Centennial Pony Club

Apollo Equestrian is excited to be able to offer Pony Club through the Centennial Pony Club starting in January 2023!

What is Pony Club?

Pony Club has been around since the 1950s, and was developed to help young riders develop correct riding and horsemanship skills. The cornerstones of the foundation are education, safety, sportsmanship, stewardship and FUN. From their website: “The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. is an educational organization which builds the foundations of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members.”

More info here: www.ponyclub.org

I think this is a great opportunity for riders that want to learn more about horses (horsemanship and riding), as well as those who want to be competitive.

Who can join?

Pony Club has historically been geared at young riders but has expanded to include adults as well. When I last asked around, there seemed to be more interest from the kids in my program. That said, there is the possibility of starting and incorporating an adult pony club- if any of the grown ups reading this are feeling left out- and I’m all for it if there’s enough interest. That said, in that case, I would need at least one more volunteer to help organize since this would increase the activities we would need to offer. There would also be a more pressing need to fundraise.

How much does it cost?

The yearly dues are as follows: National dues: $155 for 2023 for new members; Regional dues are $33.33 annually, Club dues are $60. Group lessons are currently set at $15/ rider. Rates for Clinic Days, Rallies, and other activities vary based on the time and travel involved. There would also be a charge for using horses for these activities for riders without their own horse or pony.

What activities are involved?

'There are a lot of options- none of which are required- so you can all make it what you want it to be. Some examples are: Lessons, “clinic days” (longer format lessons where we can cover more material and have in the saddle and on the ground components), fundraising activities and fundraising events, rallies (these are competitions), field trips, volunteer opportunities and symposiums. Members also have access to educational materials online.

What’s the time commitment?

The time commitment is completely up to you. I’m hoping to have enough interest to offer a weekly group lesson and one clinic day per month (clinic day would be a combination of learning on the ground and in the saddle) and as riders advance I’d love to attend rallies and get involved with other clubs and events in the area! There are no other clubs in Fort Collins, but there are several others in Colorado. While there is a structured curriculum as riders move up the levels, riders aren’t required to pursue these to be involved. The C and D levels are easy and fun, and will overlap with what most of my young riders have been doing in lessons, the higher levels do become harder (again- they are not required).

What about regular lessons?

I’ll continue to offer regular lessons as I have been so it’s completely fine to join some Pony Club lessons and some regular lessons.