A busy month for pony clubs

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 571, 31 January 1995, Page 12

A busy month for pony clubs

Pony club camps held by both Raetihi and Kaitieke pony clubs at the beginning of January kicked off the start of a very busy month for King Country young pony club riders and organisers. Raetihi Pony Club held their camp at Lilburn' s property south of Raetihi with 15 children attending and enjoying instruction, mainly on cross-country jumping with treks as well as swimming. Kaitieke Pony Club' s camp was at the Kaitieke Domain using nearby properties for trekking and grazing. Thirty three children took part, some coming from as far as Auckland, Otaki and Wanganui to return to their annual holiday with their ponies. The campers enjoyed instruction in dressage, jumping, games and horse management as well as trekking and swimming. An evening of entertainment with skits performed by the children was an added attraction this year and some showed excellent talent as actors. Black Adder, alias Hutchings, held a mock court sitting to represent those children who thought they were hard-done-by with fines for misbehaving during the camp. The result being punishment for one instructor, Sandy Ripo, having to stand on her head. The gymkhana was held on the last day for all the riders to put into practise what they had achieved during the week. T aumarunui Pony Club took eight children to the Waikato Equestrian Centre in Hamilton for instruction from Kaye Hogan (a national pony club instructor) in cross country jumping. The children had two days at the centre with 2hour lessons both days and time also spent at Waterworld swimming complex. On 16 and 17 January the North Island pony club show jumping championships were held in Cambridge. Forty three teams competed in very hot conditions and on hard ground. Two teams from the King Country area competed. Waimarino Pony Club's team of manager, Heather Lilburn, Victoria Duigan and Chamahl, Shelly Gotlieb and Ascot, Nicola Smith and Pal-O-Mine and Hone Brausch and Saka San competed creditably. Hone Brausch and Saka San took two individual placings in a field of 82 riders to gain nine points for his team. Hone then teamed with Nicola Smith and Pal-O-Mine to earn another one point in the jigsaw jump. Victoria Duigan and Shelly Gotlieb rode well throughout the competition, just missing out on the placings. Taumarunui and districts team manager Colleen Cochrane, Chanelle Davey and Ambition, Lisa Cochrane and Jimmy, Hannah Lord and Creme Cracker, Trudy Cochrane and Hamal and Bridget Plowman and Little Lucifer had mixed fortunes. Chanelle Davey and Ambition took a very good 3rd placing to gain eight points for her team. Lisa Cochrane and Jimmy and Bridget Plowman and Little Lucifer both put in good performances over the two days. Hannah Lord and Creme Cracker and Trudy Cochrane and Hamel had a disappointing competition with both ponies not performing to their best ability. After a day's rest from the trip to Cambridge a two-day dressage training camp was held at Kaitieke with Judith Simpson from Turakina. Judith is King Country Area teams trainer and the New Zealand Equestrian Federation chef d'equipe of the New Zealand dressage team. This training was followed by the King Country Area dressage

day and trials to select the King Country dressage team to compete in the New Zealand pony clubs' zone dressage championships in Hamilton on 1 April. Results from dressage day: 2nd= Hannah Lord on Creme Cracker, 4th Bridget Plowman on Little Lucifer. Seniors 16 years and under 21; 1st Victoria Duigan on Chamahl, 2nd Lisa Cochrane on Oki Doki, 3rd Adrian Fetzer on Silver. Class 1 Juniors; 1st Kushla Edgarton on Bolero, 2nd Shelly Gotlieb on Ascot, 3rd Bridget Plowman on Little Lucifer, 4th Claire Hyland on Wise Guy. Seniors; lst Victoria Duigan on Chamahl, 2nd Lisa Cochrane on Oki Doki, 3rd Adrian Fetzer on Silver. From those results the team to compete in Hamilton was named: Seniors Victoria Duigan and Chamahl from Ohakune Pony Club, Lisa Cochrane and Oki Doki from Taumarunui Pony Club. Juniors Kushla Edgarten and Bolero from Raetihi Pony Club, Shelly Gotlieb and Ascot from Ohakune Pony Club, Bridget Plowman and Little lucifer from Kaitieke Pony Club. Reserve Hannah Lord and Creme Cracker from Kaitieke Pony Club. Manager Nicky Williams from Raetihi Pony Club. Class 3 winners at the dressage day for rider 1 2 years and under; 1 st Briar McGregor on Tamsin, 2nd Mathew West on Accolyte. Class4 12yearsandunderchampionship; lst Haylie Martin on Empress Ario, 2nd Briar McGregor on Tamsin, 3rd Mathew West on Accolyte.