As you all know, our activities are run by volunteers and it is their willingness to do this for others that keeps our program very active in Nova Scotia and across the country. Without these giving, caring (about the development of our youth) people, we would not have a full and busy program. In between newsletters, look on our Regional Pony Club website for updates and results. (Go to the national website at www.canadianponyclub.org and connect to the region’s website from there.) Remember if you have information for the website/newsletter, please pass it to your Branch web master or your DC to be forwarded to the Regional Communications Chair. Greetings From the Regional ChairI would like to thank all the wonderful volunteers we have who give so much of their time to help support the PC program. The DC's and branches of course, but all those behind the scenes people too. Too many to mention in one newsletter but you’ll see their work all year round. The Regional Pony Club Board met five times over the winter, meeting in Truro, Bedford and Windsor. Judy Allen , our National Director, attended the National SAM and AGM representing us and bringing our concerns to the National Board. In January we sent three people to the Testing & Education Conference where a lot of work was done on updating study guides, reading lists, affiliate member status, testing procedures etc. Check out the website for updated downloads. Our examiners and test reps met to learn about the changes. A Rally Committee (myself, Gay, Brenda, Debbie, Margie & Kate) was formed to come up with a Regional Rally Guide book which we hope will help members, DC's, coaches, organizers and parents. This is a "work in progress". We look forward to feedback. There is a D Rally and a two day A/B/C rally planned for this year so they will be a testing ground. Hats off to all the branches who have taken on the task of organizing a regional event this year. I want to mention Tantramar Pony Club who have taken on the job of organizing a two day A/B/C Rally - should be a "piece of cake" compared to organizing the National Tetrathlon Championships in NS in 2004! Tetrathlon and PPG have their plans in place and I hope all the branches have taken the opportunity to involve their members in these two fun activities. The badge program has also been popular among the clubs and keep a look out for TREC, a new and interesting discipline. I also want to congratulate two people: Nicole MacHattie on being chosen to represent Canada (and us!) at the IPE. Well done Nicole and have a wonderful time! Mrs. Henry, whose involvement in PC goes way back to when she got me sitting on a horse for the first time! No one , I am sure, has logged as many hours in support of PC as Mrs. H. Feel free to contact me for information or clarification should you need assistance at ccrewe@nsac.ns.ca or 902 895 4059. Have a great summer. Carollyn CreweAGM 2005 Highlights from the National DirectorBoard meetings and the AGM were held in Toronto, April 1-3. Many topics were discussed and your DC will receive a full report at the Regional meeting. Following are some highlights: Honourary Life MemberIt was with great pride and pleasure that Emily Dexter accepted the prestigious Honourary Life Member presented to Mary Henry. Mary Henry is so very deserving of this award as she has dedicated many years to NSPC. Fortunately many of us have been on the receiving end of her dedication and knowledge. Recognition of new Branch Evangeline was accepted as a new branch. There were 6 new branches across Canada. 25 Year Branch Certificates Colchester, Avon, Tantramar and Annapolis have been active for over 25 years. Do you know the oldest active NSPC? Annapolis celebrated their 40th anniversary in 2004. Charm Link Bracelets CPC will have laser printed charms with a variety of CPC slogans available for purchase. These charms fit the flat link bracelets. I am convinced that they will be a hit with our members of all ages. A brochure will appear on the web site soon. Active Member Directors It has been a wonderful opportunity to work with Emily Dexter and Mike Kurylko . They brought a strong voice to the Board meetings and represented the members very well. Their term is finished at the end of 2005. Active Member Directors must be 18 years of age and available to attend both the AGM (spring) and SAM (fall). These national meetings are held during the weekend. The Directors