WHAKATANE PONY CLUB MATTERS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 15, Issue 97, 18 September 1950, Page 5

WHAKATANE PONY CLUB MATTERS

The recent formation of a New Zealand Horse Society is of great interest to all Whakatane Pony Club members. The first meeting was convened by the Pony Club Association at Wellington in December 1949, and steady progress since then has resulted in the formation of this Society unanimously decided by representatives from the New Zealand Aoyal Agricultural Society, the New Zealand Hunts Association, the New Zealand Polo Association, the New Zealand Pony Club Association, and delegates from individual Hunt Clubs, Pony Clubs and A. and P. Associations. This Society has been formed primarily to find, train and send an equestrian team to the 1956 Olympiad in Melbourne and secondly to foster and improve horsemanship and horse interests in this country. ; One of the chief aims of the Society is to encourage competitions and classes under the international rules, which will entail a greater variety of fences and more interesting courses. These rulues are few, simple and very definite, but are different in character to the style of judging we are used to at present.

The pony club work is laying the foundation for their young riders to compete in these international classes and A. and P. Shows. Mr Kelliher, president of the Royal Agricultural Society, in his address at the ;• Pony Club Association annual meeting, said: “These pony clubs are an excellent thing as far as the shows are concerned and to a great' extent they revive the horse events. Shows throughout the country are doing a lot to foster the pony clubs and I will always be prepared to assist the movement in any way I can.”