Avon Valley Show Jumping and Pony Club Inc

REVISED JANUARY 2016

AVON VALLEY SHOW JUMPING AND PONY CLUB INC. INFORMATION PACK

Equestrian Park Suburban Road NORTHAM [email protected] www.avsjpc.org For more information on all things Pony Club please refer to the PCAWA Website www.pcawa.com

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Aims of Avon Valley Show Jumping and Pony Club

• To encourage young people to ride and to learn to enjoy all approved kinds of sport connected with horses and riding.

• To provide instruction in riding and horsemastership and to instil in members the proper care of their animals.

• To promote the highest ideals of fellowship, citizenship and loyalty, and to cultivate strength of character and self-discipline.

In our dealings with the riders, in order of importance place:

• FIRST The SAFETY of the riders

• SECOND The COMFORT of the horse/pony

• THIRD The ENJOYMENT of the rider and the TRAINING of their character

• FOURTH The PROGRESS of the rider

Pony Clubbing

Joy through Participation

Team Spirit

Finding Knowledge and Mutual Friendship

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THE PONY CLUB MOVEMENT

The Pony Club, through its activities, is a worldwide youth organisation for those interested in horses, ponies and riding, to the age of 25 years.

It is the largest association of riders in the world.

It is a voluntary youth organisation, which exists to promote the physical, mental and spiritual development of young people, encouraging in them an awareness of responsibility, sportsmanship and citizenship.

The Pony Club differs from other youth movements because the horse is used as the main centre of interest around which to cultivate strength of character and self-discipline. MEMBERSHIP Children may join at 5 years of age (or at the discretion of the Chief Coach). Children from 5 to 16 years are members. Those from 17 to 25 years are Associates. Age for the pony club year is as at the 1st January.

Membership for 2016 is $185 per rider. If the rider is under 18 years of age as at the 1st of January they must also register a responsible adult for $55 to be covered by insurance. PONY CLUB SYLLABUS The Pony Club has a syllabus designed to build from basic care and riding knowledge to advanced skills in all aspects of horsemanship. The following levels are taken when the member can complete all outcomes outline in the certificate level: - E Certificate can be awarded at age < 7 years D Certificate Minimum age 7 years DGS Certificate Minimum age 9 years C Certificate Minimum age 12 years C Star Certificate Minimum age 14 years K Certificate Minimum age 14 years B Certificate Minimum age 16 years A Certificate Minimum age 17 years H Certificate Minimum age 17 years Guidelines for each Certificate are outlined in the Pony Club Australia “Syllabus of Instruction” booklet or can be viewed on http://l.b5z.net/i/u/8000223/f/PCA_Syllabus_of_Instruction_2013.pdf

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BOOKLIST Books are available from P.C.A.W.A. to assist members with the above syllabus. Your Chief Coach can advise you of the books that will be required at your level. Please ask your Chief Coach for a copy of this list or it can be viewed http://www.pcawa.com/bookshop___equipment_hire. RALLIES Rallies are held once a month usually on the first Sunday of the month and details and starting time will be advised through your monthly newsletters or emails from the Secretary or Chief Instructor.

2016 Rally Dates 31st January (half day), 14th Feb, 6th March, 3rd April, 1st May, 12th June, 3rd July, 7th August, 4h September, 2nd October and wind up and AGM will be held on 6th November.

Please note that from time to time these dates clash with State Championships or other events which affect a large percentage of the club membership. In these cases in consultation with the committee the dates may be changed.

Rally Timetable 8.00 – 8.30 - Arrive, settle horses and sign in in the Sign in book which is located outside the canteen. Consult the rally timetable and also find out what helper duties your family may have on that day. 8.30 – 9.00 – Help with setup of flatwork arenas, show jumping arenas and games equipment or other setup as required. 9.00 – 9.30 – Proceed to first lesson where you will be gear-checked before the start of the lesson by your instructor. 9.30 – 10.30 – First Lesson 10.30– 10.45 – Drinks/morning tea break 10.45 – 11.45 – Second Lesson 11.45 – 12.45 – Lunch 12.45 – 1.00 – Quick Meeting and Information Sharing Session 1.00 – 2.00 – Third Lesson 2.00 – 2.15 - Quick Drink Break 2.15 – 3.15 – Fourth Lesson 3.15 – 3.30 -Everyone help to pack away and home

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This rally timetable has been formulated by the Club committee and may be subject to change under certain circumstances.

