Last weekend the @Princess Louise Park Show Centre was the venue for two equine competitions. In the indoor arena Barrel Racing and Pole Bending competitions occupied both days and the organizers had a huge turnout of competitors. It looked like everyone was having a lot of fun!
With all of the arena doors closed, the indoor lighting was abysmal so I only got a couple of action shots.
Next door, the skating arena (and associated parking lot) was full of what seemed to be a hockey tournament.
And, in the outdoor arena, the Regional Pony Club competition was underway. Organizing an event like this over two very full days requires a lot of commitment and many, many volunteers.
Day 1 saw a dressage competition for the young people. Pony Club is about more than just riding a horse. Members learn a lot about horsemanship, the care and feeding of their mounts, how to look after their equipment like saddles, bridles etc. as well as the opportunity to improve their riding skills. They also learn about cooperation, helping each other, double-checking that tack is put on properly and safely, and doing those last-minute tidying chores to make sure both horse and rider are as presentable as possible before entering the show ring. When at the show, riders are responsible for the total care of their horses as well – putting in bedding, scooping out the “poo” and wet spots, making sure each horse has hay and gets grain feedings when required, etc.
Members have questions posed to them to test their general horsemanship knowledge and the horses are inspected carefully for any spots the grooming may have missed.
For many of the Pony Club horses, the venue was a unique, and sometimes frightening, experience. Beside the ring campers, trailers and lots of people were coming and going. At the end of the ring, traffic was lined up along the entire street and out onto Leonard Drive and backed up all the way to Dunster’s Donuts! There was a community recycling/disposal event going on around the corner. Those waiting their turn to unload their goods at least had some entertainment watching all of the horse activity. On the sand area between the trailer hookups, barrel racers and pole benders did their warm ups prior to heading into the arena.
Day two featured a jumping competition for the Pony Club members. Meanwhile, both the hockey tournament and the Barrels and Poles competition continued, although the recycling event was done the day before. It felt a little calmer for the Pony Club horses as they’d already experienced the Saturday chaos.
In equine sports of any genre, when young people get involved, that usually means the whole family is involved. That may be chauffering kids to riding lessons or club meetings, or driving them to horse shows, helping to keep track of belongings for both the child and the horse. Coaches and those training to be coaches are on hand as well to help during the warm ups and wish each competitor well as he or she heads into the show ring.
Pony Clubs are an excellent way to introduce young people to the world of horses, and they help to instill both skills and values into their members.
To see any of the photos more clearly, just click on them to enlarge the image. These are unedited photos. If anyone wants edited images, please email me at imagesbyceci@gmail.com. The cost is $10 per image.
