Sneak peak on the banner

Championships start on Friday! It's hard to believe that it's so close.
Since my mom is in charge of decorating the banner you get a sneak peak. (I don't think it's very exciting though!)

Whiskey

Whiskey is a sweet little pony who lives at the barn that I ride in ( Tassajara Equestrian Center). He used to be in Sierra Pacific so people there might know him. He has skin cancer and has had a lot of Chemo Therapy. They are going to put him down on Monday because of the cancer. He was so confused he couldn't even figure out where his leg were. Whiskey had been to many pony club championships and some events. He could teach riders how to do ground poles and take others over 3 feet fences. Everyone is going to miss him. He is my most favorite pony.

Rebekah Polacek

Name: Rebekah Polacek

Favorite foods: I love Mexican food (when it's not spicy...I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy foods)

Like about pony club: I love the logical progression of skills, the rallies, the incredible instruction, the camaraderie, and the really unique horse management aspects of Pony Club

Looking forward to in Championships: I am looking forward to watching all of the cute Games ponies :) and also having fun with my teammates

About your horse: My horse will eat anything...you doubt this? It's true- the only thing he's ever refused was the Pacific Cooler flavor of CapriSun, and I've had him for five years now!

Hobbies: Outside of horses I like to stay active. I run hurdles in track and am starting to do XC running too- yes I know, both very similar to eventing on horseback (minus the horse)

Pets: I have three horses (Barlow, Buzz, and Monet), as well as two cats (Bella & Ella), and one dog (Phoebe)

Funny Story:  My club has this tradition now of bringing skittles to every rally...and has the ultimate skittle war with them!  So funny, the first time it happened was on a really hot day at a SJ rally and we all had skittles down our shirts that partly melted!  Luckily the rally polo that year was black...I had so much fun though, it's a great memory :)

Olivia Chandler

Olivia Chandler is a quiz competitor from Oregon who wants to have fun in Champs.

Name: Olivia Chandler

Favorite Foods:  I like to eat lots of different types of foods! I love brownies though!!
Like about Pony Club:  I like horses and meeting new people, and I don’t like some of the rules.

Looking forward to at the Championships:  I am looking forward to meet new people and have fun in California, just not the drive down.
About my horse:  My horse is 7 years old and is 17 hands high. He has gone Prelim at 2 USEA events and got 2nd and 1st.


Hobbies: I like to hang out with friends, play basketball, and I like track! I do lots of pole vaulting for track.

Pets: Yes, I have 3 horses, 4 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 guinea pig.


Funny Story: One day I had a basketball game. When we were playing, I was dribbling down the court and was ahead of all the other people! I thought that I was for sure going to make a basket! When I was running, my shoelace came untied and I stepped on it with my other foot. I tripped and fell in front of everybody! I was really embarrassed, but now I look back and laugh!

Katelyn Nienaber

Name: Katelyn Nienaber

Favorite food: Seafood, Dijorno's pizza, and anything with chocolate. Also strawberries.

Like about Pony club: I like pony club because it improves me as a horseperson in more respects than just riding, but sometimes the rigid rules can rub me the wrong way.

Looking forward to in Championships: Winning! Ha ha, and seeing what some of the other clubs and members are like.

About my horse: Zeus is a seven-year-old warmblood that we bought when he was five and I was thirteen. He's a bit moody and stubborn, but he's got lots of personality and he's really fun to ride and work with.

Hobbies: I like doing art, especially watercolor, and lots of crafty things like sewing and beadwork. I also like to watch the crime series Bones, and sleeping is one of my favorite pastimes.

Pets: A dog, Jeap, and a cat, Oreo. My dad found Oreo clinging to the top of someone's convertible, speeding down the highway at four in the morning! Jeap is a seeing eye flunkie that we got from my grandmom in Kentucky. We also have an ex-racehorse named Devon that my dad bought at Keeneland. He lost every race he ran in!

Funny story: Hmm...well, I remember the first time I cursed. I was at a friend's house, I was six I think, and it was an accident. I remember I was in perpetual fear for about a week afterward; I was terrified that she would tell her dad what I'd said, and that he would tell my parents...every time the phone rang my heart would just start pounding. After a while I figured out it wasn't going to happen, and now I laugh at what a big deal I turned it into.

