Canadian Pony Club Rally

Special thanks to Apple Saddlery for supporting all of our Regional and National Championships

In the Canadian Pony Club, the competition portion of our Rallies consists of a 3 phase event (Dressage, Endurance, and Stadium Jumping) and the competitors are also scored on their Stable Management which involves many aspects of the care of their horses. Rallies are primarily intended for members with a "C" or higher rating, however some Regions also hold modified rallies for "D" riders.

The levels of competition offered at National Championship Rallies are Preliminary (Jumps 3'7" maximun) and Training (Jumps 3'3" maximum). Regional rallies often offer pre-training level (3'0" maximum) and sometimes Starter level (2'9" maximum). Detailed specifications of each of these levels will be inserted here in the future.

Veterinary inspections are performed at several different times during the competition to be sure that all horses are fit and safe to continue.

Rallies are run on a team basis, usually with individual awards being presented as well. Team makeup varies depending on which Rally one attends, however they are usually made up of 2 or 3 riders and their horses with 1 or 2 unmounted team members who may be called Captains, Stable Managers, or Helpers.

Competition, however, is only a part of a Rally. Most Rallies also include some planned and some unplanned entertainment and plenty of opportunity for members from different Branches or Regions to get together and renew old friendships or make new ones.

Sherry Hill and "Runaround Sue" of the Temiskaming Pony Club in Central Ontario Region go through the water during the 1996 National Rally in Nova Scotia

The National Rallies in particular have additional activities such as tours of the general area put on by the hosting Region for competitors from other parts of the country.

Rallies are held in every Region in Canada as a competition between Branches. For competition between Regions there are Canadian Championship Rallies. Prior to 1997, only one National Rally was held for all Regions but since then, there have been separate Eastern and Western Championships in some years and full National Championships in other years.

Teams from the US Pony Club (New York, Pennsylvania, and possibly others) have competed in Canadian Pony Club National and Regional Rallies and Canadian Pony Club teams have competed in USPC Regional Rallies in Michigan.

Every 2 years, there is an international event called the InterPacific Exchange in which teams from around the Pacific compete. Since international travel is usually quite expensive, the InterPacific Exchange events are usually extended visits of several weeks involving considerable travel within the host country. The last time the InterPacific was in Canada, it was held at Spruce Meadows in 1993.

There is some variation across the country in how Rallies are run in each Region and for those Regions which are participating in this Website, there are more detailed descriptions of those variations along with specifics about dates and locations in the Regional pages.

The official Canadian Pony Club Rally Rules are available for free downloading. Most people with a laser or inkjet printer should be able to print them out so make sure you or your branch have the most up to date information.

Specific details about how each Region runs their Rallies is available for the following Regions:
Western Ontario

Each rider takes their own turn alone in the ring and has the undivided attention of the judge or judges for the duration of the test which in most cases is 5 or 6 minutes.

Factors involved in scoring are the accuracy with which the various patterns are performed, the consistency and smoothness of the test, the amount of controlled energy and co-operation shown by the horse, and the skill of the rider.

In most Rallies, each rider's "turnout" is judged. Sometimes it is scored as a separate item, and sometimes it is part of the stable management score but it usually occurs just before the dressage test. It is a "spit and polish" inspection where both the horse and rider are expected to be perfectly clean and polished. Points may be deducted for the smallest amount of dirt under a saddle flap or a horse's braids not done quite properly.

The cross country test is a very challenging event which requires top physical condition of both the horse and rider. The heights and numbers of jumps as well as the average speed required varies with the level, however all the jumps are solid obstacles ranging from poles to trees to stone walls and other very solid barriers. In Training and Preliminary levels, one or more jumps into or out of water are included in the course.

Scoring of the cross country course is based on the number of disobediences by the horse (eg refusing to jump when presented to an obstacle), falls of the horse or rider (hopefully none) and the time taken to complete the course. In case of a tie in penalties, the rider who has the closest time to the posted "ideal time" for the course places first. Since times are calculated with safety in mind, that is usually not the rider with the fastest time.

The main purpose of Stadium Jumping is to show that the horse still has energy and obedience even after the very stressful endurance phase. For that reason, the jumps usually are spaced well apart and only some are set to the maximum allowable height.

Stadium Jumping is scored based on the number of rails knocked down, number of disobediences, and the time taken to complete the course.

At many Rallies, provision is made for the Captains, Helpers, or Stable Managers to compete for separate ribbons on one of their team's horses over a simplified stadium jumping course.

Scoring is done by special judges who are usually on the grounds at all times and tour the stables on inspection rounds several times a day. Stable management judging is continuous throughout the Rally.

As well as keeping the stable area, all tack, and the horses as clean and orderly as possible, teams are responsible for proper warmup and cooldown procedures for the horses before and after exercise and can be questioned about the use of each of the tools and medications which their team has included in their equipment. In all cases, safety of both the rider and the horse are the main factor. Safety violations are severely penalized.

There is always a "Turnout" inspection in which each horse and rider is closely examined for cleanliness and for properly fitting tack. Usually, turnout occurs just before the Dressage test and is scored as part of the Stable Management phase but it is sometimes scored separately.

A written test of knowledge and/or a demonstration of skills (such as bandaging) is usually required for the Captains, Stable Managers, and Helpers but not usually for the riders.