Letter from the President

Pony Club is a wonderful mix of fun, learning, competition, and life lessons. As many of you know, I was fortunate to grow up in Pony Club myself, as a member of the Platte Valley and Cherry Creek Pony Clubs in Colorado. I joined in 1964 and was fortunate to graduate as an “A” in 1974. Those ten years certainly shaped my life in so many ways. Not only did I learn a great deal about riding, in all sorts of disciplines I never thought I would try, but even tried some I never particularly liked (such as dressage)! I was an avid foxhunter with the Arapahoe Hunt, and had tremendous fun competing in eventing. In Colorado we pushed the Pony Club model to its limits with mountain trail rides, camps, hunter trials, polo matches, along with traditional rallies.

I was particularly lucky to have had the wonderful experience and opportunity of having our horses right at home on our farm outside of Denver. The responsibilities learned for the care of our equine companions continue to guide me today on our ranch in eastern Colorado. During my youth, when going to Pony Club, we merely groomed and tacked up our horses, mounted, and rode maybe four or five miles to our mounted lessons, always held on the same wonderfully dedicated grounds, complete with riding rings, cross country jumps, and standards, rails, and barrels for stadium courses. We were lucky, indeed. Our instructors were a cadre of remarkable horsewomen, all of whom saw the rich value of a Pony Club education. They were so unselfish with their time and talents. They donated their time and became surrogate mothers to us all. Believe it or not, at one time, Platte Valley Pony Club had nearly ninety members, including about fifteen boys! We were divided up into groups of fifteen to twenty, according to our ratings (now certifications), age, and general abilities. The lessons always began with exercises, flatwork, and other things that we boys thought were exceedingly tedious. But, to make it more palatable to us, our main instructor would always end the flatwork lessons with formation riding, telling us that military precision made for competent riders! We loved it! And boy, did it develop a set of riding skills that have stuck with me nearly six decades later.

Pony Club in Colorado, during the 1960s, was pretty far removed from the heart of Pony Club activity found along the Eastern seaboard, California, and the Midwest. Our rallies always were run following every Pony Club guideline and rule, but, admittedly, we were isolated and somewhat naïve. In the late 1960s, one of our DC’s (she also was our RS) decided we needed to be exposed to the “real” Pony Club world. She took a group of us to observe the National Rally (we now call them championships) in Bath, Ohio. I believe it was around 1969. We were in awe! And, we immediately informed our DC that our goal was to compete in a National Rally. For the next few years, the Midwest Region, light years ahead of the Colorado Region in terms of sophistication, graciously invited a team from Colorado to compete at its Regional Rally. We might as well have been going to the Olympics, as far as we Pony Club members were concerned! It opened our eyes to a whole new level of riding and competition.

Then, in 1972, the Pony Club National Rally was slated to be held in Omaha, Nebraska! It seemed as though that was right next door to us, only ten hours away! What many today probably do not know, is that for many years the National Rallies were for “B” and “A” competitors only! The “A’s” competed as individuals, and the “B’s” could compete either on Club teams or Regional teams. At the Rally in Omaha, there were about 15 individual “A’s” and nearly 200 “B’s.” As I recall, there were about 25 Regional Teams and 15 or so Club teams. It drew competitors from all over the United States. We from Colorado had never experienced anything like it before. It was a beautiful competition, and I made many friends that I continue to see to this day.

The best part for our Colorado team was that Pony Club was so consistent with its training, expectations and rules, that we felt completely at home and were warmly welcomed by our colleagues from across the nation. To this day, I think that many of the competitors from the Eastern U.S. were surprised to see us using English saddles and wearing traditional hard hats and not cowboy hats!

Our team did not do particularly well, but we had a blast and were able to take home to Colorado a Pony Club experience that made us seem like celebrities! Best of all, though, was the fact that we had, firsthand, experienced the magic of a national Pony Club activity and competition. In the end, we were no different from those coming from Virginia, California, Tennessee, Massachusetts, Ohio, or New York. We all were Pony Club proud.

As Pony Club members and families converge on Lexington, Kentucky, later this year for our Festival, even if it looks a little different from previous years due to COVID-19, it will produce the thrills, friendships, educational opportunities that the 1972 National Rally held for me those many years ago. I encourage each and every one of you to cherish the Pony Club traditions that make these national gatherings so special and so magical. I guarantee that you will remember this Festival with the same fondness that I have for Omaha.

And, regardless of how you get to Pony Club activities, and no matter how your instructors, DC’s and other dedicated volunteers teach and take you through your paces, remember that Pony Club has been built on decades of tradition, dedication, knowledge, safety, and fun. I am confident that each Pony Club member today has surrogate “parent(s)” just as I did many years ago. I cherish every Pony Club memory that I have; I use my Pony Club skills daily; the very foundations on which I operate today all are directly traceable to my Pony Club upbringing. I know that the same will be true for each and every one of you! We all are blessed to have Pony Club! Don’t you agree?