Aspiring show jumpers from 19 Central Ontario Region Pony Clubs have entered the first of three Show Jumping Qualifiers at Thornlea Stables near Oshawa on Sunday, June 11, starting at 9 AM. This show is hosted by the Durham Pony Club. The second Show Jumping Qualifier will be hosted by the Ajax Pony Club on July 23, and the third one by the Oshawa Pony Club on August 6 (Note to Editors: This corrects a typo in the paper release you were sent, when the date of the third meet somehow came out as August 3. Please accept our apologies.). Standings will be decided on a cumulative basis, so most competitors will enter all shows.
Top finishers will represent the Central Ontario Region at the Eastern Canadian Championships against riders from the Western Ontario and St. Lawrence-Ottawa Valley Regions. This year, the Eastern Canadian Championships are being hosted by Central Ontario on August 26-27 at Ontario's Pony Club Tournament of Champions, to be held at the York Equestrian Centre near Newmarket.
At the Durham show, there will be competition at the Starter, Beginner, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced levels, plus non-qualifying classes for Entry A, B and C level riders. Qualifier Divisions in all three shows will consist of three classes—a speed class and two conventional classes, each over a different course. Each of the conventional classes includes a timed jump-off if needed. Those who go clear in a conventional class qualify for its jump-off. In the jump-offs, clean rounds count ahead of those with knock-downs, and the fastest clean round wins. Speed rounds are against the clock, with no jump-off.
Pony Club is an international organization to promote riding and horsemanship skills among young people (up to 21 years old). Nearly all of Canada's international show jumpers got their starts in Pony Club. Show jumping is the most familiar Pony Club activity to most spectators, but Pony Club also offers competition in dressage, mounted games, rallies (including dressage, cross-country jumping and stadium jumping), tetrathlon (including shooting, swimming, cross-country jumping, stadium jumping, and cross-country running by the riders) as well as "academic" competition in quiz format. Above all, the objective of Pony Club competition is for young people to have safe fun in horse-related activities.
Thornlea Stables are at 430 Howden Road West, between Thornton Road and Simcoe Street. Howden Road is between the towns of Raglan and Columbus. Spectators are welcome without charge.
For details, please call Liz or Bob Inglis, Central Ontario Communications Co-Chairpersons, at 416-493-1223 (office) or 416-491-4230 (home) or via E-mail at bobinglis@technalysis.on.ca, or call Show Secretary Linda Taberner at 905-697-1430 (Bowmanville) or e-mail her at 7LINTAB@occ.ncboard.edu.on.ca.