Here are highlights overall results of the 2009 Central Ontario Regional D Rally, held August 9 at Foggy River Farm near Mount Albert, presented from the least to most difficult levels.  Details by phase to sixth place overall follow the highlights.

"Rally" is the Pony Club term for Eventing, an Olympic discipline in which competitors must ride a formal Dressage test, a Cross Country or endurance phase across open country and over fixed obstacles, and 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. This year an Open Division was added so young C-level members could take part, riding at the D2 level.

At the D level, Skylar Norman of the Rising Star Pony Club was the winner riding Celtie. Second place went to Rebecca McDowell of the Centaurus Pony Club on A Pony Girl's Secret, with Solstice Pecile of the Kawartha Pony Club third riding GMS Shaneetabay.

Meg Scott of the Victoria Pony Club won the D1 Division on Attack in Black. Second place went to Rebecca Gissing of the King Pony Club riding Bryar. Third place went to another King rider, Kaitlyn Henderson, on Max.

Only two entries in the D2 Division escaped elimination. Jenna Meeser of Rising Star took the honours on Marco Polo, followed by Jennifer Stoltz of the Maple Pony Club on Christian d'Or.

In the Open Division, Jocelyn Donaldson of the Uxbridge-Scugog Pony Club placed first on J.P., with Shay Lucas of Maple second on Rodeo Romance and Karen Foell of the Toronto & North York Pony Club third on Delicately Refined.

One major difference between Pony Club rallies and "regular" events is that Pony Club members compete in horse care/stable management on a Branch team basis, as well as individually in the riding phases. (At nearly every facility we use, the owners/operators tell us they wish regular events would add this as a competitive factor.) This year's Stable Management Award winner was the Rising Star Pony Club.  Additionally, there are awards for the best grooms, and this year these went to Dakota Dejong of Rising Star, Jane Stephenson of Uxbridge-Scugog, Thomas Willert of Maple, Katie Bridges of Toronto & North York and Janel Semple of Kawartha.

Now the details.

D Level

Rider	Horse	Branch	Dressage Score	Dressage Place	X-Country Score	X-Country Place	Stadium Jumping Score	Total Score	Overall Place
Skylar Norman	Celtie	Rising Star	45.0	1	0.0	1	0.0	45.0	1
Rebecca McDowell	A Pony Girl's Secret	Centaurus	52.2	3	5.6	4	0.0	57.8	2
Solstice Pecile	GMS Shaneetabay	Kawartha	56.1	4	4.4	3	0.0	60.5	3
Jacob Daniels	Jimminy Cricket	Uxbridge-Scugog	59.3	7	0.0	2	5.3	64.6	4
Bryson Strickland	MWP Blue Horizon	Uxbridge-Scugog	58.0	6	12.8	6	0.0	70.8	5
Nicole McDowell	Whitey	Centaurus	50.9	2	25.6	7	1.3	77.7	6

D1 Level

Rider	Horse	Branch	Dressage Score	Dressage Place	X-Country Score	X-Country Place	Stadium Jumping Score	Total Score	Overall Place
Meg Scott	Attack in Black	Victoria	54.3	4	0.0	1	0.0	54.3	1
Rebecca Gissing	Bryar	King	54.8	5	0.0	4	0.0	54.8	2
Kaitlyn Henderson	Max	King	58.4	7	0.2	5	0.0	58.7	3
Jennifer Hill	Balmoral	King	60.0	9	0.0	2 (tied)	0.0	60.0	4
Elyse Dondy	Hummer	Maple	60.5	10	0.0	2 (tied)	1.3	61.8	5
Talia Rockman	What's Up Doc	Maple	53.8	2	14.6	6	1.8	70.2	6

D2 Level

Rider	Horse	Branch	Dressage Score	Dressage Place	X-Country Score	X-Country Place	Stadium Jumping Score	Total Score	Overall Place
Jenna Meeser	Marco Polo	Rising Star	55.6	1	0.0	2	4.0	59.6	1
Jennifer Stoltz	Christian D'Or	Maple	60.0	2	33.2	3	11.8	105.0	2

All other D2 entries were eliminated.

Open Division (Four C-Level Riders)

Rider	Horse	Branch	Dressage Score	Dressage Place	X-Country Score	X-Country Place	Stadium Jumping Score	Total Score	Overall Place
Jocelyn Donaldson	J.P.	Uxbridge-Scugog	47.6	1	0.0	1	0.0	47.6	1
Shay Lucas	Rodeo Romance	Maple	52.9	2	10.0	4	0.0	62.9	2
Karen Foell	Delicately Refined	Toronto & North York	60.0	3	0.0	3	7.25	67.3	3
Emma Bradbury	Simon	Centaurus	69.7	4	0.0	2	0.0	69.7	4

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).