Louth Hunt Branch

Main Pony Club Activities are listed below

Main Camp

This is the highlight of the Pony Club year for the 12-18 age group. The camp is residential and is usually held in the second week of July. The members get to ‘live with’ their horses for the week and usually take a big step forward in their riding ability. The camp is run by the club committee with professional instructors and help from volunteer parents. Each parent has to stay overnight once during the week to provide supervision. The Pony Club members enjoy plenty of riding, stable management and great camaraderie with their friends. In the evenings there are talks by well known equestrian people, games and activities and on the last night a disco. Parents are invited to a prize giving on the afternoon that the camp breaks up, and are asked to give a hand in the tidy up.

Mini Camp

This four-day camp, usually held on the first week in July, is for the 5 to 12 age group and is not residential. The ponies arrive with the children on the first day and are collected on the last day, while the children are collected each evening at approximately 5pm. A parent or helper (over 12 years of age) must stay for the duration of the camp with any child who is still on lead rain. At mini-camp, the children begin the day by grooming their ponies and learning how to tack them up correctly. They have a riding lesson, lunch, some free time, another riding lesson, some stable management, then the ponies and tack are cleaned and put away before home time. During the week there are plenty of games, competitions, a quiz, a chance to earn merit badges, a fancy dress and a bar-b-q and prize giving on the last evening, to which parents are invited.

Senior Clinic

Some years an additional camp is run, depending on demand, for a small group of older members in the 17-21 age group who are working towards taking their B test. In the past, the level of instruction at these Clinics has been first class and has ensured a very high success rate.

Rallies

Held most Saturdays throughout the summer months, the Rally is an extended riding lesson followed by some stable management.

Rallies are usually very sociable and enjoyable, with refreshments often provided by the host family, and are a great opportunity for parents and pony club members to have a picnic and a nice day out together. A list of host families is issued at the end of May and again in July. If your place is suitable to host a rally, let a committee member know. Rallies usually start at 1.30 and go on until about 5pm. Members must attend at least two Rallies to be eligible to attend Camp. As demand for places on the Rallies is very high, and the appropriate number of instructors has to be hired for the afternoon, members must book a place with the D.C. by the Wednesday prior to each Saturday.

Mounted Games

Mounted Games is an exciting and challenging sport traditional to the Pony Club. Teams of four compete in a series of games, run in the style of a relay race. Weekly training begins in the early Spring in preparation for regional and national competitions. Teams are selected to represent the club based on ability and commitment to training, but also on the suitability of the pony to the sport. The Louth Hunt Pony Club has done very well at these games over the years.

Tetrathlon

Another sport that is very typical of the Pony Club, Tetrathlon covers Riding, Running, Swimming and for the older competitors, Shooting. Those interested in taking part begin work in the early Spring with weekly training sessions at the track and pool. Children can begin to take part in this challenging event at an early age as there are very well run competitions for Fledglings (6-8 year olds), Minimus (8-12), Junior (12-16) and Senior (16-21). The emphasis is on achieving a personal best time in each competition, which is great for the member’s self confidence and development as a sportsperson. The National championships are held in June for the younger members and at the end of August for the older members. Una McGuinness (087-6793151) is the committee member who runs the Tetrathlon for our club.

Eventing

This is the ultimate test of the horse: Cross-country, requiring a brave and capable horse and rider; show-jumping, requiring skill and precision; and dressage, needing patience and a light touch – all in the one competition! Eventing is an individual rather than a team sport, and events are held all over the country on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the Summer at under 12, Junior and Senior levels. A full schedule of events is published at the beginning of every season and entries must be booked and paid at least ten days before each event. The Louth Hunt Pony Club runs combined training evenings in the early Summer for the different levels to help prepare for Eventing. The season culminates with the Pony Club’s annual Horse Trial Championships in the middle of August where club representatives compete for the top national prizes. To take part in the championships, members must have taken part and gone well in at least three events. Club Secretary Fionna Lyons (086-2453686) takes the entries and information about the Dressage Tests is on the Dresage Tests

Show Jumping

Training shows are held at most equestrian centres throughout the year with mini, midi and maxi competitions. They provide very good experience for pony and rider and are well worth attending. Look out for local advertising. The Louth Hunt Pony Club sends show jumping teams every year to the area championships in Cavan in the middle of July. Preparation for show-jumping is included in the combined training sessions.

Hunting

The Louth Hunt welcomes Pony Club members who wish to hunt during the winter months to improve their riding skills and continue the development and training of their ponies. The hunt meets every Wednesday and Saturday from November to the end of February at 11am with the day usually continuing until about 4pm. Riders should be riding confidently and be able to jump ditches and uprights competently before going Hunting. The location of the meets is advertised on the Hunt Card which is published at the beginning of each season. Pony club members should request the permission of one of the Masters of the Hunt to attend a particular meet and should ask to take out a subscription to the hunt if they wish to go out regularly. Ponies and Riders must be turned out to a high standard. The Masters of the Louth Hunt include Gerry Boylan, 086-2588144; Joe Callan, 086-8129663, and Dr Ralph Hoey, 087-8522102.

Hunter Trials

A Hunter Trial is a competition over a course of around 28 jumps spread over fields and open country. The jumps are rustic fences in a natural style, with a combination of uprights, water jumps and ditches; replicating the natural terrain you would have to negotiate to cross country. Normally there are novice and open competitions, to suit the different ability levels, and in some cases there will be a pre-novice competition for very young riders, or very inexperienced ponies. The Hunter Trial season falls between the end of the Hunting season and the start of the Summer season. Each Pony Club runs its own Hunter Trial and there are great opportunities to enter team and individual competitions at regional and national level. Members must have competed in, and gone well in, at least two hunter trials to be allowed take part in regional or national competitions run by the Pony Club. In addition, each Hunt Club in the region runs its own Hunter Trial so there are plenty of competitions to go to throughout March and April. (Our local hunts are the Louths, the Meaths, the Fingals, the Taras, the Ward Union, and the Oriels). Details about Hunter Trial dates and venues are advertised in The Irish Field and other equestrian press and on Pony Club circulars.

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