NS/NF Regional Pony Club

Fall 2000

From the Editor - Carollyn Crewe crewe@istar.ca

Winter comes too soon! I think I have the solution. We need another month squeezed in between August and September. This would mean another month off school and for the parents it could be a month that was consider a National Off Work month. No one works and the paycheck keeps coming in. Oh what the heck, let’s double the paycheck for that month! Dream on! A new year coming up and new people on our Regional Board. A big thank you goes out to those who will no longer be on the Board and a welcome to our new ones. Lots of interesting things coming up in this new year. Can’t wait for spring! In Truro we have been working on rebuilding the cross country course at the Central Nova Horse &Pony Association grounds in Salmon River. Keep this cross country in mind because we hope to hold an event there next summer. This will be at the starter, pretraining and a modified training level.

This is a full newsletter reflecting a very busy summer. Hope you enjoy it.

Results

See below for the results of the Regional Rally, Regional Dressage &Show Jumping and the Regional Dressage Show. For those of you with internet access these results have been published on our Regional Pony Club website, the NSEF website and on Atlanticrider.com. If you check out our website you will also find the results of our Regional quizzes held last winter.

NS/NF Regional Pony Club Dressage and Show Jumping Championships

The 2000 D&SJ Championships were held on September 2 at the Central Nova Horse And Pony Association grounds in Salmon River, hosted by the Colchester Pony Club. There were three dressage rings running all morning and the jumping was held in the afternoon. A special thank you goes out to our dressage judges: Cheryl Cassista, Claire Reeves and Marylew Murray. Each rider completed two dressage tests and both team and individual awards were presented. In Show jumping each team completed two rounds with the second course timed in case of a tie. A thank you also goes out to Gilbert Bartlett and Debbie Roode, our jump jury. A big thank you goes out to Glenda McKinnon too who was in charge of Tack Check.

D Level Dressage Results

Team		Individual
1.	Eastern Shore	1.	Cheryl Wright
2.	West Valley	2.	Kaleigh Brinkhurst
3.	Colchester #1	3.	Megan Fraser
4.	Colchester #2	4.	Merrilee Yuill
5.	Opportunity	5.	Laura Sloan
		6.	Claire Mattocks

C Level Dressage Results

Team Individual
1. Avon 1. Sara Giovenetti
2. Tantramar 2. Jennifer Wilson
3. Colchester 3. Mary Roop
4. Opportunity 4. Lauren Johnson
5. W.Valley/E.Shore/Avon 5. Lyndsey Forgeron

D Level Show Jumping C Level Show Jumping
1. West Valley 1. Avon
2. Colchester #2 2. Tantramar
3. Colchester#1 3. Opportunity
4. Opportunity 4. Colchester
5. Eastern Shore/Tant. 5. Eastern shore/Tant.

Yr 2000 Regional Pony Club Rally

A one day Regional Rally was held this year on July 23 at Medford Meadows. A Pony Club Rally includes team events in Stable Management and Eventing (Dressage, Cross Country and Stadium Jumping) as well individual competitions in Starter and Pertaining level eventing and Equitation for Helpers and Captains. I would like to say a very BIG THANK YOU to the Sarsfield"s for allowing us to use their facility and to Jennifer Healy and Julie Ansems for doing a wonderful job of organizing the rally. Thank you , also to Susan Marshall for being our judge; to the 10 tetrathletes ( who were staying on in NS after the National Tetrathlon to train for their International competition in Ireland) who helped out at the Rally as jump judges, times etc.; to our Stable Management judges and to our jump judges.

Pre-Training Starter
1- Jennifer Wilson(Tant.) 1- Erin Sloan (Tant.)
2- James Hardy(Avon) 2- Megan Fraser (West Valley)
3- Mary Roop (Avon) 3- Lyndsey Forgeron (Avon)
4- Melissa Steele (Ann.) 4- Kaleigh Everett (Avon)
5- Lindsay Steele (Ann.) 5- Ginny-Lou Crosby (West V)
6- Sarah Gioventti (Avon) 6- Andrea DesRoches (Avon)

C Riding Team D Riding Team
1- Tantramar 1- Avon
2- Avon 2- West Valley
3- Annapolis 3- Annapolis
4- West Valley
5- Scramble Team (Avon, Colchester, Eastern Shore)
6- Opportunity

