Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2008 | Page 86

life

EQUESTRIAN - Sponsored by Brickfields and Froghill Tack

Pony Club Centre at Allendale

Celebrates
first anniversary

Until recently you had to own your
own pony to be a member of one
of the best clubs in the world, The
Pony Club, but now you are able
to join through a locally-linked
riding centre. The Pony Club Centre
at Allendale Equestrian Centre,
Godshill, has just celebrated its first
anniversary.
The Pony Club was established in 1928
and is an international voluntary youth
organisation for those interested in ponies
and riding. Many of the UK’s top riders
and Olympic team members developed
their interest in riding and competing
through being a member of their local
Pony Club.
Pony Club rallies were eagerly
anticipated and planned for as the school
holidays approached. Many hours were
spent scrubbing your pony in order to win
the turn out prize at each rally, and, in the

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good old days before transport was readily
available, it was common to hack miles to
and from the rally as well as enjoying a
full day of activities.
Nowadays, the Pony Club is the largest
association of riders in the world and is
represented in no less than 14 countries
with a membership exceeding 110,000,
but, to be a member, you still need to
have your own pony. This meant that
many of Britain’s young riding school
riders were missing out on the fun. The
new Pony Club Centre Scheme is based at
an established riding centre, such as the
one Lynn Mills runs at Allendale, near
Godshill, which gives all children the
chance to join in and take part fully, but
on a pony borrowed from the centre.
“Allendale started its Pony Club Centre
in June 2007 and we are very proud to now
have 65 members which contribute to the
total of nearly 15,000 children who have
joined centre scheme worldwide. On our
ponies the children are able to take part in

all Pony Club activities and competitions
and have done so with success,” says Lynn,
whose idea it was to involve Allendale in
the project.
“We have a special committee at
Allendale to manage the Pony Club
activities and we organise regular mounted
and unmounted rallies throughout the
year during the school holidays,“ says
Lynn. “We also encourage our members
to compete in local dressage competitions
as well as the annual Pony Club Show in
Whippingham,” she adds.
Although beautifully schooled, many of
Lynn’s ponies hadn’t competed for several
years, and Lynne was delighted when the
Allendale members came back from last
year’s Pony Club show with a handful of
red rosettes, proving that the Pony Club
Centre members could take on those with
their own ponies and beat them too.
Activities held during each school
holiday include practical stable
management and horse care, as well as

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