• Members should arrive in plenty of time to settle their pony/horse and be ready to help set up.

• If for any reason you will not be attending the rally, please contact the Chief Coach as soon as you are aware that you will be absent. This helps in the organisation of Coaches and groups.

• When you arrive at the Club and have settled your pony/horse, go to the Club House and sign in with your parent/guardian. (both mounted and unmounted) All members under to age of 16 must have a parent/guardian for the whole day. If for some reason this person has to leave the grounds they must see the Chief Coach and introduce the new guardian of the rider. Insurance requires this to be strictly adhered to and unfortunately A RIDER WITHOUT A PARENT/ GUARDIAN WILL REMAIN UNMOUNTED.

• Coaching is given in riding on the flat, jumping, agility, games, novelties, active riding and horse mastership.

• Members are placed into groups and encouraged to work towards certificates under the guidance of dedicated Coaches.

• Members must notify their Coach or the Chief Coach before leaving the club grounds during club rallies.

• Parents will be expected to help out in at least two rallies during the year. Help may be in the form of operating/assisting in the canteen, or instructing some lessons. Other assistance is always very welcome to take the load of the organisers who are also volunteers.

• Members are required to bring their Horsemastership Books and a pen to all Horse Mastership lessons at Rallies.

CANTEEN

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A canteen will be operating at all rallies and events. Everyone is encouraged to order their lunch as early as possible when arriving at the grounds at the club.

Donations of cakes, fruit etc are always appreciated. Families will be rostered on canteen duties for Rallies. Volunteers will be sought to help out during events

DAY MEMBERSHIP FOR COME AND TRY RALLIES Riders who are not current financial Riding Members of PCAWA may ride at a rally on a Come and Try basis for one rally only provided the following points are followed.  Any individual that is not a current financial Riding Member of the PCAWA must pay to become a Day Member to ride at the pony club rally, regardless of other affiliations and insurance held.  Day Membership is $50.00 per rider per fixture. Of this amount, $10.00 per rider is to be sent to the PCAWA by the organising club along with Day Member Form.  Becoming a Day Member entitles the rider to Public Liability cover for that fixture only.  A rider may attend a maximum of 1 Pony Club Rally as a day member and will not be covered by any insurance unless a full riding member.  As of 1st January 2013, Day Membership is not allowed at any PCAWA Open event or competition (excluding unmounted phase for Tetrathlon).  If that rider decides to become a full member of the Avon Valley Showjumping and Pony Club in the future, the $40 will be deducted from the full membership.

All Day Members MUST sign the PCAWA Non-Member Disclaimer prior to participating. Clubs are to retain this Disclaimer. Clubs to retain a copy of this completed Register http://l.b5z.net/i/u/8000223/f/Non_Member_Disclaimer_Statement_2015 .doc

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INSTRUCTORS The Club strives to secure experienced and accredited paid instructors for each of the rallies. In addition, there many experienced volunteer instructors within the club who are willing to coach at rallies. If you would like to become an instructor at the club please discuss with the Chief Coach. QUALIFICATIONS FOR ZONE AND STATE COMPETITIONS – WHAT IS A WORKING RALLY? To enter in many of the Pony Club Competitions, the horse and rider combination must attend three working rallies at a Pony Club, in the twelve months prior to the events closing date. Two of which must be at the Club the rider is representing.

Rider must be present for a minimum of 4 hours at a Working Rally to qualify. A rider can qualify a maximum of two horses/ponies at a working rally and the rider must participate in a least one ridden session on each horse to count as a qualification. AVON VALLEY SHOW JUMPING AND PONY CLUB EVENTS During the year there are a number of events, which the club runs for all members. These events for 2016 are listed below: • Tetrathlon 19/20th March • One Day Event – 5th June • Gymkhana – 26th June

PONY CLUB ZONES The PCAWA Pony Clubs are divided into a number of zones. Avon Valley Show Jumping and Pony Club is one of five clubs that makes up the Avon Zone. The other clubs in our Zone are: - Beverley, York, South Midlands and Toodyay.