C Stable Mgmt.		D Stable Mgmt.
1-	Avon (trophy)	1- Avon
2-	Annapolis	2- Annapolis
3-	West Valley	3-West Valley
4-	Tantramar
5-	Opportunity
6-	Scramble

2. Spring & Summer 2000

D Equitation C Equitation
1- Sydney Goodfellow 1- Nikki Woolaver
2- Kate Gloade 2- Sarah Anderson
3- Jessica Richards 3- Wray Schofield
4- Charles Edwards 4- Rachel Hughes
5- Marina Ritchie 5- Chantal Pelham
6- Amanda Leslie
tie Stephanie Burnie

Top C level Rider - Jennifer Wilson
DRESSAGE REALLY IS FUN!
It turns out dressage really is fun - just ask any of the 11 Nova Scotia Pony Club members who came out to the First Annual “Dressage Is Fun” Show held at the Windsor Exhibition Grounds on Sunday, October 1. Members from the Avon and Eastern Shore branches were put through their paces with dressage tests (from Novice to Basic 1 level) in the morning, and kürs in the afternoon.
The capable (and very accommodating) judge for the day was Christie LaRosa, of Elmsdale, and the show, organized by regional dressage chair, Pam Graves, went very smoothly thanks to Carollyn Crewe (who discovered a new-found talent for announcing!), Mary Henry, Allison Wells, and a host of helpful Pony Club parents.
The show was intended to get Pony Club members to come out and give dressage a try in a fun, friendly environment. The highlight of the day was definitely the kürs, “Costume” kürs and Pas-de-Deux. There were kürs to everything from Dracula to Georgie Girl and Carmen to Aladdin, and we were all given a special treat with a kür ridden to live trumpet music played by Aimee Clark of the Eastern Shore branch. It was a delight to see how enthusiastic the riders (and spectators) were!
The show will most definitely become an annual event, hopefully with members from more branches competing next year. It’s a great introduction to dressage competition for those who haven’t tried it before, and lots of fun for those who have!
Novice (Walk/Trot) Test

1.(tie) Jessica Buell on Fat Chance (Eastern Shore) / Mary Beth Kehoe on April (Avon)
2. Morgan Parsons on Amber (Avon)
3. Marci Schofield on Myles (Avon)

Beginner (Walk/Trot/Canter) Test

1. Kaleigh Everett on Reality (Avon)
2. Rachel Hughes on Weston (Avon)

Basic 1C Test

1. Cheryl Wright on Morning Star (Eastern Shore)
2. Sarah Giovannetti on Smooth Sailing (Avon)
3. Rachel Hughes on Weston (Avon)
4. Mary Roop on Sir Lance A Lot (Avon)
5. Kaleigh Brinkhurst on Debonaire Coadyfield (Eastern Shore)
6. Nikki Woolaver on Sun’s Caress (Avon)
7. Kaleigh Everett on Reality (Avon)

Novice Costume Kür

1. Jessica Buell on Fat Chance (Eastern Shore)

Basic 1 Kür

1. Cheryl Wright on Morning Star (Eastern Shore)
2. Nikki Woolaver on Sun’s Caress (Avon)

Basic 1 Costume Kür

1. Mary Roop on Sir Lance A Lot (Avon)
2. Sarah Giovanetti on Smooth Sailing (Avon)
3. Kaleigh Brinkhurst on Debonaire Coadyfield (Eastern Shore)

Basic 1 Pas-de-Deux

1. Mary Roop on Sir Lance A Lot and Nikki Woolaver on Sun’s Caress (Avon)

Did You Know?

That the Canadian Pony Club has 13 regions. The Alberta region has split into three regions.
That the Canadian Pony Club has a new website. CanadianPonyClub.org Check it out!
That every Pony Club member should have their own copy of the Testing Procedures and they should read them!
That the Pony Club has a supply house in Manitoba where you can order supplies and books through your club. The website includes a supply list or you can get one from your DC.
That Joseph Holownia of the Tantramar PC was chosen to represent Canada as a member of the Junior Pentathlon Team. Joseph and four team members spent a week competing in Cuba. Four of the five Pentathletes were active Pony Club members from across Canada.
That 8 Avon Pony Club members spent the week in Toronto at the International Pony Club Milleninium Conference.

