News

Congratulations to Maia Forbes and Leila Wake for passing  their D+ Tests yesterday in the simmering heat.

Big thank you to our esteemed Pony Club examiner Gary Johnston and to LoWu Saddle Club for hosting.

We are delighted to welcome four new members joining us from Pokfulam Public Riding School:

Anya Law, Jade Ng, Sophia Leung, Kaitlyn Ng

Under Nicky Craven's tutelage all four girls passed D and D+ Tests today. Congratulations! We look forward to seeing you at more PC activities in the near future.

It's been a slow start to the year, but finally with great pride and excitement we're pleased to announce three more members have passed their C+ Test today.

Congratulations to Ashley Gale, Denise Yung and Olivia Fuller. Well done!

The stable management assessment took place at Pokfulam Riding School and the flatwork, jump and cross-country riding assessment took place at Beas River Equestrian Centre.

Big thank you to our examiner Nicky Craven for making it all possible and also to Joelle Scott, Peta Duncalf, Caroline Holm and James Kwok for their collective efforts in supporting our members to prepare for successfully completing this test.

Well done to our winning teams at yesterday's Mounted Games. Such a beautiful winter afternoon with lots of fun for riders, ponies and spectators alike.

Thank you Megan and Joelle for making it happen and to Eric for capturing it all so expertly on camera.

If you are free this coming Monday January 3rd, why not pop over to Tuen Mun Public Riding School to watch Pony Club Mounted Games in action?

Following our practice session last Monday, we're confident to put on quite a show thanks to Coach Megan's games expertise and Coach Joelle's expert pairing of our super riders with the lovely (if occasionally a little bit uncooperative) ponies at TMPRS.

Congratulations to our members who passed D and D+ Test at Clearwater Bay Equestrian Centre during Christmas camps over the holidays.

Thank you to the team at CEEC for hosting PC camp this festive season and special thank you to our PC Examiner, Sarah Sing.

Congratulations to our latest cohort to pass C Test today.

In no particular order:

Anson Tam, Austin Tam, Oliver Stapleton, Zi Tong Chao, Emily Chow, Fu Ka Ching, Anise Walker, Victoria Evrard, Ashley Gale, Julia Yu and Denise Yung

The test took place in the cold and rain at Tuen Mun Public Riding School. Big thank you to our examiners Jo Eling and Bee Chan.

The HKJC Children's Challenge Cup (CCC) show-jumping competition is back again. Due to ongoing social distancing rules it is taking place in an online format again this year. The HKPC team will be hosted by LWSC and CEEC for the first four rounds of the compeition. Riders must be aged between 8 and 12 years old and three jumping heights are available: 20cm, 30cm and 50cm.

Check out videos for riders from all teams in Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4 on our padlet!

Well done and thank you to our members who have represented the Pony Club team in all four rounds to date. The final will take place at Beas River Equestrian Centre on January 14th, 2022.

• HKPC Team for Round 1: Maysa Malick (20cm), Rosy Zheng (30cm) & Taylor Shu (50cm)
• HKPC Team for Round 2: Savanna Burgess (20cm), Sierra Chui (30cm) & Taylor Shu (50cm)
• HKPC Team Round 3: Eva DeVliegher (20cm), Harriet McKee (30cm) & Maddie de Miersman (50cm)
  
• HKPC Team Round 4: Savanna Burgess (20cm), Elim Zhao (30cm) & Monica Sung (50cm)
  

Results of the online judging by Andrew Shellum will be posted on our padlet when available.

Hong Kong Pony Club is very fortunate to be part of a fantastic network of alumni and other former instructors/ volunteers who are doing amazing things with horses around the world. We want to help keep this network alive and connected through our Get to Know... sessions.

Last Saturday, Kendall took time out of her busy schedule to chat over zoom about her experiences coming up through the public riding school, Pony Club and Junior Equestrian Team training system in Hong Kong and then transitioning to the UK, where she has established her own breeding, livery and competition yard.

It was fascinating to get a glimpse into Kendall's new life with a virtual tour of Kruger Equestrian. And it was especially amazing to see Sticky (aka Mountain Treasure) and Orange (aka Titanium Alloy) looking so well in their new home.

While Sticky, aged 20, is clearly enjoying semi-retirement, Orange continues to demonstrate how versatile our wonderful Hong Kong ex-racehorses can be. He has clearly not yet reached his limit show-jumping at 1.40m in the UK. We wish him and Kendall all the best for the future.

Can't wait to hear what the next chapter in this lovely Hong Kong racehorse love story will entail.

Orange on the track in Hong Kong; and now soaring to new heights in his second career as a show-jumper with Kendall in the UK.

Sticky (with a tiny Kendall on board) eventing at Penfold Park back in 2011; and now enjoying semi-retirement at Kruger Equestrian in Lincolnshire UK.

Thank you Alex for generously spending time on zoom from your quarantine room in Beijing last night to allow our members to 'Get to Know' you and some of your beautiful horses. Hong Kong in the 1990's was a special place to grow up. You are not alone in remembering those years very fondly.

It was especially lovely to hear you speak passionately about the wonderful animals that have carried you thus far in your career. Each and every one a very special individual. We wish you all the best for the future... and will continue following your progress with keen interest.

Please keep in touch!

"Monkey" (Alex's mum's ex-rachorse from Hong Kong) and "Chico" (the stunning grey who made Alex's Olympic debut possible in 2008)

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The kind and generous "Maggie" and the feisty "Pye" who gave Alex experience and confidence in his formative years over many iconic tracks, including Lexington, Hickstead, Samur and Badmington.

"Spike" - the champ who stepped up to bring home Bronze in Jakarta (Asian Games 2018) and "The Don" - an ironic name for a gentle soul who has represented Team China proudly at not one but two Olympics (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021).