During the year the Zone hosts events for riders and coaches. This also includes selection events to be a part of the Zone team at State Championships.

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2016 AVON ZONE EVENTS

7th March – Jon Pitts School School hosted by South Midlands Pony Club – Open to all coaches, parents and potential coaches as well as Senior Riders who are interested in coaching.

17th April– Zone Showjumping Runoffs hosted by South Midlands Pony Club. Open to all riders who wish to qualify for the State Showjumping Championships. May open this event to other riders/horses as well.

7/8th June – Avon Zone One Day Event hosted by York Pony Club

9/10/11 July Avon Zone Camp held at Avon Valley Showjumping and Pony Club grounds.

10th July – Avon Zone Dressage Runoffs hosted by South Midlands Pony Club. Open to all riders who wish to qualify for the Dressage State Championships. To be held at Avon Valley Showjumping and Pony Club to be incorporated in the camp

24th July – Avon Zone Novelties and Prince Philip Mounted Games Runoffs hosted by Mortlock Pony Club. Open to all Zone riders to qualify for the State Championships Novelties Championships. PPMG Competition will be open to all Pony Club games teams.

PCAWA EVENTS

2016 PCAWA Dates 6th Feb - AGM 6 – 7th Feb - State Coaching School - Early April - PCAWA State Tetrathlon - 21 – 22nd May - PCAWA State Show Jumping Championships PCAWA State Eventing Championships TBA June 27 – 28th August – PCAWA PPMG Qualifier 20 – 21st August - PCAWA State Dressage Championships 24 –25th September PCAWA State Active Riding Championships 1st October - PCA PPMG Junior Nationals (Held at Perth Royal Show) -

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GROUNDS The Avon Valley Show Jumping and Pony Club grounds are at Equestrian Park at the end of Suburban Road via Clark Street in Northam. These grounds are shared with the Twin Pines Polocrosse Club. In 2016 these grounds will also be shared with the York Horsemen’s Hacking Club and the Avon Valley Adult Riding Club.

There is a recently upgraded cross country course at the grounds along with modern Show jumping and Dressage Equipment. Games and Novelty Equipment is continually upgraded on an as required basis.

We are always looking for volunteers who are willing to help maintain the grounds and equipment as well as the club house. If you have any skills you can offer please let the committee know. FUNDRAISING In order to keep the Membership Costs down to a reasonable level, the club is required to fundraise during the year to secure enough funds to continue to pay the great instructors at rallies as well as keep the equipment maintained. Fundraising activities may include but not be limited to: • Selling chocolates • Providing Canteen Services and meals to other organisations such as Polocrosse on their Carnival weekend. • Pony Rides at events such as Beverley Avondale Harvest Festival. • Football Tipping All members are encouraged to participate in these fundraising activities. If any member has any other fundraising ideas please raise them with the committee. UNIFORMS Avon Valley has a Rally Uniform which are to be worn at Rallies which consist of: • Long Sleeve Rally Shirt which can be purchased from the club. • Beige Jodhpurs or Riding Pants • Smooth Soled boots • Approved AS3838 Riding Helmet • Club Jacket which can be purchased from the club (optional) • Navy Club Saddleblanket which can be purchased from the club • Navy and White Helmet Cover which can be purchased by the club.