have also attended National Quiz and may be invited to other conferences. Resumes will be requested in October 2005. So don’t delay. Get your resume ready. Don’t hesitate to contact Emily or Mike to answer any questions. Affiliate Member The affiliate membership requirements have changed. The active member must be C level and up and graduate with membership in 3 of their last 7 years. The requirement also states they must be self-funding. However, it is permissible for a branch &/or region to sponsor an affiliate member if they so choose. It is important that affiliate members volunteer at the branch or regional level. Photo Contest - The Horse Savvy Day Timers will be offered as a fundraiser again this year. TREC - TREC is an exciting new activity that CPC recognizes. It is orienteering on horseback in various cross country terrain. It would be a fun activity at camp. A handbook will be available on the web site soon. There are plans to run TREC at the IPE this summer so Nicole McHattie will be able to report back to us. Testing - There are many new changes for testing. Once a rider has passed a phase, they need not retake that Phase at the B, B2, HA & RA levels. This is retroactive to 2004 for B2 members only. The B level has 2 Phases, the B2 has 3 Phases, the HA has 4 Phases. Check the Testing Procedures for details. At the B level and above, once a candidate has passed the written test, they will not have to write it again. This is retroactive to 2004. There is a new testing level at the B2 level. This level has been split, an HB2 (stable management & teaching phase) and the RB2 (riding phase). The candidate may apply to write the A test and attend the HA test. Upon completion the SA designation will be awarded. Only after the successful completion of the HB2 will the HA designation be awarded. C2/B candidates must have Emergency Level First Aid (SJA or CRC) or equivalent. B2/A candidates must have Standard First Aid (SJA or CRC) or equivalent. If the candidate chooses to complete an equivalent course it is the candidate’s responsibility to provide a written statement from the provider that the certificate is indeed an equivalent to one of the two acceptable standards. During testing, the snaffle bit must meet the requirements of EC Dressage Rules. At the B level and above unapproved bits may be used at the candidate’s discretion with the understanding that the candidate will be expected to competently discuss with the examiners the reasons for their choice and why an approved bit could not do the same job. The alternate rider will ride the horse in this tack. Assistant for C2-A testing has new guidelines. The Assistant must be a CPC member and at least a level below the testing level. The assistant’s main job is to hold the candidate’s horse as needed or requested. The assistant is not to perform any tasks on which the candidate is being examined. ‘A’ candidates must attend the Learn To Teach seminar provided through NSEF prior to applying for the EC Coach 1. The revised C/D Testing Procedures is available on the web site or to order through National Office. The revised A/B Testing Procedures will be available by the end of April. It is important that you have a copy of the Testing Procedures and that you read it completely. This will allow candidates to clarify any areas with their coach or Test Rep. I encourage you to visit the CPC website, to receive the current news. Happy riding, Judy Allen, NS Director Mary Henry Named Honourary Life MemberAt the 2005 AGM in Toronto Mrs. Mary Henry was made an Honourary Life Member of the Canadian Pony Club. Mary was the main instructor and volunteer behind Annapolis/Avon PC for many years. She was a driving force in getting things like PPG, Rally and Quiz active and supported through out the years. She always insisted things be done correctly and her members were always well prepared for any activities. She set an example for all the other clubs to follow. Mary has retired from Pony Club now and we miss her involvement. You don't always realize the impact someone has until they are no longer involved. Mrs. H , as she is often known, taught me to ride and also taught my daughter, Elizabeth. Learning to ride and care for your horse are only a part of what you learn from Mrs H.. Life long skills such as setting goals and making commitments, organizational skills, work ethic, dedication, integrity, and study skills all come