Elena Daniel

My name is Elena Daniel

My favorite food is pasta

I think Pony Club is a great place to be with your friends and learn alot

At championships I want to do my best and have a good experience

My horse is a total champion

I play basketball

I have a dog named Capser, a horse named Jet, and a chicken named Steve

One Christmas 9 years ago i was 5 years old. My mom got me this playdough goo as a present. I ended up getting it all in my hair and instead of washing it out I ran in the other room and cut it out. My hair was totally choppy and a big mess. I walked out and tried to act like eveything was normal but my mom noticed immediatley!She just laughed, I was thankful it was Christmas!

Gretchen Koenen

Gretchen is also from my club. She is very nice and anything but shy.

Name: Gretchen Koenen

Favorite Foods: My favorite foods would have to be pizza and ice cream of course!

Like about Pony Club: I love the organization called pony club because of the friends you meet and the responsibility that it teaches you.

Looking forward to in Championships: I am looking forward to having a ton of fun and see some of my friends that I don't get to see very often!

About my horse:I have two horses, Happy was my first pony who taught me everything I know and continues to keep a smile on my face. I lease a horse named Roxy who has taught me the "ropes" of three day eventing. Last month we took home 10th place at the event at Rebecca Farms competing Training level!

Hobbies: I love shopping and since I am a very outgoing person, I love hanging out with my friends outside of the horse world.

Pets: Yes, I have my horses and my cat Tabitha.

Funny story: A funny story about myself would have to be, well there are too many to name!

Kenzie Amack

Kenzie is from my club - Bay Hills. She is a total superstar. For the eventing rally, she rode both her horses, Robin in Prelim and Lol in Training. She was tied in first place in Prelim. This week she got her C3 Dressage and B traditional rating. She is always giving her horse to anyone who needs in Pony club.
Best of all, I love the chickens in her house.

Name: Kenzie Amack

Favorite foods: Ceaser salad and ice cream

Like about Pony Club:  how it allows kids of all age groups get together and have fun with horses

Not like about Pony club: how stressful it can be at times(ex: national ratings)

Looking forward to at the championships: I'm looking forward to competing, having fun with my teammates and meeting new people

About Lol: My horse Lol has an interesting personality. She takes her job seriously and is a blast to ride. She also loves to eat dirt and watermelon rinds.

Hobbies:  Some hobbies outside of horses include running x-country, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Pets:  I have a lot of pets. We own 4 dogs, 10 chickens, 4 horses, and 2 cats.

Funny Story:  A funny story about me is when I was about ten I was running late to ride my horse. So I shoved on my paddock boots without checking to make sure there was nothing inside. At that time they were pretty big on me, so I didn't feel that there was something near the toe of one of my boots until I was halfway done with my ride. Being naive I decided to ignore it and assumed it was my oversized sock. Half an hour later when I went to take off my boots I looked inside. There at the toe of one of them sat a little mouse who was surprisingly still alive. We let him go out into the field far away from my house. I've never forgotten to check my boots since.

Ellie Chandler

Name: Ellie Chandler


Favorite Foods: Pho (A Vietnamese soup) and Avocados

Like about PonyClub: I love that in Pony Club you can be with your friends and all hang out together while learning new things about what you love. Though I don’t really like the fact that my regular trainer taught me certain things that aren’t the “Pony Club Way”.

Looking forward to at the championships: I’m really looking forward to meeting new friends from different regions and trading pins. I’m also excited to try my best at what I know and studied.

About my horse: My horse is really cocky and tends to be a brat but he is still perfect for me


Hobbies:  Outside of horses I love to play basketball and run track

Pets: Yes, I have 3 horses, 4 dogs, 1 cat, and 1 guinea pig

Funny Story:  My funny story is from when I was at a local dressage show and I walked into the arena feeling confident. I started my test and realized… my pony would NOT trot. I was kicking him as hard as I could and I look really silly. There were 3 people in my division and 2 were trainers. In my first test I got 3rd. Then for my second test my trainer gave me a dressage whip and spurs and I beat the 2 ladies I was competing against and got first. I was pretty proud.

Hannah Bailey

Name: Hannah Bailey

Favorite foods: Steak.
Like about Pony Club: I like the rallies best.

Looking forward to in the Championships: I am looking forward to working with my team.

About Rocky:  Rocky is my friend and teammates's horse who is letting me use him for Champs because my pony is lame.

Hobbies:  I like baking and art.

Pets: I have one guinea pig (Panda), two cats (Moonlight and Hermes) and one pony (Popcorn).


Funny story:  Whenever my pony Popcorn gets chiropracted, when the chiropractor is done, Popcorn lets out a really big sigh.