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Avon Valley has a Formal Uniform which is to be worn during competitions when representing the Club. It is also to be worn during Certificate Testing. It consists of: • Long Sleeve Light Blue Shirt • Navy Tie • Beige Jodhpurs or Riding Pants • Smooth Soled boots • Approved AS3291 Riding Helmet • Navy Club V Necked Jumper which can be purchased from the club • Navy Club Saddleblanket which can be purchased from the club • Navy and White Helmet Cover which can be purchased from the club. If a member is selected to ride in an Avon Zone team the same formal uniform as above is to be worn with the exception of a White Long Sleeve Shirt instead of the Light Blue long sleeve shirt. Zone Saddleblankets and helmet covers will be provided on loan by the Club. GEARCHECKING All riders will be gear checked at the start of each Rally and before they compete at any Pony Club Event. There is a Gear checking Manual which riders are gear checked against. The primary purpose of gear checking is for Horse and Rider comfort and safety. Refer to the Gear checking page on the PCAWA website for gear checking requirements at: http://www.pcawa.com/gear_checking CODE OF CONDUCT Listed below are the following codes of conduct that are outlined in the Member Protection Policy in the PCAWA Handbook or can be viewed on the PCAWA website . Please note bad behaviour and failure to adhere to the Code of Conduct will not be tolerated by the Avon Valley Show Jumping and Pony Club. http://www.pcawa.com/forms___downloads The Member Protection Policy covers the following: • Rider’s Code of Conduct • Parents/Guardian’s Code of Conduct • Spectator’s Code of Conduct • Administrators Code of Conduct • Officials Code of Conduct

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POLICIES The P.C.A.W.A. has in place the following policies. They are outlined in the P.C.A.W.A. Handbook and available to view on the PCAWA Website http://www.pcawa.com/forms___downloads

• Gambling and Wagering Policy • Regional Development Policy • Health Policy • Hot Weather Guidelines • Member Protection Policy • Risk Management Policy • Anti-Doping Policy • Child Protection Policy • Privacy Policy • Photography Policy • PCAWA Social Media Policy • PCAWA Media Policy BUSY BEES The Club is required to hold Busy Bees from time to time to prepare the grounds for rallies and or events being held at Equestrian Park. Members are expected to attend at least 2 Busy Bees a year. COMMITTEE The Committee is elected for one year at the Annual General Meeting which is to be held in February. Committee members are eligible for re-election each year. Your committee for 2016 is to be finalized at the AGM on the 31st of Jan The past committee for 2015 was: President – Jamie Hammond Secretary – Kylie Hall Chief Coach – Jess Joy Treasurer – Angela Herzer

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding the running of the Club, please do not hesitate to contact any of the Committee.

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MEETINGS General Meetings are usually held monthly on the Wednesday before each rally. Meetings are held at the Pony Club House unless otherwise advised at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome to come along and have input into the running of the club. Rally plans and instructors are finalised at these meetings so members need to advise if they are coming to the rally before the meeting.

TROPHIES The trophies and how they are calculated are listed below: - • Hi Point Group Award – for the member with the most points gained at each rally for presentation of horse, tack and rider, work book presentation and courtesy as well as points gained for busy bee attendance. • Citizenship Award – for the person who is has shown outstanding service to Pony Club as well as good sportsmanship and behaviour during the year. This person may have gone beyond what is expected for helping out at busy bees, events etc . This award is chosen by the Chief Coach in consultation with the Committee and Instructors. • Most Outstanding Rider from each age group as chosen by the Chief Coach in consultation with the Committee and Instructors. • Most Improved Rider from each age group as chosen by the Chief Coach in consultation with the Committee and Instructors. • Encouragement Award to a rider from each age group as chosen by the Chief Coach in consultation with the Committee and Instructors. • Achievement Awards may be presented to any rider who is deemed to be a high achiever during the year such as being selected into a State or National team etc. • The Chief Coach at their discretion may choose to award other trophies if they desire. COMMUNICATIONS All Communications regarding Avon Valley Showjumping and Pony club matters are emailed out to Members as they are received by the Secretary. The current email address is [email protected]. It is anticipated that a newsletter will be emailed out on a monthly basis if there is a willing person to do it. In addition there is a website www.avsjpc.org which has

12 REVISED JANUARY 2016 just been updated. Avon Valley also has a Facebook page for those who have Facebook.

PCAWA has a website which has lots of good information on it at www.pcawa.com. All members are encouraged to make themselves familiar with this website. If you would like to receive weekly newsletters from PCAWA go to the following link. http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/home/? u=018b833c5c4b58fcf90f465a5&id=3b73717ba8 Remember that it is important for everyone to have fun at pony club and you only get out of it what you put in. If you have any queries or problems please do not hesitate to talk to one of the committee members straight away.