Area competitions are a chance to represent Seskinore Harriers Branch as an individual or part of a team and compete against Branches and Centres in Area 17 (NI) and have fun.
Pony Club Quiz Mid Antrim Branch
Sunday 9th March @ Ballymena Rugby Club
Horse and Pony Care East Antrim Branch
Sunday 6th April @ Knockagh View Equestrian Centre
Mounted Games East Down Branch
Saturday 24th May @ Rosemary Gill’s,
Anahilt
Area Dressage Tullylagan Branch
Sunday 22nd June @ The Meadows Equestrian
Centre Embankment Road
Lurgan, BT66 6FD
Area Eventing Route Branch
Saturday 28th June @ Dirraw Farm
Dirraw House
Ballymoney
BT53 7LB
Area Show Jumping Seskinore Harriers Branch
Monday 7th July @ Castle Irvine
Necarne Demesne, Irvinestown
BT94 1GG
Tetrathlon North Down Branch
Saturday 19th & Sunday 20th July @ Ards & tbc
Home Championships North Derry & Route Branch
Monday 25th August @ tbc
Members should express an interest in competing at the Area 17 competitions and indicate the level they wish to compete at. The DC’s in consultation with instructors will ensure that they are competent and safe to compete at their chosen level.
Members are expected to attend rallies and PC events regularly and show commitment to the Branch in order to be considered for teams.
The Pony Club Regional Championships are an entry level team competition in Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing which are ideal for the more novice Branch and Centre Members. They’re a perfect stepping stone for anyone looking to compete at The Pony Club National Championships in the future!
PC70 & PC80 are Regional Qualifiers
HOME CHAMPIONSHIPS
Home Championships is a competition unique to Area 17 and is intended as a ‘stepping stone’ to Area and Affiliated competition. Riders gain a deeper understanding of the different disciplines open to them.
Home Championships is split into three phases:
Dressage
Dressage tests are performed in a 20 x 40 metre arena.
Dressage is about showing the judge that you can get your pony to do what you want him to do, when you want him to do it. When riding a dressage test the pony and rider are judged on how they perform a series of movements. The judge is looking for smoothness, suppleness and obedience of the pony, accuracy from the rider and the overall harmony of the pony and rider partnership.
Within the test there are separate movements that flow from one movement to the next, each movement is marked from 0-10. 10 being excellent, 5 sufficient and 0 no movement was performed. At the end of each test, the dressage judge also gives four general impression scores for the performance. All the points are then added and divided by the total possible score to give a percentage mark for that test performed by horse and rider.
Show Jumping
The second phase takes place in the show jumping arena over a course of show jumps.
Cross Country
Finally, the cross country phase is designed to test the horse and rider’s ability over a variety of fixed fences and undulating ground, it should also demonstrate the rider’s knowledge of pace and the use of his horse across country.
Scoring
At the end of the competition, scores for all the competitors are totalled. Each test is scored individually and the penalties accrued are added together for the final results. The lowest score is the winning score. In the case of a team competition, the individual scores of each of the four team members are added together. If all four team members have completed the competition the best three scores count and the team with the lowest team total is pronounced the winner.
Classes
There are various classes available.40cm assisted40cm60cm80cm
Area 17 Blue Cross Horse and Pony Care
The competition features teams of three Members who demonstrate their knowledge and practical horsemanship skills taken from the Pony Club Efficiency Tests over a number of rounds.
Teams compete at their Area Competition with the aim to qualify for the Championships.
There are three levels:
Mini – Teams to consist of three members aged 10 years and under on the 1st January of the competition year, with one member to be 8 years or under. Questions to be based on the Care section of the E, D and easier parts of the D+ Efficiency Tests.
Junior – Teams to consist of three members aged 13 years and under on the 1st January of the competition year, with one member to be 11 years or under. Questions to be based on the Care section of the D, D+, C and easier parts of the C+ Efficiency Tests.
Senior – Teams to consist of three members aged 25 years and under on the 1st January of the competition year, with one member to be 16 years or under. Questions to be based on the Care section of the C+, B and AH Efficiency Tests.
Teams make their way around different ‘stations’, each of which will comprise of a different theory or practical based topic. Ten minutes are spent at each ‘station’, during which time Members are asked a series of questions to be marked by the Assessor.
Dress should be appropriate to a working yard environment. Pony Club sweatshirts, shirt and tie, jodphurs, boots, gloves and hats are expected.
Points will be allocated per section, as well as for the manner in which Teams approach the competition. One round will be chosen, at random, as the ‘tie-breaker’. In the event of a tie, the Team with the highest score in that particular round will be declared the winners.