MEMBER UNITED STATES PONY CLUBS
Regional Supervisor
News
August 2009
Hi all,
The summer is flying by and soon it will be time for the start of school. The Old Dominion Region and its members have had a very busy summer with many attending clinics, camps, USPC Championship East and even finding time to squeeze in a family vacation!!
Our region was represented in Dressage, Eventing, Quiz and Show Jumping at USPC Championship East by 34 members from 14 of our 15 clubs and 1 of our 2 riding centers. Wow, that is an incredible representation of the region with almost 100% of the clubs and riding centers having members on a regional team. I am very proud of our members and the final results in all of the disciplines that we participated in show an Old Dominion Region team in the ribbons. The results are as follows with the specific scores being available for viewing on the USPC web site at ponyclub.org.
Dressage First Level and up 1st in HM and 5th Overall
Jessica B, Glenmore Hunt Second Level Musical 2nd place
Katherine A, Sinking Creek Second Level Musical 1st Place
Jessica Littlefield, James River
Patrick W, James River
Amelia T, SM, Sinking Creek
Training Level – scramble with Carolina 7th HM, 12th Overall
Sarah S, Rockbridge Hunt
Gibbie E, Mt. Skyline
Nikohl M, Wintergreen
Eventing Beginner Novice Scramble with Red River – 2nd HM, 8th Overall
Laurel G, Roanoke 21st Individual USEA Final Scores (38 starts)
Cat O, SM, Roanoke
Training scramble with Carolina Region – 2nd HM; 3rd Overall
Allie F, Glenmore Hunt – 12th Individual USEA Final Scores (21 starts)
Quiz Junior D Team “A” 10th
Madeline W, James River
Elizabeth C, Bedford Hunt
Dillon C, Arbor Gate,
Emily L, Arbor Gate
Junior D Team “B” 20th
Katie B, Cape Henry
Kat K, Holston
Ann H, Wintergreen
Senior “D” Team A 3rd
Jessica E, Bedford Hunt - Tied for 3rd Individual Score
Caitlin K, Rapidan River – 2nd Individual Score
Victoria R, Cape Henry
Molly R, Sinking Creek
Senior “D” Scramble with Northeast – 14th
Kathryn P, Mt. Skyline
Show Jumping
Developing Horse and Rider
Team A – Scramble with NYUC 7th in HM; 2nd Overall
Lucy G, Glenmore – 0.76 Equitation Score 5th place
Addie E, Mt. Skyline
Emily T, Crescent Bay – 0.80 Equitation Score 2nd Place
Spencer G, SM, Foxtails
Team B – 6th place HM; 11th Overall
Courtney K, Mt. Skyline
Kelsey H, Sinking Creek
Casey L, Glenmore Hunt
Emily C, SM, Highlands
Modified – Scramble with Maryland and South Regions – 6th HM; 7th Overall
Laurel M, Holston
Regular – Scramble with EPA, Cimmaron, Tri-State 1st HM; 1st Overall
Kaelin C, Crescent Bay – Equitation score 0.80 2nd place
Monica G, Roanoke Valley – Equitation score 0.76 5th place
As you can see from reading the above, as a Regional Supervisor I have a lot to be proud of but these results are not what make me the most proud. I must single out our Senior “D” Quiz team led by Jessica E as the Captain for their demonstration of good sportsmanship. Just prior to the start of Championships I sent a “pep talk” email to all of those who would be representing our region. To summarize that “pep talk” I told the kids that we were not focused on the blue ribbon but more on “how they play the game” – how well do they know the rules, play with integrity and honesty and no matter what – be good sports. Our Senior D Quiz team exemplified all of these values. The story is told that at the end of the first day the scores were posted and this team noticed that had 10 points for a question that they really only earned 5 points. After a discussion amongst themselves they reported this to the organizer and the score was corrected. At the end of the competition this team was in third place by, YOU GUESSED IT, 5 points (the 5 points that they gave back). How very commendable that they put their honesty and integrity ahead of winning!! They certainly played the game very well and demonstrated that they are of high character and the best of sports. I hope that they value their 3rd place ribbon and their bronze medal as much as they would the blue ribbon and gold medal. I am so very proud of them and I am sure their parents are as well. Thank you girls for representing our region so very well!!