3. Spring & Summer 2000

That you should check out the Pony Club website. You will find applications for the Todd Sandler Award and the Governor General’s Award on the site right now.
That Fundy Pony Club is starting up again. Glad to see you back.!
That in the year 2001 NB, PEI and NS will be working together to host The Atlantic Pony Club Rally and the Atlantic Pony Club Dressage and Show Jumping Championships. NB will be holding the Rally in late July. This will involve a Pretraining and Training Team. We will be hosting the Dressage and Show Jumping Championships. Date and place to be announced.
That Megan White qualified for the North American Young Riders Championships this year. Unfortunately she was not able to compete because of an injury to her horse. She was able to help out though by acting as a groom for another member of the Canadian Eventing Team.
That Alison Johnson is working in Vermont? Alison left on Sept. 20th for Indianappolis, Indiana where she spent a month at a stable. While there she had the opportunity to ride many different horses, teach a few lessons, received her "Groom's License", learned to 'gallop' the thoroughbred racehorses and see a bit of the countryside. She then returned to Toronto for a week, long enough to visit the Royal Winter Fair and say hello to Elizabeth Crewe who was there grooming for the Irvings. After this Alison ventured on to Vermont. She is presently at Imajica Equestrian Centre near Burlington in Northern Vermont. Their program includes a Dutch Warmblood breeding program, clinics, competing & training horses in dressage and jumping, teaching dressage through to Grand Prix level and importing horses from Europe. Alison continues to learn something new everyday which is what she was searching for. The Pony Club experience on her resume opened many doors for further experience.
We’ve Where Honoured!
Our Region was nominated for Sport Nova Scotia’s Association of the Year Award!!! In the letter I received from the CEO of SportNS it states that our “organization’s accomplishments have been most impressive and you should be proud to be counted among Nova Scotia’s finest.” A Selection Committee chose three finalist and invited us to attend the Investor’s Group Awards Luncheon on Nov. 25. The winner was the Barrachois Swim club and we received an award as a runner up. It was an honour to go up and receive this award in the name of NS Pony Club. Right now we are planning on taking a picture of this award and scanning it for the website so everyone can see it.
Congratulations!
We held an A and a B/B2 testing this summer and congratulations goes out to Jennifer Sarsfield on achieving her A, the highest level in Pony Club. Well done Jen! Congratulations also to our new B2 members: Jackie Allen, Sara Anderson, Josh Buchanan and Alison Johnson and to our newest B level member Nikki Woolaver.
Insurance!
As the year ends its time to think about your liability insurance. Anyone who shows, or is an organizer of shows , knows the importance of having “proof of liability” insurance. This is one of those things you can check out in your spare time over the winter! If you are using Homeowner’s make sure you can take your horses off the property to horse shows, etc. Be sure to check out what the Nova Scotia Equestrian Federation has to offer too.

NOVA SCOTIA PONY CLUB TETRATHLON REPORT - Gay Hansen
National Tetrathlon Championship
The Canadian Pony Club National Tetrathlon Championship was held in the Annapolis Valley of Nova Scotia on July 16 to 21, 2000. Forty-nine competitors from 8 Pony Club regions from across the country attended this championship. Accommodation was at Kings Edgehill School in Windsor NS. The running and shooting competitions were held there too. The swimming competition was at Acadia University in Wolfville. The riding and stabling of horses was at Medford Meadows near Canning.

NS Competitors and Awards at the National Championship
Nova Scotia was represented by 7 tetrathletes, six women and one individual male. Our competitors were Jeanette Johnson, Tracey Smith,Jennifer Wilson and Inga Hansen (N.S. Women's Team). Rachel Bedingfield and Erin Sloan (N.S./Western Ontario Scramble). Joseph Holownia was part of a NS/AB/Central/Western Ontario Scramble Team. A complete list of final results is attached.
Team placing - Women: Second place - NS/Western Ontario (Bedingfield and Sloan); Fifth place - Nova Scotia (Johnson, Smith, Wilson and Hansen).
Men:
Third place - NS/AB/Central and Western Ontario (Holownia)