to mind too. (Thanks Mary! From Carollyn and all PC believers.) An article on Mrs. Henry and her involvement in Pony Club was written in June 2000 by Ian Scrimger, a C2 member of the Avon Pony Club. This article was published in the Atlantic Horse & Pony Magazine and can be seen on their website(http://www.countrymagazines.com/ahp.html) and our PC website.Quiz ReportOn March 19, 2005, Fairwind Pony Club was pleased to host a Regional A/B/C level quiz in the Rev. H. J. MacDonald Elementary School. Members from West Valley, Avon, Hants County, Colchester, Opportunity and Fairwind participated. Twenty-eight 'C' members made up eight teams. This year we opened the quiz to A/B members, hoping to maybe revive participation from that level. On March 19, 2005, Fairwind Pony Club was pleased to host a Regional A/B/C level quiz in the Rev. H.J. MacDonald Elementary l. One member from West Valley participated at A/B level. This quiz was also used as a qualifier for those wishing to qualify for our Nova Scotia 'C' team that will participate in National Quiz in Ottawa in October, 2005. Those members who have applied to attend National Quiz had their written scores from 2 tests and visual scores marked in accordance with National quiz rules. These marks will determine who will qualify for the National Quiz team. The day went along quite smoothly and we thank those volunteers from other clubs who helped us out with running and marking stations. The weather that day held out okay, and we were glad that all clubs could make the trip. We hope that everyone had fun. We would especially like to thank Carollyn Crewe and Margie Johnson who each brought along a station (bones and x-country) and who offered their help in the scoring and marking area. A successful Novice / D Quiz was hosted by Colchester Pony Club on Saturday, April 9, 2005 at the Salmon River Elementary School in Truro. There were 17 D Teams competing and 2 Novice Teams. In total, there were 77 pony clubbers who attended and a great many parent volunteers. A great day was had by all. A big thank you goes out to all who helped to organize and to those who volunteered their time and expertise on quiz day. Results from both of these quizzes can be found on the CPC website. The 2005 Canadian Pony Club National Quiz is being hosted by St. Lawrence/Ottawa Valley Region in Ottawa. The National Quiz will be held on Thanksgiving weekend from October 7 through October 10, 2005. “C” level members applied and qualified at Regional Quiz. The team members on the 2005 Nova Scotia team are Jessica Swinkels (Fairwind), Kate Mattocks (Colchester), Merilee Yuill (Opportunity), Caitlin Swinkels (Fairwind), alternate Crystal Weatherbee (Colchester), Chaperone Kathy Mattocks. Brenda Swinkels, Quiz Rep, NS RegionTetrathlon ReportTantramar hosted a run, shoot and swim clinic on May 9th with 10 members attending from two branches. Heavy wind and rain forced the cancellation of the run but we went ahead with the other two phases. Our next event will be the Regional Championships on June 25th and 26th. The scores for the ride will be taken from the Strathgartney event on the 25th and the run, shoot and swim will be held on the 26th. Tantramar's camp is being held at the Port Elgin Racetrack from June 28th to July 1st. The emphasis will be on cross-country riding and there will be opportunities to run, shoot and swim during the week as well. With expressed interest from seven members from outside the club, the camp is almost full but there may be space for 1 or 2 more. We are very excited that there are three new tetrathletes, all juniors, who are interested in attending Nationals this summer for the first time. They will join up to five returning members who will be traveling to Calgary in August. For more information regarding any of the above, contact me at 506-538-2313 or e-mail desloan@nbnet.nb.ca. Respectfully submitted,Debbie Sloan, Regional Chair PPG ReportLooking back at the 2004 season, there was nothing but clover and lucky pony shoes. The clinics were well attended, the seminar answered many questions and the Cup was ridden without a wrong lead. Members and ponies were de-spooked to PPG all over the province and beyond. As the 2005 summer approaches us at a hand gallop, it is looking bigger and better then ever! Clinics, Seminars and Cup May 15th, 2005- Seminar* - “Conditioning and Caring for PPG Pony, before, during and after a competition”.
