Cambridgeshire Hunt Pony Club

District Commissioner's notes

JACKIE HALL - No one in this branch of the Pony Club has been around longer than Jackie, and few people in any branch across the country know as much as she does about the Pony Club! Many people thought that she was already the DC, so it will be no surprise to them that she is now in this position. She has been acting DC three times in the past, and Assistant for many years, so she certainly knows the job! As a Pony Club mother of three very successful girls, Jackie became involved in this branch in 1990, so she knows both sides of the fence.

Message from Jackie: My aim is to build a community spirit in the branch, so that we are all working together and aiming for excellent horsemanship and a real understanding of horses. I am a great believer in building skills by means of the Pony Club tests, and I want all our children to look back and have happy memories of their time in Pony Club. This is the time when they will have the opportunity to do so many different things with their ponies and horses and, at the same time, they will make friends for life. I am not very good at words - I am a doer - and I will do my best for all of you.

Photos

It is lovely to have pictures of the members on the website - do keep sending them in! However, we do assume that you have given permission for this, if you send us the pics. If you do not wish your child's picture to appear on the website, please let us know. (See disclaimer on Gallery page)

Hats

You will see from the Pony Club dress code (top of Calendar page) that hats with peaks are no longer allowed for cross-country riding. So, if you can only afford one riding hat (which is most of us these days!) do please buy a skull cap. You can always dress it up with a velvet cover with a peak for dressage and showjumping!

Rule Books

Please note - rule books for all disciplines can now be downloaded free of charge from the central pony club website. www.pcuk.org

Closing Dates

Please make sure that your entry forms and cheques reach us in good time for the closing dates given on your rally and training forms. There are difficulties with the post at the moment - but if you are late, you may not get a place, and even if you do get a place, we really do have to charge extra. This is because we may have to book an instructor at short notice - or cancel one already booked - which involves us in extra costs. Your cooperation will keep future prices down!

Rallies

There has been some confusion about the difference between rallies and training sessions. Pony Club is a CLUB and the working rally is the backbone of this club. Camps are also central to the club ethos, and are a time when members can live and work together. Training sessions or team practices, or coaching sessions, are limited and open to selected members, or teams. These do not qualify as working rallies. If a member wishes to represent the branch on any team, they, and their pony, must have recently attended a minimum of three working rallies - but the idea of this is that the member is a true and active member of the branch - and our active members will have attended many more than three!

Communication

Now that we no longer have a paper mailing, we will keep in touch with you all regularly by email, and every rally and entry form will be attached on the website, for you to print off, fill in, and send with your cheques and bookings. It is the responsibility of all members to find out what is happening, and to check the Calendar and Training pages of the website.

Spurs

Since we have a number of pre-B-test members who are anxious to be allowed to wear spurs, the committee has given a good deal of thought to this, and we have reconsidered our ruling. Any member who has attained their C+ test can ask to be assessed to wear spurs, regardless of age, and this assessment will take place at the B-test assessment day. It will be decided by an external examiner, and not by our Chief Instructor. Those who do not wish to take Pony Club tests - and that is fine - can also attend the B-test assessment day after they have reached their fifteenth birthday. Members who have attained their B-test can, of course, make their own decision about this.