Ella Jensen

Name: Ella Jensen [11 year old D-3 Pony Clubber]

Favorite foods: I like many foods, my favorite fruit is an avocado or blackberries. I also enjoy Chinese food, and Italian food. 

Like about Pony Club: In Pony Club I think it’s really fun having many friends who also love riding. Rallies are also a great time. It’s also really fun being horse manager, and helping with all the horses and all of my teammates.

Looking forward to in the Championships: I think that being part of a team will be great. And watching the people on there horses will be a very good learning experience and also very fun.

About Oslo: “Oslo” is my 10 year old Welsh gelding. He is such a pony: he LOVES to eat grass, and really anything else he sees. We have been jumping ever since I got him: he is good in the 2’6” range. For about a year and a half we have been doing dressage: We do training level and first level. I started Pony club just a couple months after I started dressage. Now we do rallies, hunter-jumper shows, and dressage shows together.

Hobbies: I am at the barn almost every day, so I don’t do many other after school activities. Sometimes in the winter or in the summer, I do a play which can be really fun. In sixth grade I was on my school’s volleyball team. In school, I really like to write.

Pets: Yes! Besides my horse I have two spirited dogs named “Charlie” and “Macduff” who I really love.

Funny Story: This most likely will not seem very funny, but I’m going to tell you anyways: At a pretty recent horse show, I had some trouble with my dressage test. I got a little confused with where I was going and I messed up a little at the walk. I was ready to hear the bell ring to excuse me from the test and walk out of the ring, but before I did anything I waited for the bell, which was a good thing because the judge never rang it and I just went on with my test and did very well!

Sarah Loughran

Name: Sarah Loughran

Favorite foods: BBQ

Like about Pony Club: I love how it promotes responsibility, self sufficiency and as corny as it sounds, I've made a good group of friends thanks to this organization.


Don't like about Ponyclub: I hate the bureaucracy, I'm sorry, but some of the stuff I've had to go through at the national level with ratings, competitions and other things, I wouldn't wish upon my enemy.


Looking forward to in the Championships: I'm looking forward to having the homefield advantage. This will be my third championships, and it's the first time it will be on my "turf"


About my horse: She is the most resilient, patient animal you will ever meet. Trust me, she's been putting up with me for 11 years and hasn't run away yet.


Hobbies: Art, I love painting, sketching, photography, even writing. I can get lost in my sketchbook for hours on end.
Pets: Yup! Dog and a cat


Funny story: This year, my roommate and I got in the habit of going on walks around our university's campus late at night. We were constantly determined to create as many horror story scenarios as possible, until we saw this dark creepy shape, that then made a sound. We both nearly jumped out of our skin. Then we realized it was one of the ducks from the pond, that was literally 50 feet away from us. From that point on, one of us would just have to quack and we would fall into uncontrollable laughter.
Man, I'm going to miss college.

Ashley Alexander

My name is Ashley Alexander.

My favorite food is BBQ ribs.

I like the fact that Pony Club teaches you more than just how to ride a horse, but also how to properly care for them, learn good sportsmanship, and strong character.

I am definitely looking forward to the whole experience of championships, but mostly having a successful first “major” competition.

My horse is a 14h pony. She is making big steps in her dressage, but she also enjoys doing 3ft stadium courses with the big guys.

When I’m not riding (and unusual occurrence) I enjoy playing the piano, hanging out with friends and family, and keeping up with my busy schedule.

I do have other pets besides my horses. I have two dogs, one is a black lab and the other is a little mixture of everything. We also have a lizard which belongs to my brother.

A funny story of me....hmmm…..One day we were warming up for a jumping round over a cross rail. As my little mare came cantering around the corner she spooked a little and scooted forward. I was riding in a saddle with no knee rolls that day and my quarter pony has a pretty low neck. I felt myself slowly slide forward as we continued to ride towards the fence. By the time we got there I was sitting just in front of my poor pony’s withers. Unfazed but slightly confused she did take the little fence with my heels wrapped tightly around her neck. My friends and I could not stop laughing for a long time; I looked so funny jumping on the neck of my horse.

Natasha Jenson

Natasha is from my PonyClub. She is really sweet and very quiet. She helped pull my pony's mane before the Dressage rally.

