General Rally Information
Rallies are Pony Club events that allow members to test their knowledge and skills in both horse care and riding in a fun, cooperative, but also competitive, team atmosphere. Rallies can be offered in various formats. They can be rallies (qualifying and non-qualifying) administered by the Region with Clubs and Centers sending teams to compete or small events where one club or center holds a competition.
Pony Club values teach independence and teamwork. This means that parents, coaches, and chaperones are not allowed in the barn area to allow the members to compete independently. Members work with their teammates under the supervision of Horse Management Judges. These are trained volunteers who are available to answer questions, do safety checks, and to judge and score the teams on their overall organization and horse care skills.
Mounted Rallies may revolve around a specific discipline such as eventing or dressage, while others may be designed to work with members that have attained a certain certification, such as D-2 or D-3. Dressage, eventing and show jumping are usually two-day Rallies which require your horse to stay overnight in the barn. Also, some two-day Rallies are not local and you may have to stay at a hotel. However, Rallies are not always mounted events.
Quiz Rallies are slightly different. Quiz Rally is a great Rally for new members. Team members are unmounted and are tested on their equine knowledge in four separate phases. In some phases members may collaborate to answer a question and in others, they must answer individually. Topics range from horse care to horse sports to general equine knowledge and can offer a hands-on component.
No matter the type of Rally, you can be assured it will be a learning experience!
Rally Dates
Rally Dates for the current year can be found in the Calendar.
Rally Participation
Approximately six weeks before the rally date, the District Commissioners will receive the Rally invitation and forward to the Club membership with additional information for the specific Rally. Entries are input by the DC electronically and the DC will need your information and payment prior to entering you. District Commissioners must approve each horse/rider combination for safety prior to a member's acceptance to compete at that Rally.
The paper work required is basically the same for all Rallies and includes the following: Name, Age on Jan 1st, Riding Certification at time of Rally, HM Certification at time of Rally, Level you will be competing at, Name of Mount, Guardian information, Contact email and phone number, and are you trying to qualify for Championships?
A release form may be required for the specific site of a Rally. The Club Rally Coordinator will advise and provide the release form, if this is needed.
Checks for rally entries should be made out to PVPC with the rally name noted on the check. Please be timely with payment.
Potential need for current Negative Coggins for Competing Mount (for all rallies except Quiz and Horseless). Will be determined based on location of Rally.
Teams
In all disciplines, members compete as part of a team. Teams may be of mixed ages and skill levels. To ensure that competition is fair, members are judged based on their certification level. Team Captains are responsible for representing the team in all official matters, while Stable Managers are in charge of coordinating the team schedule. If you have questions about the role of the stable manager, please click here. As a team, members work together to ensure that each horse and rider is properly turned out and prepared to compete to the best of their abilities. Once the closing date for the Rally has passed, the DC will form the teams and select the Captain based on the Club members that have registered for the Rally. Sometimes there are too many or not enough members to form either a short or full team. The members can go to Rally as a catch and will be placed on a team with members of another Club or Center. Being on a catch team is a great way to get to know members from other Clubs or Centers.
Volunteers
A parent or parents of each competitor is strongly encouraged to volunteer at Rallies. The Region requires each team provide at least two Adult volunteers for each Rally. The more volunteers we have, the shorter the shifts! The Club Rally Coordinator will contact parents concerning specific volunteer opportunities at each Rally.
Chaperone Rules and Duties
If you want to be the team Chaperone, please read and sign a copy of the Chaperone form and return with your Pony Club member’s Rally paperwork. Chaperones can volunteer for other Rally jobs as well as being a Chaperone. Chaperone Form
Rally Prep and Lists
Prep/Checklist, Equipment List, Turnout Inspection Checklist, Coaching Guidelines
USPC Championships
Each year Pony Club offers Championship competitions in seven disciplines; Dressage, Eventing, Show Jumping, Games, Polocrosse, Tetrathlon, and Quiz (non-riding, knowledge-based competition). Championships generally follow the same format as a Qualifying Rally. Members compete as part of a team and are judged on riding abilities as well as horse management skills. USPC Championships are the largest Rallies ever.
Championships, held at locations in the East, Central, or West, bring together hundreds of members each year. Every third year Championships along with an education experience called Festival will be held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. All Pony Club members must qualify to compete at USPC Championships. Championships teams are formed with members from different Clubs and Centers throughout each Region and sometimes other Regions. Competing as part of a team teaches members the importance of working together, cooperation, respect for others, and communication. This allows all Pony Club members to have a positive experience at Championships, creating life-long friendships.
Those wishing to compete in the Championships will need to qualify in Oregon Region's Qualifying rallies. Check with your DC or check the USPC website.