Allie F, Glenmore Hunt, who competed in the Training Division at USPC Champs, is the recipient of this year’s Bailey Zwie scholarship. This $500 scholarship is awarded by the Brennan family in memory of Eleanor Brennan’s beloved mount Bailey. The intent of this scholarship is to defray the cost of competing at USPC Championships in the hope that it will encourage the member to continue the pursuit of further competitive and educational opportunities in the Eventing community. Thank you to the Brennan family for their continued support to the region and our members.
Once again the region had a successful fund raising activity with healthy sales at our vendor booth at the Trade Fair during Championships. Several of our clubs took advantage of this opportunity and sold items. We had a hot seller in the 2009 Championship, designed Lindsey M, former member of Crescent Bay. For those of you who have not seen them our cook books were also sold at the booth and those clubs that had not yet picked theirs up did so. They are really very attractive and the recipes that I have tried have all been good. My thanks to all of those who manned the booth during championships and a special thanks to Melessa Dolan for organizing the booth and to Alice Buchanan for time spent at the booth and taking charge of the money!!
As the summer winds down it is time for the planning for the coming pony club year to wind up and set in motion. Clubs should be planning the required Annual Sponsor meeting and the region is beginning plans for the regional activities for 2010. I had sent out an email to the parent email address of every member of the region asking for input on possible rally options for the future. The email was sent out on July 28th with a deadline of August 11th for responding. Your input is very important to the planning process and I had hoped for a better response than what has come in so far. The responses are still “trickling” in so I will wait for a few more days before closing that opportunity. If there are any who did not receive the July 28th email please contact me privately at ponymom@aol.com and I will send it on to you.
A number of our members have tested to a national level rating this summer. Some of the candidates were pleased to have met the standard and others faced the great disappointment of not meeting standard. Several of our members had to withdraw or request a test date change due to horse soundness issues and some because they felt they needed a bit more time to prepare for the test. These tests are a stressful event for everyone – candidate, horse, parent and support groups. Not meeting the standard should never be viewed as a failure since the time spent under instruction as part of the preparation serves to make that individual a stronger, more knowledgeable horse person. Please join me in congratulation the following members for their hard work resulting in meeting the standard;
CONGRATUALTIONS TO:
Cassie T, Outer Banks – H rating
Hannah W, Cape Henry – C3 riding test (now a C+)
Charlotte H, Outer Banks – B rating
Gary T, Crescent Bay – B rating
Mary A. Ray- Holston – B rating
Whitney A, Sinking Creek – C3 Dressage rating
I recently learned that Monica G, C3 member of Roanoke Valley is ranked 8th nationally in the USEA Young Rider Preliminary Division. GO MONICA!! I encourage any of you who have a special event or story to tell to please pass along the details (pictures if you have them) so that it can be shared with the entire region. We are so proud of our members and your accomplishments and want to applaud you and share in your excitement.
Roanoke Valley is hosting the Zone 3 Standard & Rating clinic at Green Hill Park in Salem on September 12th. Sarah Morgan, National Examiner and Graduate A is the clinician. Sarah is an outstanding clinician who has a very strong grasp of the expectation of the Standards of Proficiency and a wonderful delivery so that her audience leaves with a much clearer understanding. Although this is a Zone 3 clinic it is opened to any member or interested adult. Contact Ellen Oliver at ellenoliver112@gmail.com for more information. This clinic is being heavily subsidized by the region to keep the cost down for participants and is at no charge to active pony club members.
Happy Trails –
Jan Goodmundson, RS
Links to Past RS news
RS News 2009
RS News 2008
RS News 2007