Pony Club Membership in the UK -opening doors for your future!

Are you serious about your riding, wishing to progress to the top in eventing, showjumping or dressage? Would you like to represent your County, or Region, or ultimately your Country in your chosen discipline? Did you know that membership of the Pony Club is one of the best ways to help you achieve this? Would you like to be considered as a young helper the next time a big Equestrian Championship is held in the UK? Are you considering a gap year, working for an International Rider, or a summer job in the USA? Your Pony Club membership will help you!

Some of you will know that the British Equestrian Federation (BEF - the governing body of equestrian sport in GB, with members such as British Eventing, British Showjumping and British Dressage) have programmes to locate and nurture talented riders and horses, to help them gain places in firstly the Youth GB teams, and ultimately represent their country at Senior level in European, World and Olympic Games.

But even before that, there are opportunities to represent your Region (South East or South West in U18 British Eventing Teams, your Area (43 Hampshire) in British Showjumping teams, or your Area  (SW or Central) in Dressage through the BYRDS programme (British Young Riders Dressage Scheme).

Membership of Pony Club opens specific doors to all these opportunities – giving you a much greater chance of success than if you simply compete as an individual in any of the disciplines.

For example, in eventing, a top three placing at the Pony Club Open Championships is one of the criteria required to apply for the BEF England Excel Talent programme – a stepping stone to the World Class Programmes.

Another example is The Pony Club Talent Pathway - a training initiative within the organization, designed to locate talented members on a National level, who will receive specialist coaching, mentoring, and advice on how to progress into the Youth and Senior GB programmes, and is initially open to all Pony Club members who have reached a certain level in their discipline. Another route into the Regional and National programmes, only open to Pony Club members! The 2017 Pathway application details can be found via this link:

http://www.pcuk.org/index.php/training/member_opportunities/riderdevelopmentpathway/

Past and present Hursley members have already benefited hugely from their Pony Club memberships, getting them to high places in the equestrian world! One of our lovely instructors, Beth Bainbridge, is now Senior Rider for International Dressage Trainer and Rider Anna Ross-Davies. Beth was a member of several successful Hursley Dressage Teams at the Pony Club Championships, opening doors for her future International career in dressage.

Our PPC trainer, Julia Knight Jones was a member of the same successful Hursley dressage teams as Beth, and has also represented GB in Trek, both as a rider and a trainer – again, all following their Hursley Branch membership.

Past members, the Knott boys, started their mounted games careers with the Hursley Prince Phillip Cup Team, going to HOYS in 1996, and went on to become members of the world championship winning England team in Senior Mounted Games.

Current member Victoria Leabeater won the Pony Club Open Horse Trials Championships in 2014, and as a result of the training and bursaries from that win, was a selected for the SW Regional Team, winning at the National U18 Championships. She has since been accepted onto the GB Young Rider Programme, gained a place on the Advanced Apprenticeship of Sporting Excellence for her gap year, and is now achieving top 10 placings at 2* level.

Current member George Budden is the reigning National Pony Club Open Boys Tetrathlon Champion, and following his Pony Club successes, was invited to try Modern Pentathlon, and is now a regular member of the GB Modern Pentathlon Youth Teams.

It’s not just riding that benefits from Pony Club membership - current members Beka McFarling and Katharine Roe believes that their Pony Club qualifications and experiences helped them gain a place at Vet School, as, when looking beyond the necessary academic results, the interviewing lecturers knew that at B test standard, their horse management skills would be already be better than most candidates.

Pony Club Tests are internationally recognized qualifications – did you know that at the London Olympics, Young Games Makers wishing to help at the Equestrian Events could only apply if they had their Pony Club B test.

If you are considering a gap year, possibly working for an International rider, or working abroad, perhaps teaching at Camp America, or on a polo ranch in South Africa, Pony Club membership and qualifications will be immediately recognized, and set you above other candidates.

One final point worth noting, is that as a Hursley member, you are lucky enough to have access to subsidised training with some of the region’s top trainers - several of whom are involved in selection for Regional and even National teams -  so Hursley Branch rallies and team training sessions are a great way to get yourself noticed for that step up to the next level in your career!

So although Pony Club is, or course, a fabulous, fun way to learn and enjoy your pony with friends you often keep for life, it can also offer much, much more, opening many doors for your future - especially as you get older! So do make the most of your Pony Club membership- renewals are coming up soon, and we really hope you will all stay with us, and embrace the opportunities offered!

Deborah Leabeater