Spooners and West Dartmoor Hunt Pony Club
Tetrathlon & Triathlon
If you have never tried triathlons or tetrathlons and would like to have a go please give me a ring or e-mail me. There are several friendly triathlons during the winter and spring months which are ideal for first timers. Don’t worry if you have never shot, or don’t have a gun, the Pony Club has guns available foryou to use and Gill Allenby is always very happy to instruct beginners.
Sue Ware 01822 854214 warestourtown@virginmedia.com
How it all started - The beginnings of Spooners PC Tetrathlon
In 1974 the Pony Club Tetrathlon was in its infancy and was only open to boys. It was felt that the Tetrathlon might be an event, which would encourage boys to keep on with the Pony Club as at that time it was to a certain extent dominated by the girls.
Having retired from the Army in 1973 and having returned to my home in Peter Tavy from Sandhurst, Camberley, we decided that we would continue with what we had learnt at Sandhurst and would try to form a Tetrathlon team. To be honest the team selection was not very difficult as there were only about 5 boys available and so Nick Fell, Philip Kennon, John Smiley, Charlie Lane and Paul Lane started training. We acquired a second hand old air pistol and practised with targets pinned against a tree in the garden. Swimming training took place in the Mount House open-air pool supervised by a very fierce games master. Running was organised around a circuit in Peter Tavy that was roughly the right distance. We of course all knew how to ride although Philip may have been a little embarrassed riding our 16.3hh eventer when having mounted after successfully replacing the slip rail his mount jumped back over the other side. Charlie at one competition also successfully completed the course within the time allowed despite having broken the bridle on the gate and then riding the rest of the course, including island fences, with the bit somewhere around the horse’s lower neck. Philip remembers catching up with another member of the team on the run and deciding to run with him to help him on but when the pair eventually finished the timekeeper had gone for tea.
Despite all this, in the second year the team qualified for the National Pony Club championships at Stoneleigh. I seem to remember that the team came 4th but although I have tried to check this at the Pony Club headquarters do not have the records that far back.
Well that is how it all started. But nobody then could have seen how Spooners Pony Club started what has become an amazing story not only in Modern Pentathlon but also in the equine and other sporting activities of that original team. First of course are the two Olympians, Heather Fell, daughter of Nick, and Kate Allenby. And then we have Philip who with his wife successfully train point-to-pointers and whose daughter is seen riding in local races. Paul who for a time rode Eventers and a number of point-to-pointers until his Army career made it difficult to fit everything in. However he kept on running and was awarded his Army colours for Orienteering (at the age of 49). Charlie seems to have done everything including Captain of Modern Pentathlon at Oxford University, National One Day Event champion and riding the winner of the Grand Military Steeplechase at Sandown.
At a party at the beginning of October given by Nick to celebrate his daughter’s success and to thank all her supporters this original team had its first, and probably only, reunion. A certificate was presented and photographs taken. But what is the most encouraging thing about all this is the constant support, advice and help that all these competitors give to each other, their fellow competitors and the young boys and girls coming on. Kate is now working almost full time on training potential national competitors and Heather between her hectic training is constantly helping the young. And just to prove the point she has one great fan who is Georgie Lane, Charlie’s daughter, who is the 2008 Under 11 National Modern Pentathlon Champion of Great Britain.
Kindly contributed by Major Lane.