My name is Natasha Jensen
 My favorite foods are Italian and Japanese.
 One of my favorite things about pony club is how the kids learn how to be independent and manage their time.  I'm looking forward to getting to know people from other pony clubs and of course to compete.
My horse, Tango is 22 years old but he doesn't know it. Especially when he is running cross country.
 Outside of riding, I do photography and I love spending time with my friends.
 I have two tortie cats, Mimi and Delilah, and a thoroughbred, Bentley.

Sierra Valencia

Hello,
My name is Sierra Valencia, and I am a member of the Redwoods Pony club. Some of my Favorite foods are Chinese, Italian, Mexican, and American. What I like about pony club are the friends I have made and share interested of learning about taking care of my pony  who name is Sandman. I'm looking forward towards the Championships because of the amazing riders I will met and it will be my first Championships that my pony Sandman and I will attend. My pony Sandman is my best friend. He is 14.2 hands, Morgan and Palomino in color. He talks when he sees you and gives you his best. I have ridden 25 miles in Endurance and finished. Sandman has done all the Disciplines but are favorite is Cross country and riding in the open at my trainer property Nathalie Guion. My outside hobbies are running,movies,listening to music, reading and concerts with my favorite musical artists. I have two dogs,one Bearded Dragon and a cat. When I was going to school on my birthday it was raining and I was wearing my new jeans I jumped onto the sidewalk and slipped in front of all the students on the wet grass and my mother started laughing and so did I.  So, embarrassing !.

Getting ready for games - PVPC Painting Party

Here's how PVPC gets ready for champs - with a games equipment painting party of course!

1st pic in the foreground is Maxy Phillips painting her fav color, PURPLE on one of the wooden stands for the 'P O N Y  C L U B' game. These wooden stands were lovingly made for us by George Allen, fiance of our own A-rated PVPC member, Fiona Graham. They are getting married this Sat, 31 July, and yet he still found time to help out - thank you George!

2nd pic shows Claire Kendall and Sammy Philips adding some red and blue color to equipment. And yes, plenty of paint made it's way onto the girls too :)

Aliina Keers

This is Aliina Keers from Carbon River Pony Club in the Northwest Region. She is an HB, taking her C3 rating August 1st through 3rd. "It's a lot to pack in right before I head to Championships--I have one day between my rating and departure for California which happens to be my birthday! I'll be turning 22, making me "really old" as some of the younger members in my club like to say. :)" Aliina says.

My name is Aliina Keers
 I really like my grandma's macaroni and cheese. She makes it with large macaroni and adds a splash of milk with the cheese to make it extra creamy on the inside and browns the top crust so that it's crispy and delicious.
 The best part about Pony Club is the horse management. For the last few years, I've been working at rallies on the HM staff in the Northwest and Oregon regions and really enjoying it. I actually had to turn down my first Chief position for a D rally because I'll be at Championships!
 Hanging out with my teammates! I was really excited to learn who my catch team was--they're all people I've met before at various PC functions and I feel like it's going to be a blast in our tackroom. One girl is in my club currently, another used to be, I've catch-rode with our stable manager a few years ago, and I've loaned out my horse to our other rider for a foxhunt last winter. It's cool that I have already formed connections with everyone on my team and will be able to compete together.
 Lily is my 11 year old Thoroughbred. She's bossy and more manly than the two geldings that she usually lives with. While she can be cranky enough leave permanent bitemark (battle scar) on my arm, she actually likes her face held and her ears gently pulled. She can cuddle like that for hours, but shhhhhh! If she knew I'd spoiled her fearsome reputation, she'd probably be upset. ;)
 I'm actually really geeky. I don't have time for other sports between horseback riding and college, but I like reading, writing, and sewing costumes. I usually make several costumes a year and showcase them at conventions.
 Besides Lily, I have another horse named Chester. He's pretty spunky for his twenties and has taken care of a lot of my friends on their first foxhunts. I also share a cat with my sister. His name is Beowulf and he has a catch-and-release method with the field mice.
 My first day of college at the University of Washington, I arrived in my first class which was Finnish language. I didn't speak a word of it and the professor decided to just immerse us immediately into it by not speaking English for the first half. Us students learned how to say basic greetings and introduce ourselves by pointing and mimicking what the professor said. It seemed to be going very well, until the teacher switched to English, sat us all down, and asked us to explain why we had decided to take *Danish.* I was really embarrassed and found out that Finnish and Danish classes had switched rooms with each other the day before!

Heather Ercolano

Name: Heather Ercolano

Favorite foods:     Pizza 

Like about Pony Club:   I love that it teaches kids such a strong sense of responsibility and commitment. 