4. Spring & Summer 2000

Individual placing - Senior Women: Rachel Bedingfield placed 4th overall, 4th in running and 3rd in riding. Tracey Smith placed 10th overall and 8th in riding. Jeanette Johnson placed 16th overall, 7th in shooting and 6th in swimming.
Junior Women: Jennifer Wilson placed 2nd overall,1st in swimming, 2nd in running, 7th in riding and 8th in shooting. Inga Hansen placed third overall, 2nd in swimming and in riding and 7th in running. Erin Sloan placed fifth overall, third in the shoot and in the run and 6th in riding.
Senior Men: Joseph Holownia placed second overall, 1st in swimming, 2nd in shooting, 3rd in running and 4th in riding.
I'm very proud of these athletes! In 1997 we had only two competitors who were training hard just to achieve a qualifying score to make Nationals. Four short years later, we have seven experienced tetrathletes who did extremely well both as ambassadors for our region and in competition with other tetrathletes from across the country.
I also want to mention the excellent help we received from five NS Pony Club members who worked as grooms during the national competition. Shannon Sloan, Laura Sloan, Emily Dexter, Alicia Crewe and Carrie Hoyt with the supervision of Jennifer Healy, provided all the care required by 17 tetrathlon horses. They did a great job!
In Conclusion
One of the biggest challenges in hosting this event was providing enough horses. Normally, competitors that live in the host region and two adjacent provinces, are each required to bring a suitable horse and share it with a competitor from farther away. Herein lay a large problem for us, there are no tetrathletes in NB, PEI or Quebec. The nearest Region that is active in Tetrathlon is Ontario! Also, we are a small group compared to the other regions. An extreme shortage of competitor-owned horses caused us to make some changes to the normal format. Instead of sending each horse twice, we sent each horse three times. We extended the riding competition to 3 days so that most horses were only ridden once a day in competition.
To reduce stress on the horses we only rode cross country this year. We omitted the stadium jumping component. We relied on the generosity of other horse owners to loan us the extra horses we needed. It is no small favour to ask someone to loan their eventing horse for a competition such as this one! We were overwhelmed with the response. Over half the horses used in this competition were loaned to us! The competition went well, the weather was perfect, the horses fabulous, the kids and organizers had a lot of fun and our visitors enjoyed Nova Scotia.
Thanks to all who volunteered their time, support and horses! We could not have held this competition without this generous help.
International Tetrathlon Competition
This was a particularly exciting year for ten Senior Canadian Tetrathletes (five men and five women) because 10 days after the end of the National Championship, was the start of the International Tetrathlon Championship held in Ireland, Scotland and England. Rachel Bedingfield of Avon Pony Club was a member of the Canadian Women's Team
The international team plus two coaches and one chaperone stayed on in Nova Scotia for some sight seeing and a training camp before departing from Halifax at the end of July. It was a great pleasure to host these athletes and get to know them a little better. They arrived in Ireland on July 30 for a three week stay. The Canadian team participated in the Irish, Scottish and English Tetrathlon Championships while there. Unfortunately Rachel suffered a fall and an injury during the Irish competition that limited her ability to compete in Scotland. She recovered quickly enough to show her true colours in the English competition. Our teams placed pretty consistently in the middle of the field. Women's and Men's teams placed sixth and fifth in Ireland, sixth and sixth in Scotland and seventh and fifth in England. It sounds like everyone had an unforgettable trip. We all look forward to 2002 when the next International Tetrathlon Competition will be held in Canada and the US.
Regional Tetrathlon Championship
This was held in Sackville NB on May 27 and 28, 2000. Seven Pony Club members attended. The weather was horrible but it didn't seem to dampen any spirits. Tantramar horses were shared by all competitors. Results were as follows: First place team was Tantramar (Tracey Smith,Jennifer Wilson, Inga Hansen, Erin Sloan); Second place team was Avon/EShore/Tantramar Scramble (Rachel Bedingfield, Jeanette Johnson and Julian Holownia).
Looking Ahead
We plan to hold two more Regional Run/Shoot/Swim Clinics (one in March and one in May) and the Regional Tetrathlon Championship in June. We may also be able to offer a Regional Tetrathlon Training Camp in early summer. Notices will go out as soon as the dates and locations are known.
Any branch that wishes to hold a Run/Shoot/Swim clinic within their branch should contact the Regional Tetrathlon Rep.
The 2001 National Tetrathlon Championship will be hosted by the British Columbia Lower Mainland Region and held on August 6 to 12 in Langley, BC.

