Update from Bethan
We recently had a branch meeting and have decided that we will be putting in some virtual competitions for our members. Hopefully we can also set up a quiz for all of you.
If the lock down eases we are also planning weekly all-day rallies/fun days, so look out for notifications and information.
There are numerous competitions for all to take part at area and national level – collage, write a story, painting and decorating a pony competition. Great prizes to be won, and reminders about them below…
Pony Club Mounted Games
Competition time! How would you like to create a race that will be played by the 6 qualifying P.P.C. teams at a future HOYS?
The winner of this fantastic competition will not only have their game* played in at least one session at the Horse of the Year Show, they will also win a special goodie bag kindly donated by our friends at the Horse of the Year Show. To enter please send a video of you performing the race on foot, an explanation of how to play the game and a list of the equipment the game requires, to Emmaholliwell@me.com
You may want to tweak a classic race, incorporate costumes or invent a game from scratch – we will leave that entirely up to you!
Closing date is Friday 29th May 2020.
*The winning game will be subject to the approval of the Mounted Games Committee and they may alter the winning race to suit the arena/sponsor etc. as required.
Art Competition
It is time to launch our Art Competition! The theme for this year is “Equestrian Hopes and Dreams”. This is an opportunity for you to let your imagination flow through on to paper, think positively about past memories for inspiration, or dream about a future of possibilities.
We have a diverse group of award winning, experienced judges lined up to be part of this competition. They will be looking for a well thought out, well painted or drawn picture that successfully conveys the idea being pictured. They will be looking for originality, a flair for colour or drawing, and good use of materials. This year we will also accept artwork produced digitally, we are aware this medium is popular and can produce artwork to a high standard.
The national winner will have the opportunity to have their artwork displayed within The Pony Club Central Office for visitors to view and at prestigious events planned for the future. We will ensure we recognise the talent of our winner in the best ways possible and we have some exciting ideas for when restrictions are lifted!
There are three separate age categories: 11 years and Under, 12-16 Years, and 17 Years and Over and the competition is open to all Pony Club members around the world.
To give you enough time to produce your work of art the closing date for entries is 30th June. For more detail about the competition and to view previous years entries for inspiration, visit our Art Competition website.
Main Pet Sense Achievement Badge
Badge Info: Be responsible for the daily care of a pet for 3 months and ensure that it is healthy and happy. Produce a diary showing that you have: Provided a suitable diet, provided a safe place for it to live and given regular exercise as appropriate.
Syllabus Guidelines:
- Be responsible for the daily care of a pet for one month. Explain how and when you feed and clean its home.
- Take photographs for your pet during exercise, play and training, if appropriate.
- Explain how you would recognise if your pet was unwell or injured and where you would get help and advice.
Key points:
Be responsible for the daily care of a pet for 3 months and ensure that it is healthy and happy. Keep a diary during that time to show that you have:
- Provided a suitable diet; and water.
- Provided a suitable place for it to live; and kept it clean, comfortable and safe.
- Ensured it is kept healthily and have prevented illness or injury
- Given it regular exercise, play and training as appropriate
- Also, in your diary give examples of when your pet is anxious, excited and relaxed.
- Find out about the natural life of your pet’s relatives in the wild and how you could allow for this in captivity. E.g. Wild rabbits enjoy digging and the company of other rabbits Syllabus produced in conjunction with Blue Cross
Mini Pet Sense Badge
- Be responsible for the daily care of a pet for one month. Explain how and when you feed and clean its home.
- Take photographs of your pet during exercise, play and training, if appropriate.
- Explain how you would recognise if your pet was unwell or injured and where you would get help and advice.
Advance Notice: Combined Training Competition
Please let Iona know if you would be interested:
My name is Tom Tulloch and I am emailing you to ask whether your PC members might be interested in a combined training competition on the 29th/30th August. Although this date is long in the future I am hoping that by this time the Covid-19 situation would have died down and thus this competition will give PC members a chance to get out competing before they go back to school in September.
The day will be run under the Wynnstay Pony Club and is open to all PC members. This event is aimed at all members with younger members doing dressage, showjumping and then gymkhana (as a sort of third phase so to speak). Whilst there will be pure combined training (just dressage and showjumping) for the older members (13 and over) so the day is applicable to all.
Classes will vary in ability from 50cm to 90cm/100cm depending on entries, with dressage tests to suit these levels. Children on the lead rein or riding with some level of assistance will have their own classes and I can forward on the schedule once it has been finalized.