Looking forward to in the Championships:

   This will be my 5th championships and I'm looking forward to it being so close to home. 

About Big Ben:

  I ride a belgian draft and his name is Big Ben. But this champs I'm a stable manager so he won't be there :-(

Hobbies:

  Any kind of water activity and hanging with friends. 

Pets: 2 horses, 2 dogs, 1 cat and 1 hamster. 

Funny Story:

 Hmmmm, can't really think of a funny story. I just like to think I'm funny in general haha

Emily Ose

 Name: Emily Ose

 Favorite foods: I love Chinese food and also enchiladas.

Like/not like about Pony Club: I love the sportsmanship and horse management parts of pc, but I don't like how rating obsessed people are. Some C1's can ride as well as a C3, they just don't have the horse, and I think that position should be respected.

 Looking forward to in the Championships: I look forward to competing against the entire western region. When I played soccer we had this cheer, "Don't mess, don't mess, don't mess with the best cause the best don't mess, don't fool, don't fool, don't fool with the cool because the cool don't fool, from the east to the west, red rockets are the best." I feel that motto applies in this situation (okay, maybe not the red rockets part, try Sierra Pacific Region in there.) I think the competition is an important factor in the motivation of many riders and pony club allows that competitive streak without losing focus of the goals of pony club as it relates to horse management.

 About your horse: He is actually my mom's horse. She bought him at four years old, helping a friend look for a horse. We did all the work ourselves, he has had about three months of professional training in the 7 years we have had him.

 Hobbies outside of horses: Ponies :D Between riding my four horses and working at a welsh pony breeders' in Galt, I don't get to have hobbies.

 Pets: Yes, we have two cats and two dogs.

 Funny story: Hm...a funny story. Each month since I was four years old, we have taken the horses out for a few days and go camping. Each time it varies where we go, places to include Napa (Skyline Park), Stone Cellar, and Jackson Meadows. When I was four years old, I rode a paint named Apache that belonged to my aunt, Sue. I was riding along the trail, turned around on Apache, when we passed a large rock along the trail. Apache didn't like the rock and decided to cut across under a low tree. He bushed me. I had no idea it was going to happen either, because I was too busy talking to my aunt who was riding behind me.

Emma Bowers

Hi, my name is Emma Bowers.

Some of my favorite foods are pasta, salad, tri-tip, pizza, and pineapple.

I like pony club because I think it is a fun way to do activities with your horse and your riding friends.

When I go to championships I look forward to seeing other pony clubbers that are there because they are also interested in the activity.

My horse Oskar is 21 years old and very intelligent. He is an appaloosa thoroughbred  and is one of the most kind and gentle geldings out there. He is well known throughout our club because he has been passed down from different riders. He’s a legend in the Santa Rosa Valley.

Other hobbies that I have outside of horses would be volunteering at a pet store where I help care for little puppies and kittens. Also I love to ski or snowboard during the winter with my school.

I have 29 pets in total. This includes horses, goats, chickens, dogs, cats, a lizard, and a fish.

When I look back at  last years West Coast Championships for quiz I got only 3 hours of sleep before it started. The day before the competition I went to Forks, Washington because I was one of the girls obsessed with the Twilight series. I wanted to see what the actual town looked like. On our way back my mother took a wrong turn and we got lost. We got into our hotel room at 3:30a.m. When I had to get up to get ready for quiz, I was exhausted.  In the end, my team and I took first place in the Jr. D division.

Demi De Boer

Name: Demi De Boer
Favorite Foods: Hawaiian Pizza
Like about Pony Club: I love going to rally, meeting new people and making new friends
Looking forward to in the Championships: definitely the jumping and being in California
About My Horse: My horse looks like she couldn't jump a thing but she is the most athletic horse I have ever owned

Hobbies: I like to run track, Drawl, and hang out with my friends or my bot friend
Pets: Yes, we have for dogs a little parrot, four goats, a cow, and of course horses
Funny Story: Recently i went on a trail ride on a very green young horse and being clueless he decided to take a detour which involved going under a very low tree that was obvious i could not fit under as he started picking up speed to race under this tree in his mind hopefully loosing me i prepared my self to take the blow as i tensed up the tree ended up being very dead and backfiring on him we just started dragging this tree freeking him out he tried to take off by that time I was on my feet trying to keep him from running back to the trailer It was a very good plan that failed very bad on his part. good thing is no one got hurt, and now we can have a laugh about it.