Avon Pony Club News
By Nikki Woolaver Well it has been an exciting and eventful year for the Avon Pony Club. To start it all off we decided that we wanted to send some of the older members of our pony club to the first Pony Club Millennium Conference held in Toronto, Ontario at the Royal York Hotel and CNE. This took a lot of time in planning and fund-raising to make this trip affordable. Before I tell you about our trip to Toronto, the Avon Pony Club would like to send some thanks out to Jen Hamilton for generously holding a clinic and giving her time to help out the Avon Pony Club. It was a great clinic and it was greatly appreciated. Also, we would like to thank Debbie Fantin for helping us so diligently with the silent auction help at the Windsor Spring Horse Show. It was a great success. We also send thanks to everyone who bought any tickets sold. We appreciate all your support.
All in all, it was a great trip. The members that had the opportunity to go were James Hardy, Marci Schofield, Lisa Peters, Morgan Leahy, Mary Roop, Nikki Woolaver, Rachael Hughes, Sarah Giovanetti, and as our great chaperones

5. Spring & Summer 2000

were Allison and Derek Wells. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we definitely made the best of it. During the day and we went to conferences and lectures such as, Clicker Training, Eventing, Dressage, Horse Whispering and also they had a symposium for all the pony clubs to talk about what they taught, and how and what the problems were in pony club. Then in the evenings we either had more clinics and lectures to attend or they held social gatherings to give us all the opportunity to meet people from other pony clubs around the world. We also had the pleasure of meeting such idles as, Ian Millar, Beth Underhill, Jill Henselwood, Torchy Millar, Jim Elder, Frankie Chestler, Tinks Pottinger, Gina Smith and lots more! There was one day when we had an international quiz. There were four people per team, usually 2 Canadians and 2 from the United States, this was an interesting way to find out if you learn the same things the same way. Sarah Giovanetti was on the team that placed first overall and Mary Roop and Rachael Hughes were on the team that finished second and Nikki Woolaver was on the team who placed second. So we had at least one member of Avon in each of the top three teams. We brought a lot back to share with our pony club and think that if the opportunity arises again in the future we would love to attend again and think that more Pony Clubs representing our region should try to attend as well. It was amazing.

National Quiz - Margie Johnson
Our region sent a C Quiz Team to the National Quiz in London, Ontario in October 2000. Team members included Mary Roop and James Hardy from Avon, Lauren Johnson from Colchester, and Susie Brown from West Valley. Chaperone was Margie Johnson. We left Halifax Friday morning, change of planes in Toronto arriving in London around noon where Pony Club parents picked us up. We met a team from Manitoba on the flight to London. London airport is quite small and cozy, so easy for us to find our drives. Friday evening involved written tests and then free time for socializing while chaperones marked tests. Saturday morning saw everyone up bright and early and ready for stations. The “Famous Horses & Riders” station proved to be quite difficult, as usual. Our team did very well on the “Crazy Horse Parts”. Other stations included Wind, Lose or Draw, Charades, Jeopardy, Odd One Out, Breeds and a few others. Saturday afternoon was free time, so we headed for the huge mall (220+stores!) Across the street. Mary Roop after much coaching from the other team members headed to the Captain’s review of written tests and came up with an additional 15 points in total for the team. Saturday evening was karaoke and dance time. The girls actually made it to the microphone to show us their singing skills. A few local boys had been invited to join the dance, however the hockey team from Wisconsin was a complete surprise. Sunday morning everyone was up early again to tackle the artifacts. Then after lunch we were
Then after lunch we were off to Guelph University and the Equine Research Centre by bus. These visits were very enjoyable and educational and certainly a highlight of the weekend. Sunday evening was the Banquet and awards time. Guest speaker was a dressage rider from Nebraska presently riding with Cindy and Neil Ishoy and going to University. He talked briefly on his various experiences and encouraged the members to follow their dreams. Our team placed 9th overall in the C division and were very pleased to be in the ribbons. However, all vowed to study really hard for next year as the National Quiz is being held in Victoria, B.C. Monday morning we headed back to the London Airport with a plane change in Toronto again and arrived in Halifax at around 4:30 after a fairly rough flight. This was a great bunch of kids to travel with and they all expressed their thanks and appreciation for this opportunity to attend the National Quiz. Locally: It would be great to have at least two Regional Quizzes in 2001, but they don’t need to be limited to two. Anyone wishing to host a quiz should let me know... there are many varied ways these quizzes can be organized and because you want to host a quiz doesn’t mean other clubs can’t contribute a station or two! So if you are considering hosting or just want to volunteer to do a station, let me know and we will see what we can come up with.

