Locals to compete in U.S. Pony Club Championships

GREEN CREEK — In a quiet ring, Ann Pierce trotted her 15-year-old Appaloosa in 20-meter circles, working to get her dressage legs back after a jumping clinic.

In the other end of the ring, Pierce’s teammate, Lucy Hooper, trotted a big bay warmblood named Caesar in circles as well.

The ladies were practicing for the U.S. Pony Club Championships East, which will come to the Tryon International Equestrian Center July 25–29. The event will test riders and horses in eight disciplines, including dressage, Western dressage, show jumping, eventing, polocrosse, mounted games, stable management, a dismounted quiz and a tetrathlon that includes riding, swimming, running and shooting.

“This is a big deal,” Hooper said.

Pierce hunts with both the Tryon and the Green Creek hounds, and serves as third flight field master for Green Creek. Hooper hunts with Green Creek.  Both are part of the River Valley Pony Club Horsemasters program.

Hooper explained that their instructor, Erin O’Dwyer of Harmony Training LLC, encouraged them to enter a qualifying test in May at Southern Pines. They had to score a 60 or above and, before they knew it, both ladies were on their way to the championships.

In the championships, the ladies will ride two U.S. Equestrian Federation dressage tests and a freestyle test set to music. The ladies ride on a D3 Pony Club level, which is a local level and close to intermediate rider ability. Adults can progress up through the certifications, even to a national level.

U.S. Pony Club Vice President of Activities Sue Beth Bunn said approximately 500 riders, with nearly as many horses, will compete in the Eastern championships. There will be approximately 30 or so riders from the Carolinas.

Pony Clubbers compete in teams of five, which include four riders and a stable manager.

“We will have teams from as far away as Oregon,” Bunn said.

She added that the event is also hosting an international tetrathlon exchange with 40 participants.

“There will be teams from Canada, Great Britain, Australia, the U.S. and New Zealand competing in the tetrathlon,” Bunn said.

The opening ceremony for the event will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, July 26, and Friday night will feature the senior mounted games competition. Events such as the quiz, mounted games, dressage, eventing, polocrosse and tetrathlon riding will take place throughout the days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Teams will begin to arrive on July 25 to set up their stables and get the horses settled.

“Pony Club is different from horse show competitions,” Bunn said. ‘This is about creating leaders. We do what the Boy Scouts do, but with horses instead of knots.”

For more information about the championships or Pony Club, people can visit ponyclub.org.