonging to all of our members.
Please could you scan and email, or photocopy and post a copy of your Horse/Pony Passport to Victoria.
(Cottage 3, Banstead Manor Stud, Cheveley, Newmarket, Suffolk, CB8 9RD or email Victoria – vjadelawson@yahoo.com)
Victoria requires the front page of the passport with the official name of the horse/pony and then the full flu vaccination record (NOT just recent annual boosters, as Victoria needs to check the course was commenced and maintained correctly from the outset).
Victoria will be checking for:- If the course was commenced prior to 1st January 2024, an initial primary course of two vaccinations given 21 – 92 days apart and a third dose administered 150 – 215 days after the v2. If the course was commenced after 1st January 2024, an initial primary course of two vaccinations given 21 – 60 days apart and a third dose administered 120 – 180 days after the v2. Horses may attend events 7 days after receiving the second vaccination of the primary course. (for clarity: no horse or pony may compete on the same day as a relevant injection is given or on any of the 6 days following such an injection) Booster vaccinations must be administered at a maximum of 12 months intervals however horses competing at Area level and above, including Grassroots Regional Championships and the final of the Spring Festival competitions, must have received a booster within the 12 month interval (but not within the 7 days) before arrival at the competition.
The vaccine brand and the inclusion, or not, of tetanus is not important. The vaccines should all be signed (and ideally stamped) by the attending veterinary surgeon on each occasion. Victoria follows-up with monthly e-mails to those about to expire requesting confirmation that a booster has been given.
THIS IS A HUGE UNDERTAKING FOR VICTORIA WHO DOES THIS VOLUNTARILY SO PLEASE MAKE HER JOB AS EASY AS POSSIBLE AND SEND THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ASAP.
ALSO PLEASE INFORM VICTORIA WHEN YOU NO LONGER SELL/LOAN OR NO LONGER HAVE THE PONY REGISTERED ON THE DATABASE
NO PONY CLUB MEMBER IS ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY BRANCH ACTIVITY UNTIL THE VACCINATION RECORD HAS BEEN CHECKED AND APPROVED BY VICTORIA.
3. TEAM SELECTION
If you are selected and accept to be part of any Pony Club Team you must honour this commitment. In the past a significant number of our Pony Club members were pulling out of Area Teams at the very last minute, even the day before. This is totally unacceptable as you are not only letting down your friends and Team mates, but also your trainer and your Pony Club.
We, as a committee, have decided that this behaviour will not be tolerated in the future.
Therefore, unless you present a valid vet or Doctors certificate or have exceptional personal circumstances, withdrawal from a Team Event, once entered, will exclude you from all Newmarket & Thurlow Pony Club Team Events for a year. This is not a decision we have taken lightly as we want to encourage as many of you as possible to be part of a Team but the situation that developed can not be allowed to repeat itself.
Please could you also make sure that you are available for the relevant PC Championships (Check the N&T web site for dates or ask your Sport secretary) if required.
ELIGIBILITY FOR ALL AREA COMPETITIONS AND THE CHAMPIONSHIPS 2024
To be able to represent your Pony Club at ‘Area Competitions’ all Competitors must be members of the N&T Pony Club
The combination of horse/pony and the PC member need to have been instructed by the relevant ‘Discipline/Sport Trainer’ at least once this year to be considered as part of a team for that Discipline.
The combination of horse/pony and the PC member need to have attended at least 3 training days/rallies since the previous 1st July, with the minimum of 1 being in current year.
These can attained by attending the following –
Training with the relevant discipline/sport trainer, Training with another discipline/sport trainer, Any PC Rally including Gymkhana Rallies, PC Camp, Any Area 8 training day, Mounted test training.
It is vital that you have all complied with these qualifications otherwise you will not be able to compete and that would be terribly sad for all of us.
N.B. Your DC has discretion in the case of those who are working or in further education.
4. HAT RULE
To unify hat standards and to avoid riders having to wear multiple tags on their hats, The Pony Club, British Eventing (BE) and British Riding Clubs (BRC) have introduced ONE ‘pink’ hat tag. The tag carries the logo of the body that checks the hat so that tagging can be tracked.
If you have not already done so or have a new hat you can get your hats tagged by Sarah 07855 118471 or Erin 07796 148058.
5. NEW BODY PROTECTOR RULE
If a Body protector is worn for any Pony Club activity it must meet BETA 2018 Level 3 standard (blue and black label).
We are sorry to bombard you with these rather bossy sounding new rules but we hope you all take them in the spirit they are intended and the quicker they are implemented the simpler everything will be.
We would like to thank all of you for being so supportive and we are hugely looking forward to a fun filled and successful year ahead.
6. PONY CLUB WHIP RULE FOR SHOW JUMPING, EVENTING & CROSS COUNTRY.
Narrow handled whips for small hands can be purchased from treehouseonline.co.uk– the Treehouse Showjumping Junior Whip (Black)
WHIP RULE – see www.pcuk.org for full details of use of the whip
Show Jumping and Cross Country only – a whip, if carried, must be held in the hand by the handle with the handle at the top. The whip must be ‘padded.’ The maximum length of the whip is 70cm and must be no less than 45cm. The ‘contact area’ is considered to be two-fifths of the overall length of the whip and must be covered with a ‘pad.’ There must be no ‘binding’ within 17cm of the end of the ‘pad.’ The ‘pad’ must be smooth, with no protrusion or raised surface, and be made of shock absorbing material throughout its circumference such that it gives a compression factor of at least 6mm. There is to be no wording, advertising or personalisation of any kind on the ‘pad.’