Horsey terms Hippo - a Greek word for horse
Hippopotamus- means river horse
Hippodrome - French racetrack
Hippo gastronomy - cooking and eating horsemeat

I Didn’t know That! Sam Slick the famous literary clockmaker ( not Lori LeBlanc’s horse) created by Thomas Haliburton had some saying that have become part of our language. His favorite horse was Old Clay and you can learn about Sam Slick at Haliburton House In Windsor NS
“ an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”
“ a nod is as good as a blink to a blind horse”
And here are some more quotes that I found on the Internet . I don’t know who “said” these.
The hardest thing to do on a horse is nothing at all
A canter is a cure for every evil
Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one’s horse as he is leaping
If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong!
And for those of you that speak Latin - Equus Keepus Brokus!! Saw this on a pin!

A Joke for You Two horses were racing down the track. One horse said to the other “ I don’t remember your mane but your pace is familiar!”

6. Spring & Summer 2000

The Horse Where in this world can man find nobility without pride, friendship without envy or beauty without vanity?
Here, grace is laced by muscle , and strength, by greatness confined.
He serves without servility,
he has fought without enmity.
There is nothing so powerful, nothing less violent,
there is nothing so quick, nothing more patient.
England’s past has been borne on his back. All of our history is his industry.
We are his heirs, he is our inheritance.
Ladies and Gentlemen - The Horse.
I don’t know the author- anyone else know?

A Christmas Song - (sing to Rudolph) Rhubarb the red roan pony
Had a very shiny coat
And if you ever saw it
You would hear the owner gloat.
All of the other ponies use to laugh and call him names.
They never let poor Rhubarb play in any PPG games.
Then one foggy competition day
Shona came to say,
“Rhubarb, with your coat so bright, won’t you guide the team tonight?”
Then how the ponies loved him, as they shouted out with glee
“ Rhubarb the red roan pony you’ll go down in history!”
Contributed by Carrie Hoyt and Alicia Crewe. Of course we know that PPG ponies would not be that rude!

And the Winners are........! Winners of the Tack Shop Gift Certificates are
Ted’s Tack Shop - Kelsey Merritt The Red Sleigh Tack Shop - Annapolis Pony Club Apple Saddlery - Jane Goodfellow
The club selling the most tickets per member was the Tantramar Pony Club - hope you enjoy the pizza party!
Our Seller’s winners for the selling the most tickets are:
Jennifer Barr - Lancers , Veronica Larkon - Lancers Shannon Sloan - Tantramar, Erica Johnson- Colchester
Along with making all these people happy we raised about $900 for the region. Thanks everyone!

Pin Design
Our region is looking for a design for a regional pin. These pins are popular collectors items and most regions across Canada have their own pins. Up until now we have given visiting Pony Club members Nova Scotia pins. So .. How about coming up with a design? You could send your ideas to me or give them to your DC. Would love to hear from you and maybe your design will be chosen as the official pin!

Horse Dictionary This ‘tongue in cheek” dictionary of horse words was contributed by KM of the Colchester Pony Club
contracted foot - the involuntary/instant of curling one’s toes up right before a horse steps on your foot!
heaves - the act of unloading a truckful of hay
grooming - the fine art of removing dirt from a horse and applying it to your own body!
rasp - an abrasive, long, flat and metal tool used to remove excess skin from the knuckles
stall - what your truck does on the way to a horse show, fifty miles from the nearest town!
horse shoes - expensive semi circular projectiles that horses like to throw!
hock - a the financial condition that a horse owner goes into!

Merry Christmas