Here are "highlights" overall results of the 2004 Central Ontario Region D Rally, held at Glen Oro Farm on Saturday, August 7, presented from the least to most difficult levels. Details follow the highlights.
"Rally" is the Pony Club term for Eventing, an Olympic discipline in which competitors must ride a formal Dressage test, follow with a Cross Country or endurance phase across open country and over fixed obstacles, and finish with a Stadium Jumping competition. Scoring is done on a penalty points basis, with all errors of course, refusals, rails down and falls counted as penalties. Penalties are also incurred for taking too much time, or too little, to finish the Cross Country phase. The rider with the fewest penalties wins. Placing ribbons are awarded for dressage, cross country and overall, with a "Clear Round" ribbon for all those who make no mistakes in the Stadium phase.
The "D" in D Rally refers to the minimum level riders must have passed in the Pony Club testing system to enter. There are three "D" levels: D, D1 and D2. To get each of them, Pony Club members must pass a written examination in horsemanship, an oral test of stable management, and a riding test. Each level competes in a different division at D-Rally, with Dressage tests, fence heights in both Stadium Jumping and Cross Country phases, and the time allowed for Cross Country, all adjusted to their skill levels.
At the D level, Rachel Welsh of the Oshawa Pony Club was the winner on Pippi, with Holly McGill of the Ajax Pony Club second on Champagne Cocktail. Third place went to another Ajax competitor, Kristi Abe, riding Van Gogh.
Hanna Loepky of the Maple Pony Club won the D1 level championship on Napoleon. Second place went to another Maple rider, Charlotte Buffett, riding Just Dillon, with Samantha Elsenaar of the Ajax Pony Club third aboard Cadbury.
At the D2 level, Lauren Colman-Baker of the Whitchurch Pony Club led the way on Ceillan Caitlan, with Emily Boyce and Faolin Ruadh from the Maple Pony Club in second place and another Maple rider, Christy Chamney, third on My Turn.
One major difference between Pony Club rallies and "regular" events is that Pony Clubbers compete in horse care/stable management on a Branch team basis, as well as individually in the riding phases. This year's Stable Management Award winner was the Eglinton Pony Club, with the Prince Edward County Pony Club second and the Whitchurch Pony Club third.
Now here are the details by level and by phase.
D Level
| Rider | Pony | Branch | Dressage Score | Dressage Place | X-Country Score | Stadium Jumping Score | Overall Score | Overall Place |
| Rachel Welsh | Pippi | Oshawa | 45.0 | 1 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 45.0 | 1 |
| Holly McGill | Champagne Cocktail | Ajax | 53.3 | 4 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 53.3 | 2 |
| Kristie Abe | Van Gogh | Ajax | 54.8 | 7 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 54.8 | 3 |
| Jennifer McKeen | Mya | Oshawa | 55.9 | 8 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 55.9 | 4 |
| Kim Simmerson | Geronimo | Simcoe | 59.0 | 16 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 59.0 | 5 |
| Jenna Scott | Timbit | Durham | 59.0 | 17 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 59.0 | 6 |
| Kyra Holmes | Mystical Wings | Maple | 59.0 | 15 | 2.00 | 0.00 | 61.0 | 7 |
| Kerston Caldwell | Duncan | Brooklin | 59.0 | 18 | 0.00 | 4.00 | 63.0 | 8 |
| Kristy Smith | Phoenix | Simcoe | 64.7 | 30 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 64.7 | 9 |
| Jasmin Ainsworth | Blondie | Pine Ridge | 64.1 | 28 | 4.00 | 0.00 | 68.1 | 10 |
D1 Level
| Rider | Pony/Horse | Branch | Dressage Score | Dressage Place | X-Country Score | Stadium Jumping Score | Overall Score | Overall Place |
| Hanna Loepky | Napoleon | Maple | 45.4 | 1 | 8.80 | 0.00 | 54.2 | 1 |
| Charlotte Buffett | Just Dillon | Maple | 58.7 | 8 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 58.7 | 2 |
| Samantha Elsenaar | Cadbury | Ajax | 59.1 | 11 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 59.1 | 3 |
| Sarah Convoy | Dolshavita | Oshawa | 59.1 | 10 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 59.1 | 4 |
| Kimberly Innes | Balmoral | King | 58.7 | 9 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 59.7 | 5 |
| Meaghan Cristov | Royal China | Oshawa | 60.9 | 14 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 60.9 | 6 |
| Jenna Patterson | Skyscraper | Pine Ridge | 52.9 | 3 | 9.00 | 0.00 | 61.9 | 7 |
| Caitlyn Phillips | Equity Lad | Toronto & North York | 63.5 | 19 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 63.5 | 8 |
| Stephanie Rutherford | Royal Court Jester | Baltimore Hills | 59.6 | 13 | 0.00 | 4.00 | 63.6 | 9 |
| Candice McMahon | Spirit of Dreams | Temiskaming | 64.9 | 21 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 64.9 | 10 |
D2 Level
| Rider | Horse/Pony | Branch | Dressage Score | Dressage Place | X-Country Score | Stadium Score | Overall Score | Overall Place |
| Lauren Colman-Baker | Ceillan Caitlan | Whitchurch | 53.3 | 3 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 53.3 | 1 |
| Emily Boyce | Faolin Ruadh | Maple | 52.5 | 2 | 8.00 | 0.00 | 60.5 | 2 |
| Christy Chamney | My Turn | Maple | 53.3 | 4 | 0.00 | 8.00 | 61.3 | 3 |
| Laura Fiume | Maximus | King | 60.0 | 8 | 0.00 | 4.00 | 64.0 | 4 |
| Jesse Ball | Corona's Kiowa | Victoria | 47.5 | 1 | 15.20 | 3.00 | 65.7 | 5 |
| Erin Boyles | Shilo | Pine Ridge | 65.0 | 16 | 6.80 | 0.00 | 71.8 | 6 |
| Jenny Fulton | Whirlabout | Baltimore Hills | 60.0 | 10 | 18.4 | 17.00 | 95.4 | 7 |
| Samantha Molson | Grover | Whitchurch | 61.7 | 13 | 42.00 | 0.00 | 103.7 | 8 |
| Alicia Cantin | Mann of My Dreams | Eglinton | 61.7 | 14 | 124.40 | 0.00 | 186.1 | 9 |
All other D2 competitors were eliminated on either the cross-country or stadium jumping phase.
For more details e-mail Bob Inglis, Central Ontario Regional Communications Chair, or call him at 416-493-1223 (office) or 416-491-4230 (home).