Recently I met with some old friends and our conversation led us to Pony Club
Like many professional horse people started competing in Pony Club, so did I!
And just as many professionals fondly remember the time they spent with their friends and horses, I too have many happy memories.
But more than that, I now look back on life lessons to be learned at an institution like Pony Club.
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Pony Club Life Lesson 7: Volunteer and Learn
7. Volunteer and Learn
When I was in Pony Club and turned 17, I progressed to the oldest age group where the group was smaller. As a result, we often finished our events early, sometimes even before lunch. Rather than just hang around for the rest of the day, I found myself at the jumping arena.
The first time I was asked if I could step in for a few minutes to pencil, I was hooked and found myself volunteering in the jumping arena as often as I could.
I would be there before my other events started to help set up the jumps, if I was in the general area and a horse knocked the jump then I would help put up a rail. But the best bit was the penciling for the judge. Penciling is writing down the scores as the judge calls them when the rider and horse are doing their competition jumping round.
The judges were very helpful and loved to answer my many questions. I asked them about rules, variations of the rules, and even some rules that weren’t written down. They taught me how to score at some of the trickier events and then if there was another penciler handy, they allowed me to ‘co-judge’ to test my skills.
I learned how to know the placings of the event in a very quick time, even before the last horse had completed their round. Before long I was being asked to pencil at larger competitions, championships, and Agriculture Shows and then to judge.
The best event I penciled at was Brisbane Royal where I was an official ‘Steward’. I was the second female to be honoured in that position and I look back on the ten days of the Brisbane Royal Show very favourably but knowing that this could only have happened because of all the volunteering that I had done at Pony Club.
So these are the important life lessons I learned at Pony Club. I would certainly recommend it if anyone has the opportunity to join it. You don’t have to be a rider, you can just go as a volunteer and learn.
I could remember when we were at Pony Club. There was an older couple whose children had ridden and they stayed on. They were the president and secretary for years and ran the canteen. So they continued with their Pony Club experience as long after their kids had finished riding. I think this is just a really good place to spend your time.