 

Sarah Lawrence

Name: Sarah Lawrence  C1

Favorite Foods: Bagels with  strawberry

Like about Pony Club: The riders

Looking forward to in the Championships: Meeting new kids and riding

About My Horse: She doesn't like me to hose down her body but likes her face washed and to drink form the hose
 
Hobbies: I like to teach dogs tricks

Pets: Yes-two dogs,three cats,eight horses

Brianna Miana

Name: Brianna Miana, or Brie. I'm a show jumping competitor competing in Horse 1. I'm from the Camino Real Region and am a C-1.

 

Favorite Foods: Frozen Yogurt and coffee!

 

Like about Pony Club: I like scratch teams the most. It gives me the opportunity to meet other people and there's always someone new! 

 

Don't like about Pony Club: I don't like all of the little nit-picky rules. For example, I think it's rather pointless that we wear our medical cards. I know why we wear it for cross country, but why 24/7? Personally I find them annoying and uncomfortable and just one more thing for me to forget at inspections!

 

Looking forward to in the Championships: I'm looking forward to the experience. Period. It's going to be great to be competing against people from all over the west coast, not just my county or region. I'm looking forward to learning new things and to meeting new friends!

 

About Marcus: My horse's name is Marcus Aurelius, Marcus for short. He's a 13 year old 17'2" hd. Dutch Warmblood gelding and absolutely LOVES to jump. He's quite the character: although he's so big (and by big I mean tall and fat!), he is one of the biggest teddy bears you will find. (*Note from Marcus: Please find me at the rally and bring me carrots! I promise to slobber you and nuzzle you!)

 

 

 

Hobbies: In high school I ran track. Now that I'm in college and we don't have a team, I run in my spare time to stay fit. I also like hiking, camping, and going to the movies. In addition, I'm the fundraising chair for my sorority. It all keeps me very occupied!

Pets: Haha. Yes, about 24 of them! We have about 16 horses (I'm not sure on that total, I lost track!), 3 cats, 2 dogs, 2 guinea pigs, and a bunny.

 

Funny Story:  One time, when I was about 12 years old my friend and I hopped on our horses bareback and went to go play around. We were racing each other at the trot and I was winning. As soon as the finish line came up, I looked back at my friend to tease her about losing and I slipped right off my horse! I had put Show Sheen on her to make her look pretty and it worked against me, to say the least! I wasn't hurt and my friend still won't let me live that one down.

 

Margaret Keers

My name is Margaret Keers, though sometimes I go by the nickname "Tobi." I'm a C3 from Carbon River PC in the Northwest Region. At Championships, I'll be competing in Tetrathlon in the Senior Division.

My favorite foods are ice cream, french bread, and peas, though not all at the same time.

What I love about Pony Club is the kids. Every time I go to a rally (often as an AHMJ), I am surprised and delighted by the tricks I learn from the D2 with the pony that likes to run away, or the C1 who knows how to get the elastic on a girth clean. Pony Clubbers are such a talented group of smart riders, and I suspect every team packs a great sense of humor along with their first aid kid. Teaching, rallying, and just hanging out with other Pony Clubbers is why I've spent the past 15 years of my life hanging around the barn. It's truly a Pony Club Family.

At Championships, I am looking forward to meeting the people on my catch team! I'm also excited to exchange region pins, cheer on my teammates, and showing off the love of my life: my horse, Paris. I'm also looking forward to creating (safe) mischief in the barn, which will probably be a dance party or a short skit.

Paris is the most amazing creature I have ever had the good fortune to meet. He has the greatest honesty and heart, and I truly conisder him my partner. My trusty 15.3 hand chestnut QH/TB steed and I roam around just about every Pony Club discipline. He loves Foxhunting, excels at Polocrosse, schools Prelim Eventing, enjoys Musical Freestyles, and now he's heading down for Tet champs. We've known each other for five years, which more often than not feels like the entirety of my life. In our spare time, we hang out and I teach him tricks, like striking on command and bowing. Currently, we working on lying down, flying changes, and passing the B Traditional Rating.

Outside of horses, I'm an absolute nerd. I attend the University of Washington, and will graduate next spring with a BS in Psychology, and minors in Japanese and Linguistics. This means I get really excited about brains. (Though I promise I'm not a zombie.) When I'm not at school or riding Paris, I invite friends over to watch Japanese cartoons and make costumes. Sometimes, however, these interests overlap with Pony Club, as they did at my Pony Club's Halloween party last year, when I was a Pokémon Trainer and Paris was a Ponyta.

