Welcome to the Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt Pony Club web site
Latest updates:
09.05.12 - For Sale & Wanted page updated
02.05.12 - Tiverton Tet Report added to Latest News section below
25.04.12 - Spooners PC Burrator Show - Sunday 10th June : Schedule added to Diary page
Spooners & West Dartmoor Hunt Branch of the Pony Club was established in 1967 in Area 16 and currently has 70 members covering an area around Plymouth and Tavistock as far north as Postbridge.
If you are not already a Pony Club member click here to see the benefits!
As a member of our Pony Club
We want you to appreciate and enjoy your pony with like-minded people and hopefully make new friendships on the way.
Within the Pony Club you will have opportunities to compete and represent our Pony Club in competitions - this is not compulsory - it is up to you! You can just come along and watch if you want!
Available to you through being a member:
- Rallies: Open to all to teach you more about riding and caring for your pony.
- Show Jumping/Team Show Jumping: Open to all.
- Prince Phillip: Gymkhana games open to all.
- Dressage: Open to all.
- Endurance Riding: Open to all.
- One-day events (ODE): Combination of dressage, show jumping, and cross-country.
- D days: As above but for less experienced members.
- Triathlons Shooting, Swimming, Running.
- Tetrathlons Shooting, Swimming, Running, Cross-Country Jumping.
- Pony Club Tests Lessons are given to improve riding and horse care knowledge. Tests are normally taken from 7 years onwards.
- Achievement Badges For the younger members a fun way to learn more about horsemanship and the countryside.
- Pony Club Camp Open to all ages for you and your pony.
For more information please click on the links in the 'Where to go from here' section at the bottom of this page.
We also try to arrange social get togethers such as Easter Egg hunts, pleasure rides, mini mock hunts with optional tour of kennels etc etc. If you have any queries or questions do feel free to contact Rebecca Townsend (your DC) on 01822 841871 or Tracy Coupland (parent) on 01822 855304.
Rallies - How to book in
Please use the current rally booking form that can be downloaded from the Diary page on the website. It will have the upcoming rallies for the next three months, sometimes more, and if you intend going to any of the dates please send form with payment in advance to Rebecca T at the address provided on form. If you are unable to download the form, feel free to write down the list of rallies you wish to attend on a piece of plain paper or even send via email! Just be sure to incude name, age, tel no and pony name and it must be accompanied by payment. Then phone 01822 841871 two days before rally to confirm time.
Rallies - What to wear
There is a certain dress code for both you and your pony, for instance brightly coloured numnahs and jodhpurs are not really acceptable. Riders are expected to wear beige jodhpurs and riding boots to Pony Club events including rallies with shirt, tie and jacket or Pony Club jumper. Pony Club ties and badges are available from our Membersip Secretary. Sweatshirts and Polo shirts are available on 01822 841871 or email spooners@pcuk.org. Riding hats should have a Pony Club approved safety logo or number. So before going to buy anything new for you or your pony it might be wise to check. Any committee member or experienced parent will be only too happy to help.
Latest News:
05.04.12 - **Easter Egg Hunt**
Hi everyone Thank you to everyone who came to the Easter egg hunt on Monday! It was absolutely beautiful weather, and very warm, so warm that the eggs actually began to melt before they had been found! Everybody who came seemed to have a good time, and it was nice to see a mixture of the lone rangers and some older members too! We had a bit of a surprise this year as well, and that was that you could win a big easter egg, but firstly you had to find a fluffy chick! There were only five of these and they were hidden extremely well, so well done to the people who found them! Also, there are some pictures from the Easter egg hunt on our facebook page, they are private so only members can see them so if you haven't already, join us on facebook! Hope you all have a good Easter! Frankie Foster, on behalf of the junior committee.
05.04.12 - Trip to Mary King's Yard
Those of us who took part in the area quiz were fortunate enough to be invited up to Mary King's yard on Thursday 5th April. We all met at the Cat and Fiddle pub at Westpoint for lunch and then followed Margaret Ball to Mary King's yard. We arrived a little early at the yard but soon we began to notice Imperial Cavalier and King's Temptress watching us from their stables. Mary soon arrived at the yard to greet us and promptly introduced us to the horses. It turned out that Imperial Cavalier's yard name is Archie and King's Temptresses yard name is Tess. There was also Chubby ( the grumpy one whose afternoon nap we had disturbed ) , Chilli Morning , Apache Sauce and a few of Emily King's horses as well. After the introductions all the children were put in the horse walk and sent walking around before Mary increased the speed and we had to run!!! Then we were given the tour of her new Oakley lorry (wow) it was like a 5 star hotel on wheels! After the tour Mary offered us things to buy such as Emily's old joules polo shirts and lots of used tack that was very cheap for its condition. She also sold us signed copies of her autobiography as well as free postcards with her signature written to us. Earlier that morning bedding had been dropped of at her yard and we offered to help her carry it in to the feed store. As Mary cut the tape that was around it the pile of bedding, it started to wobble, and as we took of some of the bales there was nothing any of us could do to stop it as the pile tipped and collapsed over Margaret's car! Luckily the bales were small and light so did no serious damage but after we knew that the car was ok we could not help but laugh. After such a great day, I'd like to thank Margaret for organising the trip and Mary King for giving us a tour around her fantastic yard. Alice Kodritsch
15.04.12 - BACS Payment Codes
For those who prefer to pay by BACS transfer, please remember that it is essential that the treasurer knows what the payment is for. She can identify the sender from your email addresss but please include the following codes: RA - rallies CL - clinics CA - camp JCA - junior camp SW - sweatshirts and all merchandise MEB - memberships Cheques are always welcome and fine for all payments but cash is not. Head Office discourages us from accepting cash payments so please try and avoid it if at all possible. Thank you
15.04.12 - Congratulations Megan!
Regional Tetrathlon Competiton (Junior Girls) Congratulations to our Megan Groom who has been selected with five others from Area 16 to represent the South West in Milton Keynes next month. This is a huge honour and she is very excited!! Best of luck!!
15.04.12 - Introducing.. New Newsletter Editiors
Megan Groom and Alice Kodritsch are to be the new joint editors of our prestigious Spooners bi-monthly newsletter! Thank you girls. Be sure and send in lots of reports and photos for them to use : spooners@pcuk.org
28.04.12 - Tiverton Pony Club Tetrathlon
Unfortunately the weather put paid to the riding phase of this competition. However, Megan, Henry, Bethany, Frankie and Rio all competed in the triathlon. They all started with respectable shoots – Bethany scoring and impressive 940 and narrowly missing out on the best shoot in her class! The running course was not as wet as we expected and everyone ran well, achieving personal bests. Megan ran exceptionally well to score the optimum 1000 points and take best run. Finally to the swimming, where again everyone swam well, with Rio, Bethany and Henry all swimming personal bests. Megan won best swim and came 1st in the Junior Girls class. Henry came 6th in the Junior Boys, Frankie 6th in the Mini Boys and Frankie and Rio were in the 3rd placed mini boys team.