The Uxbridge-Scugog Pony Club "Cowboys" won the Central Canada Zone Prince Philip Games Championship at the Masters level, at a meet played near Port Perry, Ontario yesterday, defeating teams from the Western Ontario and Saint Lawrence-Ottawa Valley Regions. Plans for a National Masters Championship are under review due to scheduling problems.

The members of the "Cowboys" are Brent Couch riding Freckles, Jeff Couch on Angel, Mike Durward on Digger, Lisa Pascoe on King and Lorraine Smith riding Dolly.   If a National Masters Championship can be held, all teams will ride borrowed ponies, since transporting ponies across the country is impractical. Mounts are normally contributed by the host Region - Western Ontario this year - but if a team from that Region represents its Zone, its members would not be allowed to ride their own ponies in competition as this would give them an unfair advantage over the other teams. In fact, all teams generally switch ponies after a set of games.

Finishing in second place at the Masters level was a team from the Ashton First Field Pony Club in the Saint Lawrence-Ottawa Valley Region, with third place going to the Western Ontario Regional Champions, the Grand River Pony Club.

At the A level, for younger Pony Clubbers, a team from the Temiskaming Pony Club, representing the Central Ontario Region, were Zone Champions. Second place went to the Mill Ridge Pony Club of the Western Ontario Region, with the Ashton First Field Pony Club A team third.

The Temiskaming team will now advance to the National A Championships, to be played September 28-29 near Vancouver, where they will compete against the Pacific and Prairie Zone Champions for the Canadian Prince Philip Games crown.

The Prince Philip Cup Games are a team competition played by Pony Clubs around the world. The Games are played by teams of five riders and five ponies, four of which participate in each game. All of the Games are variations on the relay race, and all are great fun for players and spectators alike. Many of the Games require the riders and ponies to run a slalom course around a series of poles from one end of the playing field to the other, where they hand-off something to the next rider on their team. In some races, riders have to vault off of and onto their ponies.

For details please e-mail Liz Inglis or Bob Inglis, Central Ontario Regional Communications Co-Chairs, or call them at 416-493-1223 (office) or 416-491-4230 (home).