email: jackieallenapc@hotmail.com Phone: (902) 538-8703 Testing ReportThe three representatives to attend the Jan 21-23 Testing & Education Meetings in Toronto were: Johanne Head, Test Chair; Teresa Speelman, Education Chair; and Sarah Henry, Tester. Friday evening business changes to the testing procedures from the D-D2 and C-C2 levels were discussed including changes to the work sheets. The flow sheets have been revised, with the most noted changes at the upper levels. The lesson plans from D through to C2 have been updated. All the proposed revisions and up dating was voted on Sunday and passed. The material I received from Kate Mattocks related to Affiliate Membership, the comparison of information re the British Manual of Horsemanship and the US PC was handed to Gwen Barnes, National Test Rep. A group composed of Education Reps was reviewing textbooks. One book, Maximum Hoof Power is no longer in print and has been moved to the Resource List. A flow sheet presented a comparison of examiner training and fee structure from the various regions was reviewed. Discussion centred around the Candidate’s Assistant (groom) and the role of the Assistant. A new set of criteria and rules has been developed. The role of Test Chair, testing panels, who should be present at the critiques of the ride and post test, First Aid requirements (which training programs are accepted by Pony Club) were discussed. Note that all candidates must have their required First Aid level before testing. The certificate should be with the application for testing. This is the responsibility of the Branch Testing Rep. where C2 testing is done at the Branch level. Respectfully submitted,Johanne Head, Regional Testing Chair Feature Article - Spring VaccinationsEvery year we are asked for vaccine and deworming recommendations for horses and ponies going to shows, camps, and lessons. I will run through the Middleton Vet Services recommendations: In the spring, vaccinating against Strangles, Influenza, Tetanus and Rhino (also known as Herpes) are your basic needs. I will now give you a run down from our spring newsletter. GUIDELINES ON HOW TO CHOOSE the VACCINES YOUR HORSE NEEDSThere are numerous factors to determine the need to vaccinate. You must balance the risk of disease, to the adverse effects, and the cost of the vaccine. The following is a list of vaccines that our clinic uses and Dr. Dave recommends.
Inter-Pacific Rally ChampionshipsIn late February I received a call telling me that I was going to be a member of the 2005 Inter-Pacific Exchange Canadian Team. I was speechless with excitement. Since then there has been lots of planning going on. The actual exchange will run from June 26th until July 12th, however a training camp is being organized, which means I will actually be leaving on the 22nd of June. There are six members going, one as a reserve, from Canada as well as a chaperone and coach. The chaperone is Mary-Debra Purdy and the coach is John Jamieson. Other teams coming to the IPE this year include Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, the USA and Japan. There has been a website made up which can be accessed from the main pony club homepage.
There is a schedule of events and links to each country’s team. The IPE rotates countries and occurs every 2 years. This year it is being hosted by none other then Canada itself.
Some of the highlights from the scheduled events include visiting Niagara Falls and Canada’s Wonderland in Ontario, attending and participating in the Calgary Stampede in Alberta as well as a mountain camp out and (most exciting of all) watching the North American Horseshow at Spruce Meadows!!
Currently we are working on booking flights and organizing uniforms. As well we are working on sponsorship for individuals as well as the team. Although it seems like June is far away, I know it will creep up quickly. I can’t wait to go and represent Nova Scotia and all of Canada at the IPE 2005.
