June 2015
June 6 & 7
MOCPC HT
Glenwood Park, Middleburg, VA
June 13 & 14
Eventing Rally
Glenwood Park, Middleburg, VA
June 20
D-3 Eventing Rally
Cooperfield Farm, Hume, VA
June 19 - 21
Great Meadow International HT and 3* PanAm Prep Trials
Great Meadow, The Plains, VA
June 26 - 28
H-B Test
Jarvandi Farm, Haymarket, VA
June 28
Champs Prep Picnic
Location TBD | | July 2015
July 1
Upper Level Mounted Prep
Sandstone Farm, Millwood, VA
July 12 & 13
RBPC SJ & Course Design Clinic
Frying Pan Park, Herndon, VA
July 12 & 13
CWPC Daniel Stewart Jump & Sports Psych Clinic
Blue Top Farm, Nokesville, VA
July 12 & 13
USPC International Games Exchange
Northern Fauquier Community Park, Marshall, VA
July 12
USPC International Games Exchange Welcome Picnic
Northern Fauquier Community Park, Marshall, VA
July 22 - 26
USPC Championship East
Virginia Horse Center, Lexington, VA
| August 2015
August 2
MOCPC Combined Test
Glenwood Park, Middleburg, VA
August 5
Upper Level Mounted Prep
Sandstone Farm, Millwood, VA
August 7 - 9
H-B Testing @ Old Dominion Region
Ballyhack Farm, Chesapeake, VA
August 15
Games & Tet Shoot Practice
Great Meadow Polo Arena, The Plains, VA
August 21 - 23
H-B Test @ Capital Region
Good Choice Farm, Clarksburg, MD
August 29 - 30
LHPC Fall Horse Trials
Oatlands Plantation, Leesburg, VA | | | Greetings from the RSThank you to pony club member Georgia C. for showing me a clear perspective on life and Pony Club! Georgia faced a number of challenges at Dressage Rally. Any single thing might have put a kid or adult over the edge - her horse was iffy in the jogs, lost a shoe, had to compete with a wrapped foot. Georgia dealt with all of it with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart! Walking back from her dressage test on Sunday morning, she was smiling ear to ear. I saw her and said "you must have had a good dressage test". She said, "my pony jumped out of the ring!", still smiling ear to ear. Lisa Woods and I looked at each other and smiled, and Georgia continued with "but he still kept one foot in and I wasn't eliminated. I love my pony!" It was the most heartfelt, genuine love I've ever seen! I am now adopting a life philosophy of "one foot in" - the glass is half full! Thank you to Mrs. Good, Michelle Johns, Patty Watson, Amy Geyer, Lisa Woods and the rest of the crew from Loudoun Hunt Pony Club for putting together a wonderful Dressage Rally! The weather was perfect, and that goes a long way for positive attitudes and happy horses! Thank you to the many parent volunteers that pitch in to make rallies happen! Congratulations to our scramble team of Saoirse (MBFPCRC), Savannah (CWPC), Georgia (CWPC) and Lindsay (MBFPCRC) for winning first place overall and taking home the coveted Dressage Cup! It seems like so long ago, but in May we also held our regional qualifying Show Jumping Rally! Thank you to Carrie Camp, Kelly Vidunas, and Gale Winfree for hosting our annual Mothers' Day SJ Rally! Deep Run Hunt Club is a beautiful venue, and the glorious weather contributed to a great weekend! As always, we made it out before the Sunday afternoon storms! Congratulations to Lindsay (MBFRCPC) for winning the Aspen Award, and to Sarah (Glenmore Hunt PC Old Dominion Region) for winning the Dancing Weather Award. See the VRPC website for more information on these perpetual trophies and the list of past winners. We look forward to Eventing Rally, quickly followed by our D3 Rally. Thank you in advance to the parent volunteers that make these events happen - not just the organizers, secretaries, volunteer coordinators, but also the scribes, gate stewards, jump crews, etc. It takes all of us to make a great event!
