The Pony Club Endurance Championships were held on Sunday 19 August in stunning surroundings at Euston Park, Suffolk, alongside the HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Endurance Cup Festival UK Endurance Masters.

Pony Club Members were honoured to be part of this International event, where professional Endurance riders from all over the world were competing across some of the best Endurance tracks in the UK.

Organised by HPG Endurance ltd, part of the HPower Group, in collaboration with Endurance GB, the event hosted 51Pony Club Members taking part in rides ranging from 20 to 56km.

Results were as follows:

·         Open level – Ella Pomroy (Easton Harriers Hunt) won by a whisker with 48.65 points riding Redwings Milky Way

·         Intermediate level – Georgia Brenton (Bisley & Sandown Chase) won with 62.28 points riding Townahaw Buster

·         Senior Novice level – Hannah Crocombe (Curre Hunt) won with 46.79 points with Jubilee Belle

·         Junior Novice level – another close finish, but the win went to Elizabeth Molyneux (Bedale & West of Yore Hunt) with 40.5                                                          points riding Kingswell Shearwater

·         Grassroots level – Olivia Rosin (Whaddon Chase) won with 48.74 points riding Ziggy. Olivia also picked up Best Newcomer

·         Teams – the Mixed Team of Alex Powell (Brecon & Talybont Hunt riding Brohedydd The Duke), Ella Pomroy (Easton Harriers Hunt riding Redwings Milky Way), Honor Farley (East Cornwall Hunt riding Another Firebird Rising) and Georgia Brenton (Bisley & Sandown Chase riding Townahawe Buster) won with 147.01points

Robert Blane, Chairman of Pony Club Endurance, said: “’I am so grateful to Nick Brooks-Ward and HPower for inviting us to Euston Park for our Endurance Championships. Nothing was too much trouble for them and they went out of their way to welcome us to what is probably one of the best Endurance venues in Europe. We are all already looking forward to next year.”

Endurance Riding is a ride, usually over open country, along a specified route for a set distance with specific speed requirements.  Competitors are issued with a map of the route a few days before the competition which they need to study carefully and measure in order to plan their ride.  The result of the competition depends not only on the speed achieved, but also on the soundness and recovery rate of the horse when finishing.

There are five types of Pony Club Endurance Rides, each differing in distance.  The shorter Robin and Merlin Training rides, open to Members aged five and over, are an ideal introduction to the discipline. There are three classifications of competition or qualification rides which are called Kestrel (Novice Qualifier), Osprey (Intermediate Qualifier) and Eagle (Open Qualifier).

Anyone with a sound pony or horse can participate in Pony Club Endurance; Members do not need a particular breed or type of pony or any specialist equipment.