Thank you to every one who completed the Gift Aid section on the membership form this year. You saved the Branch £1,415.00 by doing so. We thought that you might also like to know that we have 201 members: 31 are male members and 27 are over the age of 18.

Show Jumping at Ystrad

At Ystrad on Saturday 28th March. The charge is £5 for 2 classes. Entry is on the day but Iona does need to know which 2 classes you are entering please, so that Ishecan work out the times of all the classes. Each competitor will jump 2 rounds, the second round will be timed. This is an ideal opportunity for members to jump a full course of coloured jumps, learn how to walk a course and remember it!

  • The first class at 10.30 am is Lead Rein.

Followed by:

  • Just off Lead Rein/very Novice
  • 50 cms  (approx 18“)
  • 60 cms ( approx 2‘)
  • 70 cms  (approx 2‘ 6“)
  • 80 cms  ( approx 2‘ 9“)

Llysfaen Rally

Spaces available at a rally with Helen Amor-Thomas on April 8th at Plas Farm, Betws yn Rhos. All abilities catered for. Please contact Aloma (johnaloma@tiscali.co.uk).

Safeguarding Course

Please note safeguarding course being put on in Area 5:

5 26th March 2015 18:30 – 22:00 Bangor-on-Dee Racecourse, Overton Road, Bangor -on-Dee, Wrexham, Clwyd, LL13 0DA http://events.pcuk.org/?page_id=1691

Fun Triathlon & Easter Egg Hunt

Sunday 5th April at Lleweni Hall, Denbigh LL16 4BW. Triathlon – bucket / target mat. Show Jumping – small, fun, any help from parents. The aim is to get all members around a very small course, then a 1000m run. Ending with egg treasure hunt on horseback.

Members to make Easter bonnet to fit over riding hat for best hat comp.  Starting at 10.00am. Charge £5. Please email Corrine to book in (corrinhickerton@hotmail.com).

Novice Show Jumping Lesson/Competition

Thursday 9th April at Ystrad, Denbigh. Small groups and a rosette for each competitor. Charge £10.00. Please contact Ceri (alwyncaemelwr@hotmail.co.uk).

Llanasa Rally

A couple of spaces available on next week’s rally on Monday 30th March at Northop with Helen Amor Thomas. Please contact Jude Bennett to book a space (judeb69@gmail.com).

Poisonous Plants & Perfect Paddock Badge Day

The mini and main poisonous badge and the main perfect paddock badge are being held on Thursday 9th April not Friday 10th April. Email Jude Bennett if you wish to attend, and if those already booked onto the badge can please confirm that they are still able to attend on the 9th April (judeb69@gmail.com).

Cheshire Hunt North One Day Event

Please find attached the Schedule for a One Day Event to be held at Smallwood Livery Centre on 3rd May 2015. The competition offers classes at 80cm, 90cm and 100cm and incorporates the Rose Bowl and Area 5 Tetrathlon (XC phase).

Competition Badges

The Pony Club Competition Badge range has been designed to highlight the important issues in each of the nine competitive disciplines and encourage good training of horses and ponies. The Pony Club disciplines are:

  • Dressage
  • Eventing
  • Show Jumping
  • Mounted Games
  • Polo
  • Polocrosse
  • Pony Racing
  • Tetrathlon
  • Endurance Riding

The badges are based on The Pony Club Achievement and Mini Achievement Badge ranges, which mainly cover horse and pony care or non-equine related subjects. We hope that the Competition badges will complete the set of badges and provide riders with fun opportunities to improve their riding or learn new skills in a discipline they haven’t tried before.

There are two levels of badge for each Discipline:

  • “Intro to [discipline] badge” – for younger or less experienced Members who are just starting out in the discipline. This badge will help you understand the basics to help you get ready to compete.
  • “[Discipline] badge” – for slightly older or more experienced Members who are ready to or have already started to compete in the discipline. It will help you to understand the rules of the discipline and what is expected of the horse and rider in order to be successful in a competition.

Both levels of the Competition Badges can be worked on, practised for and tested during rallies, camps or lessons. Please note that all the skills for the Badges must be signed by either Trainer, Instructor or Rally Organiser. Please email Iona (garethion@hotmail.com) if you would like more information about any of the Competition Badges.

3 Rally Rule

Just a reminder to all members. Now is the time to ensure you have attended the 3 Rallies required to attend camp and to be in Branch Teams. Training of any sort does not count as a Rally. Camp Forms will be available in May and we will need the dates of the 3 rallies you have attended.

Badges

Please check how many Badges you have. On gaining 21 Achievement Badges or 14 Mini Achievement Badges, a Gold Badge and certificate can be awarded. Please let Iona know if you qualify so that she can order the Gold Badges for you.

Winter League Show Jumping – Results

Thank you to all that travelled to Somerford for the last Winter League Show Jumping competition on 15th March, and we were glad that everyone got to compete in various clases, even though one full lorry with 3 of our ponies and riders sat on the M56 for 2 1/2 hours after a blowout!!

  • Class 1, and following a last minute team change, the team of Orlagh Toner & Lucky Charm, Carys Ann Roberts & Travis, Leah Jones & Koda Dakota and Amelia Clemence & Frazer all rode double clears, just a fraction slow in the timed round, but a well deserved 4th team placing for them. A lovely end to the season for them all.
  • Class 2 and the team of Jac Cernyw & Gorgeous George, Tegan Houston & Solitaire, Lois Williams & Jim and Hermione Williams & Spike weren’t quite together today: two lovely double clears from Tegan Houston and Lois Williams and a team placing of 5th.
  • Class 3, and lovely double clears for Ffion Thomas & Conker, Georgia Jones & Simba and Harriet Williams & Flynn. Team 4th for them today: a good result for a young team.
  • Heidi O’Brien & Johnson were in a mixed team in the Open, and it was a lovely day for both of them, gaining team 3rd and individual 2nd, and then an incredible double clear and win in the Dengie Area Qualifier.
  • The improvers class was a lovely class added at the final, and Twm Cernyw & Tululah came home with 2nd, Faye Jones was 3rd and Harri Wyn-Wheway & Wilma were 6th.

We also had various riders in the fun pairs competition, and all our riders enjoyed a lovely day with the added bonus of the league placings at the end:

  • Class 1: the Flint & Denbigh Hunt team came home with 2nd placing on the final table
  • Class 2: ‘ WE WON’! A super achievement for all the riders that have been involved throughout the season, and it does show that team work works!!
  • Class 3: 2nd place for yet again mostly a young team.

Well done to all the riders this season, old and new. We are very pleased with how you have all progressed…plenty of practise now over the summer months ready for the first Winter League of the season on 20th September.

Thank you to Mal Toner for all his work again on the scores, this is invaluable as it shows on the final score sheet.

Next season each class will need a ‘score counter’ at each class competition, someone to take team photos, and someone to write up for the weekly. Could you please contact Aloma if you are interested, as it would be a shame not to have anything on the weekly!!

Aloma would also like to thank all the competitiors and parents for her lovely gift at the end of the competition.