The following Pony Clubbers will represent Central Ontario at the Canadian Pony Club National Tetrathlon Championships, August 11-16 based at Trent University in Peterborough. Pony Clubbers from Vancouver Island to Prince Edward Island have competed throughout the year for the honour of representing their Region.
Senior Girls
Junior Girls
Junior Boys
Tetrathlon is a very demanding competition with four parts: swimming, shooting with air pistols, cross-country running and horse jumping (both stadium jumping and cross-country jumping). Com-petitors range from 12 to 21 years old. Scoring varies with the phase. In swimming, points are given for the time taken to complete a fixed distance (50-200m, depending on level). In shooting, the points are given for the number of shots in the target and their position in the target, similar to darts. Run-ning is scored by time taken to complete a cross-country course. Riding is scored like the cross-country and stadium jumping phases of eventing, with penalty points for refusals, falls, and taking longer than the optimum time to complete the course.
Tetrathlon feeds into the Modern Pentathlon, an Olympic event, which adds fencing to the elements already in tetrathlon competition. Several Pony Club tetrathlete alumni have gone on to represent Canada at the Olympic level.
Shooting will take place at Champlain College, Trent University, from 7:00 to11:00 am on Monday, August 12th. Stadium and cross-country horse jumping will take place on Tuesday, August 13th from 10:30 am to 3:00 pm and Wednesday, August 14th between 9:30 am and 3:30 pm at Lane's End Farms near Bobcaygeon. Swimming will be between 6:00 and 8:00 pm on August 13th at Trent Uni-versity's Athletic Complex, with the running phase on Thursday, August 15th between 9:00 and 10:30 in the morning at the Trent University Nature Trail.
Before, during and after the competition, the young athletes will sample the delights of the Kawartha Lakes tourist region, including a tour of Riverview Park and Zoo, an awards banquet at the Viamede Resort and a boat cruise of Stony and Clear Lakes aboard the Chippewa II.
Competitors from the Central Ontario, Western Ontario and St. Lawrence-Ottawa Valley Regions will bring their own horses, not only for their own use but for loan to competitors from more distant Regions.
For lots more information on this event, go back to the Canadian Pony Club home page and click on "National Events."