Riding Activities There are 5 riding disciplines in Pony Club; each can have activities and competitions at varying skill levels at the branch, regional, national and even international level. The BCLM region has activities in every discipline. The discipline competitions are not compulsory, and include:
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Prince Philip Games (PPG) is a program of teams of riders doing relay-type or gymkhana games on horseback. PPG is for riders up to 15 years old, but there are also Masters Games for PPG graduates.
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Polocross is best described as Lacrosse on horses. Thankfully, for the horses at the very least, the balls are soft and the sticks are light and flexible. It is a new activity for North American pony clubs but has long been played in Australia and elsewhere.
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Tetrathlon is a four phase competition including running, swimming, shooting (air pistols at targets), and riding (either over movable ‘knock down’ jumps or permanent cross country jumps). Top tetrathletes often progress to the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon.
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Show Jumping is the probably the most famous of our equestrian sports, as it is the one seen at Spruce Meadows and the Royal Winter Fair. It is horse and rider going over a course of knock down jumps with accuracy and speed.
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Dressage is the ‘ballet’ of the horse world, with horse exercising a series of prescribed movements with precision and grace. (No jumping involved).
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Rally is the same as Horse Trials or 3 Day Eventing, with rider and horse completing three phases: Dressage, Cross Country (over permanent jumps) and Stadium (like Show Jumping, above). As well, riders and helpers are expected to apply their stable management skills, as Rally often runs over a three day period.
What is Pony Club Non-Riding Activities Riding Activities Dates Parents & Pony Club