Bad Links?
Other glitches?
Notify Webmaster

Fayette County Pony Club garners national attention

Dana Bosworth, 16, along with Lani, 15, and Lisa Young, 18, recently took part in the Pony Club Championships in Lexington, KY. The Fayette County teens competed in two different equestrian disciplines, Dana and Lani in Show Jumping and Lisa in Dressage. The Kentucky trip is just part of the Fayette County teen’s participation in United States Pony Club, a junior equestrian organization with chapters in 30 countries and more than 13,000 members in the United States.

During the rest of the year, in addition to Show Jumping and Dressage, the girls, along with other members of Woodbine Pony Club, participate in Eventing (a combination of dressage, show jumping and cross country), Mounted Games, Tetrathlon (riding, swimming, running and shooting), Vaulting, Polocrosse (a combination of polo and lacrosse), and Horse Management evaluations. A favorite nonriding activity is Quiz, a verbal ‘quiz bowl’ in which Pony Clubbers match their equine knowledge.

“Pony Club” may sound more like a collection of shaggy mounts used for rides at the local fair than a serious equestrian organization. A pony is technically any horse under 14.2 hands or 58 inches tall. Many of the horses used by Pony Club members are larger than that, but the idiom has remained part of the club since its 1928 beginnings in England. In one sense the name focuses more on the youth of the riders than the size of their mounts. There is no absolute minimum age, although members need to be able to lead their mount safely and have control while riding at a walk or trot free of a lead line.

Pony Club members don’t have to own their own horse, but they must have access to one. Horses/ponies of many different breeds, shapes, and sizes are seen in Pony Club activities.

There are numerous benefits to participation in Pony Club. During competitions, the barns are closed to anyone other than the competitors and judges. Competitors prepare for formal inspections, which focus on the cleanliness of the horse, rider and equipment plus the safety of their equipment. They need to prepare for their rides and get to the ring with only the help of their teammates. The kids are responsible for everything. There are no grooms or moms around brushing horses, which is a great way to learn responsibility.

Since the final outcome is based on the entire team’s scores in both horsemanship and riding, members have a chance to hone their leadership skills and their ability to work with others. They develop cooperation, respect for others and friendships as they meet the challenge of working with horses and a team of three to four others.

Although the barns are closed to parents, they play an important role in Pony Club. Parents provide hours of volunteer time to support the activities and structure of the organization.

Pony Club is not merely competitions; the main focus is education. Woodbine Pony Club meets monthly, with most of the get-togethers conducted on horseback. At these meetings, there is also time for an “unmounted” program to learn about such on-the-ground necessities as proper care and feeding of a horse, shoeing and veterinary care.

Learn more about the United States Pony Club by visiting www.ponyclub.org or contact Sally Young at 770-719-0268.