Nicole MacHattie, West Valley Pony Club
Regional Youth Rep UpdateHappy Spring everyone! It’s nice to see the sun shining on a regular basis. The NSPC Youth reps held one meeting this winter, which was on March 5th in Lower Sackville. We talked about the NSPC pin, testing revamps, and clinics. We also created a mission statement: Our goal as the Youth Representatives of the Nova Scotia Pony Club is to represent the thoughts and ideas of the members of the Region. We aim to act as a link between the members and the Regional committee. The following are some highlights from CPC's Annual General Meeting that I thought would be of interest to our members. We have the opportunity to sell Pony Club charms that fit on the flat charm bracelets that are so popular right now. These are very attractive, laser printed charms with a variety of slogans, from I Pony Club to I Tet (or Quiz or PPG, etc) to I My Horse (Pony) Custom charms will also be available. The newest addition to the charm bracelets is a connector charm that allows you to combine two bracelets to form one wider bracelet. We will be offering the connector charm with the Canadian Pony Club logo on it. Look for a promotional flyer appearing soon on the web site. Updates from the T&E Conference - For B, B2 and A levels, once you have passed any phase of the test, including the written, you never need to retake that phase. Candidates may now attend a B2 test and only challenge the Riding Phases or the Stable Management Phases. A candidate who passes the Stable Management phases of the B2 will receive an HB2 certificate. They may then proceed directly to the HA exam. If they pass the HA, they will be awarded an SA certificate. If the candidate goes back and finishes their B2 test by successfully completing the Riding phases, they will be awarded their B2 and their HA. Full details of this program can be found in Testing Tidbits or contact Gwen Barnes, National Testing Chair. Affiliate Memberships: The Board, in consultation with the T&E Committees and Youth Reps, has agreed to revise the requirements for the Affiliate Membership, with a view to opening the opportunity to more of our members. In order to be eligible for the program, a member must graduate out at 21, have a minimum C level and have been a member for at least three of the last seven years. Affiliate members are still restricted from competing against Active members but organizers are encouraged to add Affiliate or Open classes where numbers warrant. Photo Contest - Last year, Canadian Pony Club undertook a fundraising project involving the selling of a horse related agenda book. This turned out to be a fairly successful venture, even though we did not start the project until late November. This year, we have the chance to be involved again but in a more timely fashion. In order to make the planner more Pony Club oriented, we are encouraging all of our members to enter photographs of themselves and their horses or ponies as they participate in a wide variety or Pony Club activities. If our members send in enough good pictures, the 2006 agenda book could have a large number of Pony Club members and activities on its pages. Click to see pages from the 2005 agenda book. Please send your photos to Horse Savvy Publications, Box 3156, Sherwood Park, AB T8H 1A0 by April 30, 2005. Remember to include your name, address and phone number. Check out our website!! It can be found here. It is updated fairly regularly with news. We are always looking for ways to spruce up the site, so if you have any suggestions, you can talk to your branch youth rep, or email myself at gowiththeflo44@hotmail.com. I’m also looking for digital pictures to decorate the site with. If you are interested, you can send them to me at the above email address. Branch Youth Reps 2005Annapolis - Jessica Gerrits Colchester - Erica Johnson Eastern Shore - Kaleigh Brinkhurst Evangeline - Alissa Cue Fairwind - Jessica Swinkles Hants Co. - Chelsea Thornton Opportunity - Merilee Yuill Tantramar - Erin Sloan West Valley - Nicole MacHattie I hope everyone has a fun-filled, safe summer! Respectively submitted, Kate Mattocks ClassifiedsI am looking for a free-lease for my niece, a small 16 yr old, who is a good little rider. Needs more experience jumping, but has been taking lessons with Sue Fraser over the winter. She suits a large pony or small horse well size-wise. She was (is?) part of W. Valley Pony Club and desperately needs something suitable to ride this summer. She boards at Greenwood Saddle Club, but could likely move to Alex Beaton's stable if need be.Thanks. Kim Elliott-Foster - For Sale: 16.3hh TB Jumper/Eventer - Description: 14 yr. old TB gelding, 16.3 