The day will be held at New House Farm, SY11 3DS, with a brand new course of showjumps, as well as catering and a tack shop on site. Prizes will be in kind and should hopefully vary from the likes of bags of feed to free lessons with Andrew Heffernan, Tyler Cassels or free XC schooling round the likes of Kelsall and Somerford.
As the aforementioned this date is still reasonably far in the future, but I was just emailing to ask whether you think your members would be interested in competing in this as I am trying to gauge how much interest there would be for this event.
I am aiming for this to be a professionally run day, with an emphasis on fun and generally just a nice day out for the family!
Collage competition (Area 5)
Update: You can use ANY material you like but you must include the hair, wool, tree etc. Also please send – in your own handwriting – about 100 words about your Collage.
It would be helpful if entrants could let Meg know of their intention to have a go, then she will have some idea of the numbers to expect!
“Vaguely Equestrian.”
Size – 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm)
In your design somewhere you must use:
- horse hair (mane or tail),
- some sheep wool,
- some part of a tree,
- something in the 3 Pony Club colours e.g. a skirt, flag, tablecloth, tent, dog!
This is not a painting and does not have to be Pony Club orientated e.g. it could be a beach scene with a PC coloured deckchair.
- Class 1 – 10 and under.
- Class 2 – 11 and over.
Please send two photographs, one from the front and the other at 45 degrees to Area5@pcuk.org. Please do not give your name (use a nom de plume) but give your Branch. Closing date 24th May at 6pm. Prizes will be a choice of an Individual lesson (dressage, SJ, XC or shooting). Be prepared for your entry to be on the website.
DECORATE YOUR PONY OR HOBBY HORSE COMPETITION (Area 5)
Decorate your pony or Hobby Horse however you wish. You may choose to have a theme, a colour or a character. Please do not use paint on your pony but you can use flowers, ribbons and any plaiting style to make your pony look beautiful (you can put paint on your Hobby Horse). Please take a side on photo with the Pony Club Member in their Branch/Centre Sweatshirt/Polo Shirt or T-shirt holding the pony (not mounted) or Hobby Horse. Ponies and Hobby Horses will be judged separately. If you don’t own a Hobby Horse you can use a broom. More information and entry form:
#Write2Ride Pony Club Creative Writing Competition Update and Information (National)
It is fair to say everyone has been extremely positive about the project and judging by the number of entries that are flooding in the word has spread around the country. Parents of younger children in particular have all said it has given them something to include in the home schooling department and of course the fantastic prizes on offer have been a great incentive for them to put pen to paper.
I received a wonderful email from a Mother who said her daughter had been suffering from lockdown blues, missing the chance to compete in what should have been her “all or nothing” season and writing a piece about her experience at the Pony Club Tetrathlon Championships had really raised her spirits.
We have also received feedback from other branches in other Areas raising a couple of points which, after consideration with our professional judges, we would now like to address. The first point concerned the wide variation that might be prevalent in the submissions from the 11 years and under group. The judges will take into consideration the age of the child and we will be offering some special prizes for the best submissions for 7 years and under. So please encourage any younger members to have a go. Currently the youngest entry comes from a 5 year old and it is great to see lots of submissions from boys too!
The second request we have received concerns the older children in the 16 years and over section who, in some areas, are still having to work incredibly hard with school work which they have been told will impact on the grades given for GCSEs and A-Levels. It has been asked if the deadline could be extended to accommodate this group. At the suggestion of the judges it has been agreed to extend the deadline for the 16 years and over group by 3 weeks to the 16th June 2020 thus enabling them to enter a quality submission if they so desire. The original deadline of 22nd May 2020 will stay in place for the other two age sections and the judges will make a start, reading and assessing those submissions. Any pieces received after 22nd May, whatever the age of the entrant will automatically be entered into the 16 years and over group. It is hoped that this seems a fair way to address the feedback we have received in Area 3 concerning this competition.
The generosity of all the supporters of this project continues to astound and overwhelm, please continue to spread the word and give coverage to the businesses and people who are donating their skills and services freely to The Pony Club in the form of prizes. If you are able to share on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram any posts promoting the sponsors and this competition it really helps add to the momentum. Equally posting or making a page on a Branch or Area website is also a great way to spread information as it will come up on Google. It is such a positive story highlighting the friendship and teamwork that sets The Pony Club apart and makes it a unique youth organisation so let’s shout it out #ponyclubcarryon!
Hopefully lots of charities who might not share the limelight, which makes them nonetheless deserving, will be benefiting too from this competition. The nominated charities have been as wide and diverse as the entries currently received.
I hope everyone is staying safe and well in these strange and difficult times.
Best Wishes
Pippa Ireland (on behalf of Area 3 of the Pony Club)