I have a cat named Beowulf, who is a very talented cuddler. He's not very good at catching mice, though, and often needs my help. It's kind of like team penning.

My Pony Club is somewhat infamous in our Region for being the crazy club. We're always doing silly things at rallies, like inviting the HM Judges to dance parties in the barn aisle, "kidnapping" our teammates horses when they've left for lunch (and leaving a ransom note in the tackroom), pretending we are pirates by putting bandannas over one eye, making up code words for use in Games and Polocrosse ("MARSHMALLOW!") and generally having too much fun. One theme that has been relatively constant is making up short skits to perform just before awards. It began a long time ago at a Games Rally, where we commandeered a Backstreet Boys song, changed the lyrics to suit Pony Club, horses, and the spirit of team-building... and eventually resulted in "Dressage Idol," in which we had a three of our girls as a panel of judges, one dressed up in formal gear as a rider, and two more with a blanket thrown over us: the horse. Of course, I was the hindquarters. At any rate, we were startled halfway through the test by the appearance of a "crazy fan," and proceeded to buck our rider off. I still think of that experience as one of the true meanings of Pony Club. (Find it on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tBH9_IwKk0 .)

Anyway, I think that sums it up!

Kirsten Hutsell

Name: Kirsten Hutsell
Favorite Foods: Trail mix, pizza, and pepperoni sticks.
Like about PonyClub: I like being in Pony Club because of the useful information and the fun of cross-country.
Looking forward to in Championships: I am looking forward to being able to show all my knowledge at Champions.
About my horse: Well my horse has a great personality, but likes to try and get me off over fences and we are working to get him over that.
Hobbies: One of my hobbies outside of horses would be volleyball and swimming.
Pets: I have one cat Cally, three labs Lucy, Suzie Q, and Buddy plus my horses of course!
Funny story about me: My funny story was at D-camp in Deary when i forgot to where thicker socks with my boots and water soaked through a little.

     I am really looking forward to meeting you at Champions, so see you there!!!

Sally Phillips - Games Organizer

Sally Phillips is one of organizers for Games discipline.

 

Martha Klinger (DC of PVPC) and Sally Phillips are busy sharing out these tasks right now:

• making (with help from friends), borrowing, searching, finding the VERY long list of equipment needed for 21 games played on 5 lanes - we get something done everyday to chip away at the list 
• schedules, programs, team lists, prizes, stabling charts, name tags - all have to be organized and communicated 
• volunteers - many of them - have to be solicited, we have approx 30 people helping to put on games  including 10 lane judges, 2 line judges, starter, and 5 other pairs of eyes watching games to make sure the action is fairly and accurately scored. 
• equipment crew - our top notch equipment crew is undergoing training to allow them to switch out equipment at the speed of light between games to keep the show rolling 
• hospitality - we are gearing up to house and keep our judges, TDs, HM judges fed, watered and housed

Sally Phillips Eventing

Here is what she says about herself.

 

Why do you like pony club?
Because it offers many lesson for life, and teaches its members to be good equestrians (not just good riders), to work as a team, to overcome hurdles, to give back, and to have FUN!

What is your favorite thing to do in a pony club meeting? 

Hands down XC

What do you have special planned for your discipline?
It is first champs experience for most of our games players, and often the first mounted champs discipline due to the lower age/rating qualifying criteria - we want them to be safe (games can be hectic with 5 teams of 4/5 competing at once), feel successful, and that all their hard work practicing paid off. We want them to enjoy their champs experience and come back from more in future years including the other disciplines

What are your hobbies outside of horses?
Triathlon - races of all distances short and very long (ironman and longer)

Do you have pets?
Yes 2 huskies and 2 cats - all rescues

What is a funny story about you?
I was a member of the Vine pony club in England growing up - I recently happened to check them out on their web site and noticed a contemporary of mine from that era is now the DC, and living at the same farm as her parents - we used to have lots of pc rallies there. Generations change everything, and yet they change nothing :)

Sally's daughters Sammy and Maxy playing games.

Elizabeth Esdaile

Meet Elizabeth. She's a Quiz competitor ready to have fun in Championships! 

      

          Name : Elizabeth Esdaile

Favorite Foods: Wipped Cream, Berries

Like about PonyClub: I love the idea of it, and how you get to ride with other people, take lessons with people you wouldn't get a chance to take lessons with, and to go places I normally wouldn't get to go.