hh, chestnut with blaze and 3 white socks. Excellent paces, good forward movement. A very honest jumper. Has been trained and shown in Jumper (3’9”) and Eventing (T). Great personality. Kind, trusting, and caring. Good work ethic. Reliable & obedient. Excellent ground manners, clips, trailers, ties, baths, hacks. Perfect mount for a Pony Club member who wants to improve their riding and go through the testing levels. Contact: Jackie Allen ; Email jsallen@ns.sympatico.ca Berwick, NS Telephone (902) 538-8703 Instructor: We are looking for an instructor/rider to come work at Ashlyn for the summer. This person should be at least C2 level (although maturity and teaching experience outweighs level), and be capable of teaching mostly beginners, but some walk/trot/canter/jump lessons as well. They would definitely need to have some teaching experience, and should be capable of also schooling/exercising the school horses. This could either be a part-time position or a full-time live-in situation. We will also need someone to organize and teach some camps in the summer. Please email Pam Graves @syndikats@hotmail.com. Branch ReportsEastern Shore Pony Club Membership: One new member brings us to 14 members currently. Education: Monthly lecture series for the D’s underway. Have had their “Breeds, Colours, Parts of the Horse” and “ Feeds and Feeding”. The lectures are combined with a pizza party and activity of some sort ( hot tub, skating). A field trip to the Atlantic Dressage Development Centre was held on Feb 5/05. This was aimed more as an educational outing for the C level members, but many D’s attended and enjoyed it also. We audited two upper level riders during their clinic with a Dutch coach, and observed an equine massage therapy session during which the therapist explained her training and what she does and gave us some useful relaxing massage techniques ( very safe ones) we could use on our horses. All members and parents reported enjoying this very much. We are very appreciative of the welcoming and educational atmosphere at the ADDC. Fundraising: A date to bag groceries at the Atlantic Superstore in Porter’s Lake is confirmed for March 12/05. We will also be selling tickets on several beautiful framed equestrian cross stitch works over a period of approx. 4 months. Testing: Ridden test date will be Oct 1 or 2/05.Summer Camp: Aug 16 – 19/05 at Hobby Horse Farm in Coldbrook. Other activities: Monthly riding clinics with Sheila Pickerell ( Jan 15,16 and Feb 19,20) and attempting to set up dressage clinic with Sue Fraser or Pam LeDrew. Respectfully submitted, Lorinda Brinkhurst DC Annapolis Pony Club Our club has continued to hold regular monthly meetings. Our April meeting took place at the ClayHill Farms. The Club’s executive committee met at 6:30 with the general meeting starting at 7:30.. Stable Management sessions commenced on Saturday March 12th and were completed on Saturday April 30th. Testing is set to take place at the Sheffield Mills hall on May 14th, from 1-4. Our club’s testing rep, Debbie Best has everything ready to go! We have had a family move into the area that was a member with West Valley PC and is now joining the Annapolis group. We are excited to have another new member. Plans are coming together for our summer camp with the camp committees first meeting being held May 10th . We have confirmed Sue Fraser will be instructing our senior level riders again this summer. We are very fortunate to again have this opportunity for the riders! Respectfully submitted, Linda Gillespie, DC Colchester Pony Club Colchester Pony Club sent three girls to ABC Quiz in Antigonish on March 19. Kate Mattocks qualified for National Quiz being held in Ottawa in October. On April 9 our club hosted a Novice / D Quiz in Truro. We had a great turn out with 77 members participating. We had 2 Novice teams and 17 D teams. A great day was had by all. (A bracelet was found at the school after quiz – if it belongs to you please give me a call and I will mail it to you – 662-3940). Our club has also been doing a few badges. Some members worked on their Equine Publishing, Bookworm & Barn Safety Badges. On April 17 the junior girls did their I Love My Horse Badge with Kate Mattocks. The Farrier & Shoeing Badge was held for the senior girls on May 1st at the Hamilton’s farm in Onslow. Farrier David Haynes gave a very informative lecture and demonstration to the girls and parents. Our club is busy preparing for written testing on May 13 with a review night the previous week. On May 14 our club is travelling to the Annappolis Valley for a tour of Atlantic Dressage Development Centre in Mt. Uniacke and Rolling Hills Stable in Wolfville. Entry forms are