Prince Philip Games

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Prince Philip Games (PPG) are a team competition played by Pony Clubs around the world. The original Prince Philip Cup was donated to the British Pony Club by His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinborough.

The Prince Philip Games are played by teams of five riders and five ponies. Riders under the age of 15 play A, B, or C Division Prince Philip Games and riders over the age of 15 are eligible for the Masters Division. Masters may ride ponies or horses.

All of the games are variations on the relay race. Many require the riders and ponies to run a slalom course in and out around a series of upright poles from one end of the playing field to the other where they hand-off a prop to the next rider on the team. Some races require riders to vault off and onto their ponies. Others require riders to drop objects such as socks and vegetables into buckets (and pray they don't bounce out again!). There is an egg-and-spoon race, and others which ask the rider to pick up objects with another object ("Sword" and "Litter"). Riders develop remarkable skills in the areas of timing; sense of space, speed and direction; co-ordination; agility and horsemanship. They also laugh a good deal - the only way to deal with mistakes when everyone makes some!

Prince Philip Cup Games are one of the few riding competitions in which the members of the team must work as a team, perfecting their hand-offs, rotating through the races (only four out of five riders in each race) and sharing the limelight.