While our clubs are busy managing certifications, lessons, ground schools, clinics, etc. our RIC committee has been very busy pulling together upper level mounted preps in anticipation of the September national testing hosted by the Virginia Region at Glenwood Park. Please see our website calendar for more details.
I look forward to seeing you at one of our many upcoming activities!
| | | USPC International Exchange Teams to Tour Virginia July 12 - 14 Virginia Pony Club families are still needed to host some of the 20, 13-15 year old Pony Club riders, coaches, and chaperones from Australia, Great Britain, Canada, and the US in your homes Sunday, July 12 thru Tuesday, July 14 for the USPC International Exchange.  The International Exchange begins Sunday, July 12, when teams arrive by bus from Dulles Airport greeted by Virginia host families at the welcome picnic, hosted by Casanova-Warrenton Pony Club, at the Northern Fauquier Community Park in Marshall. The International Games Teams Competition will be held on Saturday evening, July 25, at USPC Championships at Virginia Horse Center, Lexington. Ponies are needed for the International Exchange competition Saturday evening at Championships and for the Games Fun Day at Great Meadow on Tuesday, July 14. Contact USPC Games Exchange coordinator, Jackie Horn, at (540) 364-3081 to participate as a host family or to offer ponies. | | | USPC Championships East Update
by Lisa WoodsHello VRPC! USPC has posted the Goldbook for Championships 2015, and VRPC has posted many informative links to help you navigate the championships entry process. As with last year, the Intent to Compete Form can be filled out online. All forms can also be sent via US mail, or SCANNED (no photos) and emailed to me. Payment can also be made online, or by check (made out to VRPC) and sent via US mail to me.
USPC has lowered their fees just a bit after raising them last year. The discipline fees include the USPC entry fee, the opening day party, the prep picnic and any coaching fees. USPC requires coaches for all disciplines involving jumping. This year we will also be hiring a dressage coach and a games coach. All disciplines using coaches have coaching fees included in their entry fees. VRPC is also lowering their fees! Discipline fee schedules can be found on the Championships 2015 Information page. Thank you very much to Pam Kadlubek who has organized an online store for ordering our 2015 Championships Polos. Details for the website will be provided once the store is up and running. We have reserved a block of rooms for competitors at the Wingate by Wyndham in Lexington, VA. The cut-off date to reserve in the VRPC block is July 10, 2015. Once I have received your intent form, I will release the block code that you will need to make your reservation. Please remember that these rooms are for competitors and their families only. I still need help with the following tasks: - ordering 2015 Champs saddle pads;
- organizing food and team building games for our Champs Prep Picnic June 28;
- making sure the coaches are fed, watered and coffee'd as appropriate at Champs;
- organizing our pre-Opening Ceremonies pizza party.
Please contact me if you can help with any of the above! Also please contact me with any questions or comments. I'm looking forward to another great year at Champs--this time in Lexington, VA!
Lisa Woods
VRPC Champs Coordinator
lisawoods65@gmail.com
(703)623-5463
P. O. Box 291
Philomont, VA 20131 | | |
River Bend Pony Club Hosts Richard Lamb Clinic 
| | | VRPC Hosts National Certifications at Glenwood Sept 4-6 VRPC will host upper level national certification testing Sept 4-6th. Our region was just approved to host the following national certification tests: C-3 Traditional, C-3 Dressage, B Traditional, A Traditional. If you have a member who would like to participate, please forward this information. Date: September 4-6, 2015
Facility: Glenwood Park – Middleburg, VA
Organizer: Kris Gerald
Application Deadline: June 12th
Cost: National fees range from $160 - $260
VRPC fee will be $150 All applications/registration is managed by the USPC. Please note the deadline for applications & payment for the Sept 4-6 testing is June 12. Go to this site to get all details and to submit your application USPC National Testing Application and Fees | | |
HM Corner - Lucky
by Brian Smith
 I was walking back across the paddock after feeding, looking down and something glittered and caught my eye. It was a thumbnail sized piece of glass. I never take glass out in the paddock, so it must have worked it's way up from some time long ago. I picked it up and thought I was lucky to have found it before it ended up in a horse foot. That can be really bad. And that got me to thinking about luck.