Not Like about PonyClub: I dislike many of the rules, and feel like some of them should just be suggestions, and that some are just plain dangerous. I also wish it was run a lot more by Pony Clubbers, and not parents.  

Looking forward to in the Championships: I am really looking forward to Quiz Rally, and working with all of my team members while competing with other PCers in a friendly enviroment. 

About Sox: Sox is a Goober, there's not much more to say! But he LOVEs people, and food. He also is very willing to do what you ask of him, and he can be a fast learner. He thinks that everyone is his friend! And he knows he is very, very cute! 

Hobbies: I play violin, and play in an ochestra. But horses take up a lot of my time. 

Pets:  Yes, two dogs (Stig, a 9 month old Lab/Border Collie, and Sunny, a mutt), and three cats (Cali, Eccles, and Smokey Pickles)

Tell me a funny story about yourself :  I am not very coordinated with what I wear, and I am a messy person, so by the time I leave the barn, I am a total mess! I have learned never to wear white clothes out to the barn, because Sox loves to swipe his nose up your back, shoulder, or anywhere else he wants to leave a mark for the day!   

Emily Freeman

Meet Emily Freeman. A Quiz competitor from the Sierra Pacific region.

Name: Emily Freeman (13 years old, Northern Mines Pony Club, Sierra Pacific Region)

Favorite Food: pasta

What do you like/not like about Pony Club: I like how everyone is so nice and I get to learn so much

What are you looking forward to at Championships: Having a great time.

Tell me something about your horse: He’s a handsome grey Connemara pony named Seamus (Shay-mus) – he’s a real character.

Other Hobbies: Sheep Herding

Do you have pets: Border Collie named Dooley, Cat named Lighting

Funny story about myself: My pony and I used to hate each other when we were younger, and now we are the best of friends.

Emi Hansen

Emi Hansen is a third level dressage competitor from the Sierra Pacific Region.
Here is what she says about herself

First of all, this is my third (and probably last) championships.  I competed in Quiz back in 2003 and Dressage in 2006, and back again for Dressage in 2010!  This is my horse's 2nd championship...at age 19 not too bad!

Name: Emi Hansen

Favorite Food: Sushi! And just about anything good :)

What I like about Pony Club: It teaches you how to care for your horse and take care of your equipment.  I've also learned VERY valuable trailering techniques through Pony Club!

Not Like: I believe that people take Pony Club in very different ways. 

What I don't like is when you want to have fun and someone who is WAY into it gets mad at every little detail.  But what I've always learned is that there's the right way, the wrong way, and the pony club way :)

What I am looking forward to about champs: I'm excited to be competing at third level in dressage! I never expected my horse to get to this level (and neither did my trainer!).  And because my horse has a hard time being an actual rated dressage horse, I'm glad I can compete at pony club and show off my horse in that respect.  Also, this is probably going to be my last champs (since I am 21...yikes I'm old!!) and so I'm just glad that I was fortunate to go to three champs, 2 as a Midcal rider and one as a Sierra Pacific rider!!

About Misty Morning: Misty Morning aka Misty or Moo as I call her is a funny little mare.  She hates anything that rattles (I've been taken off with when it comes to paper or a reflector vest).  Thing about her is that she's an amazing little girl.  I've had her 7 years and I've done just about everything with her including, games, polocrosse, western gymkhana, training level eventing, jumpers and now third level dressage.  She's a total trooper and totally takes care of me to the point that I wouldn't be the rider today without her.  She hangs out with me in college because she doesn't mind when I can't ride her everyday because of school.  She loves bananas (her favorite, me and her share one before every ride at a show), sour punch straws, oreos, you name it!  But she hates peppermint, strawberries and sugar cubes.

Oh and did I mention she's the horse in the "realizing the vision" picture on the Horsepark at Woodside's website? 

Hobbies: Outside of horseback riding I'm a full time student at CSU Chico.  Basically my life is horses or engineering, but when I get free time I love to go to Bidwell and hang out at Bear hole or hike :).

Pets: Other than my horse Misty I have two guinea pigs, Gucci and Delilah and a dog, Beau :).

Funny story: Well, that's hard to think of off the top of my head but I have had some funny moments.  I've literally done the thing where you get on one side of your horse and fall off the other while bareback (it takes skill yes!).  For a costume meeting for Bay Hills Pony Club one year I wanted make Misty a carousel horse and me a little kid so I used a pool noodle to create a pole.  Well to get her used to it I would ride around at the barn at home, sitting on the noodle.  I definitely got some funny looks....