NB:  This is the version of the press release that was sent to the Stouffville newspapers.  Slight variations were sent to the Lakefield and Uxbridge-Scugog area papers.

Stouffville resident Maya Kenedy, a member of the Maple Pony Club, placed first out of 33 A/B level competitors at the Canadian Pony Club National Quiz, held October 7-10 in Ottawa. Ms. Kenedy also led the Central Ontario Region's A/B team to a first place finish; other team members were Megan Mattos of the Waussnodae Pony Club and Allison Birdsall of the Uxbridge-Scugog Pony Club (another Stouffville resident). Competitors from across the country qualified to represent their Regions by finishing in the top four in their level at Regional Quiz meets held earlier in the year.

Quiz is different from most Pony Club activities in that it does not require horses or ponies. Pony Clubbers compete as both individuals and four-member teams. Quiz is organized according to Pony Club testing levels, with teams at the A/B and C levels at the National Quiz (Regional competitions include D level teams).

There were three phases: a written test, a visual test where competitors have to identify strange, obscure and unusual horsy objects by sight (older competitors often have to read an X-Ray) and "Quiz Stations". These are games that are fun for everybody. For example, one calls for the player to identify various horse-related objects that have been put into socks, by feel alone.

The other Central Ontario teams did not fare quite as well, with both a mixed Central Ontario/Manitoba A/B team and the Central Ontario C team finishing a respectable ninth.

Detailed Quiz results are available on the Canadian Pony Club website at www.CanadianPonyClub.org, under "Recent Postings". For information on the Central Ontario Region and its Branches, or for this and earlier press releases, just click on the appropriate links from the national home page.