Important Rally Information

Rallies are generally held on the first Sunday of each month from February to November.* Our December rally is generally held on the first Saturday in December, followed by our Christmas Party and Presentation night that evening.

*Sometimes it may be necessary to change our rally dates to accomodate competitions, holidays etc, so it is important that you check our website for notifications.

Please take the time to read the information below and if you still have queries regarding our rally, please contact our DC Sinéad Hanlon.

Rally Groups

Members are instructed in groups based on the ability of the horse and rider combination. Grading and grouping is not an exact science and often riders’ abilities can vary across the disciplines. With this in mind, we work very hard to ensure that our riders are placed in groups that allow the group to operate at a similar level where everyone can learn, be challenged and enjoy the rally.

Each group generally has between 6 and 10 riders, pending attendance. Groups are reviewed on a regular basis throughout the year. Group information is updated in the week before every rally and posted on the website in the rallies section.

Please remember that pony club rallies are not intended to provide the same level of instruction as a private lesson and sometimes a group lesson can flow tremendously, and sometimes they don’t!

Rally Attendance -Don’t forget your Grading Card!

It is important that you ALWAYS bring your grading card to rallies and competitions.  Grading cards (also known as membership cards) provide an important record of your attendance and grading and verify that you are insured. They are issued annually by PCV via your club upon payment of fees.

An attendance at any one rally is gained when a rider and a mount complete two of the three sessions scheduled.  One rider can gain attendance on 2 horses.

Attendance Register – Sign in at rallies.

Before the start of each rally, all riders must sign the Attendance Register at the DC desk and place their grading card in the “in tray”.  Parent*, Rider and horse details are recorded on this register and are used to update your grading card.  If you are riding 2 horses at a rally, you need to record details of both horses when you sign in.

The Grading Card Coordinator will update grading cards only after the second session has taken place. It is the responsibility of the rider to ensure that their card details are correct and up to date.

Grading cards will be placed in the “out tray” for collection at the end of the rally.

*All riders under the age of 18, must have a parent/carer in attendance at all times.

If you do not sign in, your grading card will not be updated.

Competition Attendance Requirements.

To compete in Pony Club competitions, PCV requires that riders (up to the age of 17), must attend five rallies in the 12 months prior to the date of competition. Riders over the age of 17 as at the 1st of July (known as an associate members), are only required to attend two rallies.

To prove your attendance and grading, you must submit your grading card at all Pony Club competitions. The PCV rule is “No Card, No Ride”.

Unmounted Rally attendance

For various reasons, sometimes a member is not able to ride their horse at a rally.  Members are still welcome to attend the rally and in some situations, may be able to gain an “unmounted” rally attendance. For competition purposes, an unmounted attendance is not available to Associate members (riders over the age of 17), but they are still most welcome to attend rallies unmounted.

Riders wishing to gain an unmounted attendance must wear the correct pony club uniform (including boots) and sign the attendance register, noting that you are unmounted. Riders are expected to attend at least 2 sessions and assist their group or other groups as directed by the DC.

Rally uniform

For rallies and clinics you have a choice of either wearing the competition uniform or  the club polo shirt and the club polo fleece jumper with beige / white / banana / fawn jodhpurs (boys can wear moleskins). Riders can wear chapettes (only at rallies), long black boots or gaiters the same colour as their riding boots. Medical armbands MUST be worn at rallies. Badges are optional. Back protectors must be worn for all jumping activities at the Club grounds (including competitions, clinics and any time you ride at our grounds).

Car & float parking

To ensure the space is used well and that everyone remains safe there are a few guidelines for parking at rallies and other events.

  • Please do not park cars along or adjacent to the horse yards as this creates congestion along the road into the car park.
  • Please consider the trees and try not to park within their drip zone as this compacts the ground and causes damage to the trees.
  • Do not tie horses to trees or deposit manure directly under the trees.
  • Please try to park floats in an orderly fashion allowing sufficient room between floats to tie up horses and between your car and the float in front.
  • If your car does not have a float attached, please park it outside the double gates.

Yard tips

Families without a float and those who double float have preference in choosing the yards on rally days. Families who are on set up duty or other duties at the club also have preference since their horse should not be expected to stand at the float for long periods prior to and after the rally. Please remove saddles and bridles, and put on a halter before leaving your horse in a yard and ensure that gear is not left hanging on the yard for your horse or pony to munch on while you are eating your lunch.

Water & rugs 

All horses should have a bucket of water within reach, particularly on hot days. During cool and wet weather, all horses should have suitable rugs on when they are not being ridden.

Washing horses

The club has a wash bay near the gate that leads into the float parking area. If the hose is not attached to the tap it is usually stored in the clubhouse (the hose needs to be returned after use in order to prevent theft). Alternatively there is a wash area near the toilets. With both wash spaces, please leave them clean and tidy for the next person.

Poo pickup

It is important that riders pick their horse’s poo and put it in the allocated area in the carpark before leaving the grounds. A wheelbarrow and fork and shovel are made available for members to use at rallies.

Parents riding & extra horses

It is important to note that parents cannot ride horses at rallies or lead around spare horses while sessions are in progress. If there is a problem with a horse (eg. it is very unsettled) please speak to the DC first about options to resolve the situation. This rule is in place so that all riders and horses can participate safely.