CONGRATULATIONS to the senior games team – Sophie, Eden, Lois, Heledd and Alex – who have qualified for the Championships and are also competing at the Royal Welsh Show. All the dedication and hard work has paid off and good luck at both competitions. Thank you to all the supporters for travelling down to Moreton Morell at the weekend to cheer them on. Full report lower down the newsletter…
Camp Duty Rota for Mini and Main Camp
Parents of campers are needed to help run camp or pay the extra £75 for non helping.
If we don’t get enough help for camp, camp will NOT happen or will only be a day camp.
If you have not already volunteered to help, please let Bethan know which duty (kitchen, pony lines, nightwatch) and day(s) you are available. Everyone is expected to help set up and dismantle camp as well as doing duties during camp (dc@fndponyclub.org.uk). Setting up of camp will be on Thursday 21st July from 6.30pm.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF CAMPERS
There will be a parents meeting on the first morning of Main Camp. It will be held as soon as the rides move off. Please ensure that you turn up for this very important meeting.
Camp T Shirts
Would anyone like to order Camp T Shirts? Please let Iona know: Main or Mini camp, and size. She will then be able to let you know the cost ASAP (secretary@fndponyclub.org.uk).
Branch Survey about the Weekly News
We would like to conduct a survey to see how many of our members read the Weekly News and where. This will enable us to keep all our members up to date with information regarding the Branch and Competitions, so that they do not miss out. Could you please contact us either on Facebook, the Website or by email (secretary@fndponyclub.org.uk).
Combined Training Competition – 11th August
Also: open to all: Thursday 4th August at Marian Bach, Caerwys – Dressage Training in the morning and Dressage Competition after lunch. We will be using the same tests as the Combined Training Competition. Please contact Iona Pierce if interested (secretary@fndponyclub.org.uk).
Volunteer riders
This is a request for riders to volunteer to be guinea pigs at a Step 2 course in Mostyn Farm Ride on 25th August. They will be doing show jumping and cross country, and need to be D+/C standard. Contact Meg if you’re interested (Megww@aol.com).
Area 5 Qualifying Events – in place of Cheshire Shield
East Cheshire propose to arrange for the dressage and show jumping phases of the eventing qualifier to take place on grass arenas at Somerford Park Farm on SATURDAY 16th JULY.
They would propose that these phases, and these phases alone, would decide who qualifies for the Championships, and would expect HQ to accept these results with just one proviso – that those qualifiers could satisfy HQ that they had competed over a cross country course at the relevant level before being allowed to compete at the Championships. This is purely a safety consideration – to ensure that they are capable of tackling such a course.
East Cheshire are now in the process of organising this competition and in the meantime would hope that all branches would support this proposal. They propose to transfer all entries from the full competition to this new competition. Clearly there would be a refund/partial refund of entry fees dependent upon what the individual situation is.
Please note – this competition will only be open to those members who wish to try to qualify for the National Championships.
If you wish to compete at this competition you do not need to do anything – all entries submitted for the competition on the 2nd July will be automatically transferred to this competition. You will receive a refund of your original entry fee paid less £35 for this competition.
If you do NOT wish to compete at this competition, please let Geoff Bell know as soon as possible in which case you will receive a refund of your original entry fee paid less £5 – please be patient.
They will accept entries from members who have not submitted an entry for the 2nd July competition: please use the Cheshire Shield entry form and submit urgently with the entry fee of £35.
Teams will be presumed to remain the same unless notified to the contrary.
If any of you would prefer to donate the money to our nominated Charity, the North West Air Ambulance, please email. Last year they were able to send a donation of £1500 from the event – although they will not be able to achieve that objective this year.
Inter Pony Club Show Jumping at Gatcombe – 6th August
Following the advance warning a couple of weeks ago of a new and exciting Inter Pony Club Show Jumping at the Festival of British Eventing on Saturday 6th August for Novice 90cm competitors at Gatcombe, please find attached a schedule. Enter online: https://www.horse-events.co.uk/event/pony-club-inter-branch-show-jumping-gatcombe-park#.V3QXyrgrJhF
Mounted Games Zone Final – Results
With much anticipation the senior mounted games team of Lois Williams, Sophie and Eden Greaves, Heledd Roberts and Alex Owen headed to Moreton Morrell at the weekend for the zone competition. They were up against some tough teams, including Oakley West who have won HOYS on numerous occasions and their area rivals of WWW, Tanatside and East Cheshire. On top of that, they were facing some tricky races which they had only been practising for 5 weeks.
Regardless, the senior team rose to the occasion, riding as well as they have all year, making 7 out of 10 finals. Funnily enough, the races of concern were the ones they really rode well and got into the finals! They finished a brilliant 5th, qualifying comfortably for the National Championships. The icing on the cake was beating all of the other Area 5 teams. The team were also invited to ride at The Royal Welsh Show, which they might’ve found more exciting than qualifying!
More importantly from a club perspective, the team were a credit to their branch. They smiled all day, enjoyed themselves, behaved impeccably and went straightaway to thank the organisers without being prompted. Much like the Wales football team (they’re coached by a Chris too!) they worked together as a TEAM, and rode with passion and pleasure. So they dare to dream – who knows what the Championship holds?!
Blue Cross Welfare Collage Competition
To celebrate Blue Cross and the Pony Club working together for 10 years, the Blue Cross are giving all Pony Club Members a chance to win a £50 Joules voucher and an invite to their anniversary Pony Club tea party at this year’s Pony Club Championships! To enter the competition, Members should send the Blue Cross a collage to show how your Branch or Centre meets the welfare needs of horses or ponies.
For juniors this can be 5 photos (one for each welfare need) arranged on a piece of A3 paper (as decorative as they want) and for seniors this can be using a photo collage app (like Instagram layout). These can be submitted at the website below. Branch Members are able to use photos of their own horse, and for Pony Club Centre Members the photos can be of different horses that they help to look after at their centre.
We would love for as many Members to enter as possible and there is more info on the Blue Cross website here.
For more information or any questions please email the Blue Cross at ponyclubcomp@bluecross.org.uk.
