Refresh for pony club

There have been lots of changes at a Moorabool pony club, from new uniforms to a change in location – and the club is eager to ring in the new era with some new members.

Established in 1968, the Bacchus Marsh Pony Club recently moved to new grounds at the Bacchus Marsh Racecourse and Recreation Reserve, and while there have been a few teething problems, the Club has proudly announced the new grounds are up and running, and membership is continuing to grow as rallies and events are in full swing.

Rallies are held on the traditional first Sunday of the month, and events, clinics, and training days/weekends on the third weekends. The Club offers memberships for all ages, from very young beginners up to and including adult riders. Recently the Club has introduced a program for “Riders without Horses Program” which has proved popular and has a waiting list.

A Key Membership or a Ground Use Fee is also available for riders wanting to use the grounds for schooling and training their horses. Anyone wanting to use the grounds can book through the Booking Officer by emailing [email protected].

On Saturday 3 June the Club hosted the fourth and final round of the B.E.S.T. Show Jumping with around 90 riders competing in two Show Jumping classes, followed on Sunday with a combined Rally with Ballan in the form of a Mini Horse Trials, which was a learning and training experience for all riders and parents.

The Club is hosting the Pony Club Victoria “State Games, Flat & Musical Ride Teams” on 24 and 25 June, two composite Games Teams competing made up of riders from Bacchus Marsh & Ballan Clubs, as well as riders in the Pairs. It will be the first time the Club’s new grounds have been used for a State Event. The Club has recently had their first rider competing and placing in the Tetrathlon in the Junior section at State Level.

The Club’s next major event will be their Horse Trials (Dressage, Cross Country & Show Jumping) on 15 and 16 July – this will be the first time the Club has run all grades (1 – 5) since moving to their new grounds. The Club has run a few smaller events; Combined Training (Dressage & Show Jumping), a Show Jumping Day and Horse Trials Grades 3,4, and 5, working up to this major event.

The Club has also updated their uniform and logo. The new uniform will be predominantly black with a little gold and white, with the change to officially occur on 1 July. The Club would like to acknowledge sponsorship from Ray White Real Estate which has helped make this update possible.

Over the years the Bacchus Marsh Pony Club has been successful in obtaining a number of Grants, which combined with Club fundraising has enabled the club to develop their grounds and purchase and upgrade equipment over many years.

These grants include Moorabool Shire Community Grants, SRV Grants, and Bendigo Bank Grants, all of which have contributed to improving the grounds, purchase of equipment and training for members such as first aid training.

For more information on the Bacchus Marsh Pony Club, head to the Bacchus Marsh Pony Club Facebook page or contact [email protected].