From Yvette:
Metropolitan Pony Club Regional “D” Eventing Rally – Where It All Begins!
When I’m not cavorting around Capitol Hill in a suit and stilettos that convert me from my native 15.3 to a good 17 hands or trying to squeeze in conditioning intervals on my two noble steeds even as my daylight is rapidly diminishing to get them ready for the Novice 3-day at Waredaca, you can find me hanging out with my most favorite people on the planet – Pony Club members!!! Since 2007, I have served as a Chief Horse Management Judge, which means I am responsible for the judging of Pony Club members on their turnout (you will NEVER catch a Pony Clubber trotting around warm up at an event with the loose ends of their stock tie slapping them in the face), tack room set up (if you ever need duct tape, would dressing, a hole punch, or an extra bridle at an event – find a Pony Clubber…trust me), and overall care of their horse without help from parents or coaches while functioning in 4 or 5 member teams. Heady stuff, right? Especially since you’re probably convinced that someone who is best known for riding around shopping cart in full cross-country attire is not the best role model for young equestrians…
Well, let me confirm your fears assumptions that my Pony Club persona is as outlandish as you would expect – the kids know me as “the Crazy Sock Lady,” because, well, like a zebra and its stripes, I would never be caught dead at a Pony Club rally without my appropriate footwear (paddock shoes), my Pony Club pin (hey, I’m a proud Alumna!) or my colorful knee socks. But let me reassure you that Horse Management is Pony Club’s Big Deal. I’m allowed to accept as many food-related bribes as I can consume have as much fun with the kids as I want as long as I uphold Pony Club’s key tenets of safety, teamwork, and practical horsemanship.
The Metropolitan Region encompasses the greater NYC region, including my graduate school stomping ground of Long Island, Connecticut and Westchester County, NY. This past weekend’s competition (a “rally” in Pony Club lingo) was at Judy Richter’s lovely and amazing Coker Farm in Bedford, NY and was specifically for “D” level Pony Club members, with jumps ranging from trot poles and small crossrails up to ~2’3”. For many competitors, this was their first foray into eventing, and I have to say that even the most jaded observer can’t help but smile at the sight of children cantering over mum-laiden obstacles in an open field.
Pony Club days start with the all-important briefing, where we relay important information like warm-up and ring locations, reminders that we should leave the host farm as clean – if not cleaner – than we found it, and basic expectations for the day. As you can see, brightly colored pajama pants are the Pony Clubbers’ go-to for keeping breeches and jodhpurs clean until formal inspection.
Once we get the briefing out of the way (and catch the random pony who has decided that the grass IS in fact, greener on the other side of the fence), competitors prepare for their Turnout Inspections, at which my assistant judges assess competitors’ in terms of attire (cleanliness and correctness for sport), grooming of horse (you’ll never see a Pony Club pony with shavings in his tail!) and tack (fit, safety, and care). Since the Metropolitan Region is in the heart of Hunter/Jumper-land, many of the girls were sporting uber-fancy bows at the ends of their pigtails. I’m thinking I might have to get a set!
Teams consist of three or four riding members and one Stable Manager, who is ultimately responsible for overseeing the operation of the team for the day…they help keep the tack room and required equipment kits neat, organized, and ready to be evaluated by my roving teams of Horse Management judges (Do we have everything? Is it labeled? Do all of my team members know where to find things?), make sure teammates get to their inspections on time, keep track of when scores are posted so that the team captain doesn’t miss an opportunity to inquire about any points, and make sure the stable/tie area is neat and tidy throughout the day (Horse Management judges HATE stepping into a fresh, steamy pile of poo!) Although they are not riding members of the team, the Stable Manager can make or break a team!
Since I’m a big kid at heart, my favorite part of any rally – once I’ve finished scoring the myriad forms involved with judging Horse Management and dealt with inquiries (I bet a large percentage of any incoming law school class has some sort of background in Pony Club – these kids KNOW how to work their rulebooks!) – is visiting the competitors, checking out their tack rooms and accepting various food bribes (hey, a girl’s gotta eat!) Many times, a “Chief on the Loose” can strike fear into competitors (“Nooooo! She’s here to take points!”), but I think my crazy socks (and sometimes cape, stupid head boppers, and maybe even a feather boa) help reduce the fear factor. My tack room visits always give me new ideas, like using mailboxes for saddle racks.
D Rallies are particularly awesome because for many of the competitors, this may be their first and/or only time to do what eventers take for granted – ride cross country! We also give them early exposure to a moderated vet box in which we take vitals and only release horses back to the stable area once they’ve shown sufficient recovery. While most of the horses recover in, oh, 2 minutes, the vet box experience lays the groundwork for conditioning for more intense activities and establishing an appropriate cooling out procedure. Guess you wouldn’t be surprised to discover that the majority of upper level eventers have SOME sort of Pony Club upbringing, huh?
While my coworkers think I’m a bit nuts for spending my weekends wrangling 50+ kids and their ponies, the smiles and hugs at the end of the rally remind me why I’m okay with parking trailers in a random field before the sun has risen, concocting ways to repair various pieces of equipment and/or vehicles with only duct tape and baling twine, and porta-pots…lots of porta-pots. Pony Club has taught many individuals to be very good riders, but more importantly, it instills the qualities of horsemanship, sportsmanship, and teamwork that transcend generations. The Metropolitan Region is clearly blessed with young members eager to learn, teenage members willing to teach, and parents and volunteers ready and willing to provide support wherever needed!
Thank you, Metro Region for hosting me, and seriously…I need a hook-up for the hairbows!