When I was 13, my mother glanced out the front and saw a girl walking down the street in a pair of riding boots. She figured there must be a stable close by and that is how I discovered horses. I did not know it at the time, but that was probably the luckiest day of my life. I went on to college and was lucky that they offered a riding class for PE. After taking the class one semester, I started teaching it and that is where I met my wife.
Life got busy and I drifted from horses, but they were still in my blood, and when my oldest son got old enough we all lucked into Dee, aka Daydreamer, aka "The Best Pony In The World". Dee loved children and actually nickered at human babies. She took good care of Matt and they had many adventures and the best times together. Then I free leased her for a time so she went on to give confidence to other Pony Clubbers so we shared the luck. After 25 years with her, she went deaf and almost blind and after a nice long retirement, Dee passed from cancer last month at 37. It was a painless peaceful passing. We were all lucky for that.
Love your ponies. I have been lucky enough to have been around horses most of my life. I hope you are as lucky.
| | | Upper Level Mounted Prep Clinics Set for July & AugustVRPC is pleased to announce a series of Upper Level Mounted Preps in July and August in preparation for the September National Testing. Participants will ride twice a day with national examiners and will be given feedback on how they are doing against the USPC Standards of Proficiency for which they are testing.
Cost: Each session will be $125 for members and $150 for out-of-region members. (Each session's cost is substantially supplemented by the region.)
Who: These sessions are open to C-2 members and above, in good standing, that intend to test in the next six months. Members should discuss this opportunity with their DC/CA before registering.
These sessions are limited to 30 participants.
Register: Go to our VRPC website Calendar and click on the session you wish to attend.
Session 1: July 1 at Sandstone Farm, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
This session will cover the necessary flatwork and theory for the traditional, dressage and show jumping tests. Clinicians: Melissa Martel, Cathy Frederickson, Mary Schwentker.
Session 2: August 5 at Sandstone Farm, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
This session will cover jumping for the traditional and show jumping certifications, including theory and rider position. Clinicians: Ann Haller, others TBA.
We are so fortunate to have these amazing instructors participate in these sessions.
Melisa Martell, a lifelong horsewoman and USPC supporter, lives in Darnestown, Maryland. She is a USPC Level 4 National Examiner in all three specialty tracks and a graduate HA. After graduating from Pony Club, Mo evented to the CCI** level in the U.S. From 1994-1996 she lived in Santa Ana, Costa Rica where she trained and coached three gold medal teams and two gold medal individuals to the Samsung Show Jumping World Championships at 1.20m and 1.40m. In 2003, Mo coached the USPC Inter-Pacific Exchange Team to the Nations Cup Show Jumping Championships in Victoria, Australia.
Mary Schwentker has successfully competed at multiple international events including the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event. She has been an USEA ICP Certified Instructor since 2003 at Level II, is an “A” level graduate of Pony Club, and holds USDF bronze and silver medals. In 1999, Mary was shortlisted for the United States Equestrian Team for the Pan American Games. She has been a National Examiner for USPC for the past 6 years, testing the traditional, dressage and show jumping certifications, C3-A levels. She is also the Jt. DC for Blue Ridge Hunt Pony Club.
Cathy Frederickson began riding at seven in California. She "grew up" in Pony Club, attaining her A, while learning to event in the long format. She has ridden and trained with some of the top equestrians in the world including Jim Wofford, Richard Meade, Charles de Knuffy and Karl Mikola. During the 1970's Cathy trained in England under Col William Froud, the former Head of the British Instructors Program where she studied for the BHS exams at the " I" level. During the past 25 years Cathy has served USPC as a level 4 National Examiner, chaired several USPC committees and served as VP for Instruction and two terms on the Board of Governors. She is active with Blue Ridge Hunt PC, the Clarke County 4H, Ruritan Horse Show ad Clarke County Equine Alliance.
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