Hello Members, our annual Christmas rally is almost here!
Our cross country grounds are simply looking too good to ignore, so this year we have decided to change the format of our Christmas rally and take advantage of one of the best pony club cross country grounds in the state! Visit the Rally Plan page for details about what everyone will be up to. And please visit the Rally Groups page to find your group. If your name is not included in one of the groups and you are attending the Christmas rally, please contact me via email asap.
Christmas Rally
For a full run down of the rally, please download the Christmas Rally Program.
The format includes a fun show jumping event; a mini cross country event and the infamous Kerr designed Handy Mount Challenge! These events will cater for all riders in our club, even the pre grade 5s, so please don’t be deterred from competing if this is your first time.
We look forward to seeing our youngest riders venture out of the junior ring, whether they are going solo or have a parent running alongside them, there will be lots of assistance on hand to make sure the day is a fun one. Whether you are being led, competing at walking pace or pushing the speed boundaries, there is a place for everyone at our Christmas rally. There are lots of ribbons and even some trophies, but remember the focus is on fun and the day is a perfect opportunity for all riders to compete in a friendly, relaxed environment.
Groups are different to our normal rally groups and have been established based on the grades that you may compete at. Where groups have riders of mixed grades, both grades will be catered for separately. For example, in the showjumping ring B grade will be first, followed by C grade.
HandiMount Challenge
This event is similar to an obstacle course where both the rider and horse are presented with a series of fun and challenging obstacles to work their way through.
- The event is timed, with a maximum time limit of 4 minutes (adjusted for beginners).
- A bell signals the end of your round.
- No course walk is allowed or required, so please take a look at the map provided. The map will also be posted outside the arena.
- Failure to attempt an obstacle results in elimination, but an unsuccessful attempt at an obstacle is okay.
Visit the News post about the Challenge for all the information you will need to make the most of this great event.
The ring is always managed with a friendly and super helpful environment, so don’t panic if you haven’t had a chance to become familiar with the course in advance, give it a go!
Showjumping – Top Score Competition
This is a fun competition where the object is to achieve the highest possible score over 1 round. It’s a little different to most showjumping competitions, because you can design your own course. Please take note of the rules below:
- Jumps can be jumped in any order and in either direction.
- Each jump can be jumped a maximum of 2 times.
- All jumps are given a value, dependent upon degree of difficulty.
- The object is to score as many points as possible.
- The joker jump is the most difficult jumps and is worth 200 points. If you knock the Joker jump you lose 200 points.
- Normal penalties for knockdowns or refusals for all other jumps do not apply.
- Any jump knocked down will not get a score and will not be put up again until the round is finished.
- If you knock down or refuse any of the other jumps, points are not subtracted from your score, but you do not get the value of that jump added to your score.
- When the judge signals the end of your round by ringing a bell, ride as quickly as possible to pass through the finish flags.
*Riders will jump in accordance with their official PC showjumping grade.
Mini Cross Country
- The course will take place over 6 to 10 fences, varying for each grade from G1 to pre G5.
- Penalties will be incurred as per regular horse trials competitions, including time penalties.
- Optimum time may well be the decider, so be aware of your time. To make it more interesting, XC watches are not allowed – you need to have a feel for the required speed and the speed that you and your horse are travelling.
*Riders will jump in accordance with their official PC horse trials grade.
Christmas Party and Awards
We look forward to welcoming everyone back to the clubrooms at 6.00pm for our annual Christmas Party and Awards presentation. This is always a relaxed evening, with trophies galore and it’s a nice way to end our year. For those that cannot make it on Saturday, best wishes for a very happy and safe Christmas, we look forward to seeing you in February 2014!
All the best,
Sinéad