Rally Rules – COVID-19

As you may know, everyone can officially ride again and we very much hope that our members are enjoying riding and being out in the fresh air with their ponies. As we are in Wales we are not yet able to hold any rallies or branch activities, but hopefully we shall soon be allowed to hold rallies. The committee have a plan for when we are able to get going. In the meantime, please could parents, members and coaches read the rules? Each one of us are responsible for our own health and safety. If anyone sees anything that they think is dangerous or not abiding to the rules, please report it to the organiser or a branch official, rather than putting it on social media or complaining to each other.

It is still important to remember to continue to follow Government COVID-19 advice at all times. Please read the information below on how we will have to run our rallies.

We are able to have up to 6 people gathering in one place. As this includes the coach and the rally organiser, parents have to stay in their cars/lorries so we can have up to 4 riders in each group. Our priority is to ensure risks are minimised for our instructors and volunteers while making it safe and fun for members and their parents.

Until things can be relaxed a little we have to follow the BEF rules to the letter. Please don’t compromise the rally organiser, instructor or venue by bending the rules. We have been advised by Central Office that we have to send any families home who are non-compliant.

Please book with the following in mind:

  • Payment and registration for activities to be remote or online.
  • Please do not attend any rally if any member of your household is displaying any symptoms.
  • Please do not arrive more than 10min before your child’s rally time and if possible travel with the pony tacked up to reduce changeover time. Please leave promptly at the end of your rally, again tacked up if possible.
  • Parents will need to be available to assist their child with tack checking, mounting, adjusting girths and if they fall. Unless they are riding, other siblings/family members must remain at home.
  • No dogs, not even on leads or in vehicles.
  • Social distancing must still be observed at and on the way to and from the rally. No one from outside your household can travel in your car, or bring your child to the rally such as grooms/nannies who do not live in your household.
  • A few things will need to change to allow instructors to stay 2m from the rider. If possible parents will be the only point of physical contact with the member unless there is a medical emergency. They should stay near enough to the arena so that they can be called on if needed.
  • You’ll be asked to check your child’s tack and help them to mount and adjust girth and stirrups before going to the arena.
  • Children will make their way to the arena with the Rally Organiser.
  • The instructor will be responsible for adjusting jumps.
  • In case of a fall, the rally organiser (first aider) attends to the child and alerts the parent (rally organisers will need your mobile numbers particularly for those venues where the arena is out of view of the parking) while the instructor catches the pony.

Venues need to adhere to strict guidelines so please bear the following in mind:

  • You will not be able to use the venue toilets.
  • Please park with 5-10m space between trailers or lorries.
  • Please bring hand sanitiser to use for before and after opening gates to the venue.

Branch Quiz

Also, don’t forget about the branch quiz. There are four age groups – 6 years and under, 10 years and under, 12 years and under and 13 years and over:

Links to other online activities can be found in the Weekly Updates from previous weeks, all available on the website: just click “Weekly Update” under the Pony Club logo.