now available for our Primary Circuit Hunter Show – being held on June 18 at CNHP in Salmon River. This is a fundraiser for our club. Entry forms were circulated today at the Regional Meeting. For more information about the show please contact me. Respectfully Submitted, Janet Geldart, DC Eastern Shore Membership: One new member brings us to 14 members currently. Education: Monthly lecture series for the D’s underway. Have had their Breeds, Colours, Parts of the Horse@ and Feeds and Feeding. The lectures are combined with a pizza party and activity of some sort ( hot tub, skating). A field trip to the Atlantic Dressage Development Centre was held on Feb 5/05. This was aimed more as an educational outing for the C level members, but many D’s attended and enjoyed it also. We audited two upper level riders during their clinic with a Dutch coach, and observed an equine massage therapy session during which the therapist explained her training and what she does and gave us some useful relaxing massage techniques ( very safe ones) we could use on our horses. All members and parents reported enjoying this very much. We are very appreciative of the welcoming and educational atmosphere at the ADDC. Fundraising: A date to bag groceries at the Atlantic Superstore in Porter’s Lake is confirmed for March 12/05. We will also be selling tickets on several beautiful framed equestrian cross stitch works over a period of approx. 4 months. Testing: Ridden test date will be Oct 1 or 2/05. Summer Camp: Aug 16 B 19/05 at Hobby Horse Farm in Coldbrook. Other activities: Monthly riding clinics with Sheila Pickerell ( Jan 15,16 and Feb 19,20) and attempting to set up dressage clinic with Sue Fraser or Pam LeDrew. Respectfully submitted, Lorinda Brinkhurst, DC Evangeline PC We started our Stable Management on January 31 and have continued each Monday night. We have covered breeds, colors and markings, points of the horse, grooming, stabling and pasture as well as feeding. During the feeding lecture we split up so our C candidates could delve deep in the amino acids and proteins! All the members had lots of fun designing their dream barns during the stabling and pasture meeting (there weren’t any small ones!!). Every fifth meeting we have a quiz and game night to test the members ever increasing knowledge and ability to have fun. Stable management will continue into the spring with a special visit from Shelagh Starr to familiarize us with natural horsemanship. A trip to the farrier for a hands on experience is also part of our spring stable management. We have held our main fundraiser, with great success thanks to all our members and Bluenose “Cookie Dough”. We also have an on going fundraiser collecting refundables. The refundables provide our members with registration fees for team events and other Pony Club activities. On March 12, 2005 we are hosting a Tetrathalon Clinic at CFB Greenwood and June 18th and 19th Dressage is Fun at Greenwood Horse and Recreation Center. In March, six members and three parents attended a Standard First Aid course put on by Quality Safety in Middleton. All members and parents in attendance are now SFA certified and the children are now equipped to save the world!!! We had two teams go to the E/D Quiz in April. We had a team that placed 5th overall and one of our members placed 5th individually. For several of our members, this was the first Regional activity they had participated in. Many thanks to Colchester for making the experience such a positive one! Eight of our members traveled to Pat Kidston’s in Port Williams for a Western reining lesson. We had a super demonstration by Pat on Helga and Michelle on Buttons before our “English Pony Clubbers” took a go! Everyone got to try their hand at sliding stops and spins. It was a lot of fun!! We ended the evening with a trip to McDonalds for ice cream!! 
We have had our written pre-test and our now reviewing for the upcoming Spring Written Tests on May 16th. A scavenger hunt is planned for our May 9th meeting.
We also had a logo contest. Our winning entry was from a club member’s brother and is shown here.
We were disappointed that the Tetrathalon Clinic in March had to be cancelled because of bad weather. We will try and host another at a later date. In the meantime, we are busily preparing for Dressage is Fun and hope to see many members from across the region participate.
Our member, Alissa Cue will be going for her B2 this year on her new mare Katie. Her written test is on May 13th. All our members wish her luck!!!
Important dates we are planning for: May 16th - written D/C tests; June 18th-19th Dressage is Fun; July 4th – 8th EPC Camp;
August 12th or 13th - D/C Testing.
