Equestrian
THIS year is a special one for The Pony Club. It is the organisation’s 90th anniversary and the celebrations have gone global.
Ride around the World, in August, saw 27 different countries, starting in Australia, come together using social media to share their Pony Club activities and experiences.
There have been some amazing activities delivered to mark the anniversary. Members have been asked to get involved and help mark the date in their own branches.
So as part of these 90th Birthday celebrations The Zetland Hunt Pony Club organised a pleasure ride.
With kind permission from Captain Nigel Pease and family, the Pony Club held the ride at Streatlam Park, allowing access to beautiful parkland not normally accessible to the public.
The event attracted many members of the Pony Club from Area 2 and the public who rode their horses and ponies on either the eight mile route through parkland, forestry and moorland tracks or a shorter version of three miles.
The ride was organised by Marianne Watts and Zetland Hunt PC district commissioner Andrea Bartlett and involved a large team of stewards and volunteers to ensure the ride ran smoothly.
In addition to the pleasure ride, there was the added option of clear round jumping on the day, in which funds raised were donated to the charity Help for Heroes.
The festivities were celebrated with a fabulous 90th unicorn birthday cake made by Area 2 representative Sheila Clifford.
An anniversary celebratory book marking 90 years of fun, friendship and horsemanship was also awarded to Karen Cotton, whose grandmother, alongside Lady Barnard, were the co-founders of the Zetland Hunt Pony Club.
The club would wish to thank those who attended and the volunteers who gave up their time to help mark the 90th birthday celebrations.
The Pony Club was formed in 1929 and is the fourth biggest youth organisation in the UK with near 40,000 members and the biggest equestrian youth organisation in the world.
It is dedicated to teaching young people to ride, care for horses and to develop into well rounded members of society.
The Pony Club has also helped produce the overwhelming majority of leading international riders, both past and present – 11 out of 12 riders for the UK Olympic team in Rio were Pony Club graduates.
Membership is open to anyone up to the age of 25. Anyone from total novices to those with more experience is welcome to join.
Through learning, training and assessment, the standards of riding and horse care are developed.
Members are given access to a wide range of equestrian sports.
Branch membership is for those with access to a horse or pony, and centre membership is for those without access to a horse or pony.
If you would be interested in joining the Zetland Hunt Pony Club, contact ZHPC secretary Jeanette Crompton at lawrence.crompton @btinternet.com.
J Richardson