Respectfully submitted,Lisa Messenger, ADC Fairwind Pony Club This promises to be a busy year for our club. We are going into the season with 14 members (two of which are Affiliate Education members). Our winter lectures are well underway, conducted by Mary Lew Murray and Claire Reeves, along with an occasional guest lecturer. This will be complimented by the badge program where we hope to do a reining clinic and complete work on Farrier and Feeds badges. Plans are underway to begin work on the display banners for the badges. This is sure to keep everyone keen on collecting more. Winter has been a good season for us to get fundraising taken care of before the riding season is in full swing and we are all too busy with more horsey activities. April was our deadline to have all funds collected and then we can plan our summer and fall agenda. Testing dates have been discussed- June for the written test and mid-Aug for riding. Lectures are ongoing, with topics covered to date: equipment, fitness for you and your horse, and bandaging. An equine vet was guest lecturer in April with a return visit scheduled for later in May. A visit to West River Stock Farm gave members an opportunity to work on their Harnessing badge. The Farrier badge will be complete when the shoe board is presented. Our club had good news from the National Testing and Education conference regarding affiliate membership status. We are pleased that our affiliate members can continue to test, along with participating in educational and non-riding activities. Our Fairwind Pony Club website has been updated recently. Each year one of our members takes on this responsibility. The AB/C quiz our club hosted, March 19 was a great success. The day went well and thanks to all those who attended and helped out. Two teams from Fairwind traveled to the D Quiz hosted by Colchester in April. The written tests will be available soon and we have set May 25 to write them. The mounted part of testing will be done in mid-Aug. with a possibility of nine candidates. Many of our members will be attending the May Clinic at Fairwind Farm Equestrian Center. Opportunity Pony Club February proved to be a fairly quiet and uneventful month. Our branch continued with the lectures which started back in November. The most exciting event in February was a baby shower held for two of our Pony Club Mothers. The shower was held at Janet Eisses’ house for Diana Locke and Valorie Shaddick, who have since had healthy baby girls. From what I keep hearing these babies are future Pony Clubbers. March began to get a little busier. Besides the normal lectures, six members, Connie McLellan, Emma Eisses, Merilee Yuill, Meg Johnson, Jackie Burgess, and Sarah Locke, attended the ABC Quiz hosted by Fairwind in Antigonish. Janet Eisses and Mary Ann Yuill accompanied two teams of three members to the C Quiz. Getting there was a bit tricky as the roads were messy. The 12 stations were well done. Teams were placed to fourth. A good day was had by all, with member Merilee Yuill placing 4th in the individual written tests. Merilee has also made the team to attend National Quiz in Ottawa this year. We are all very proud of her. Well done Merilee. In April five of our members attended the Kevin Crosby Jr. clinic. Although it was a little hard for spectators to hear Kevin at times it was overall a good clinic. Later in the month nine of our younger members, Carla McNutt, Julia Locke, Sarah Weatherbee, Vicki Weatherbee, Danielle Stokdijk, Nikita Blaauwendraat, Carissa Blaauwendraat-Wheeler, Jordan Newcombe and Danielle Crowe attended the D Quiz hosted by Colchester. Opportunity had two teams in the D Quiz, one with four members and other with five. The morning started off with a little bit of chaos as three of our members were stuck waiting for a train so they were a little late arriving for the written quiz. After the initial confusion the day started off well with both teams doing the written test and them moving in separate directions for stations. Meg Johnson chipped in and helped one team navigate the stations. Four members wore their Opportunity Pony Club sweatshirts and made a striking picture. The stations were very interesting and at times very tricky. A lot of thought and hard work was put in to the stations to make them unique. Although no ribbons were won I believe everyone who attended had a good time. After the quiz was over some of the members went for ice cream for a job well done. The executive has also been busier in April with new committees being set up to coordinate the summer events. Each parent has been assigned to one committee and some parents to more. Two of the committees have had meetings in April and the initial planning has begun. Respectfully submitted by Joanne Stevens, DC, Opportunity Pony Club In an effort to keep you informed, Your Regional Committee |
