News

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)

""

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).

So pleased to share the terrific news that eleven candidates received C+ Tests from Nicola Craven today. This is the first cohort in many years to be awarded this level of efficiency. Well done!

Anita Qian, Evie Sum, Kate Lui, Sarah Broderick, Fenella Millen, India Gray

Oskar Boekhorst, Naomi Khaira, Ella Legere, Lilly Hirth & Alexis Shie

Thank you Nicky for examining and to Beas River Equestrian Center and LoWu Saddle Club for hosting. None of this would be possible without the invaluable support of Christian Allderidge and Laurel Cooke.

In our excitement over the summer, we failed to document the fantastic results of our members who completed Efficiency Tests at various levels during Camps held at Tuen Mun Public Riding School and LoWu Saddle Club

Congratulations all!

Thank you to our esteemed examiners, Jo Eling, Joelle Scott and Megan Godek.

We are excited to learn that Kenneth Cheng, an alumni of Hong Kong Pony Club, will be competing as an individual in show jumping at the upcoming 14th China National Games taking place in Shaanxi September 15th - 27th.

Kenneth back then at Pony Club and now.

TVB will be broadcasting the games locally so hopefully there will be some good coverage of Kenneth's jumping rounds. Don't miss out!

“The Olympics was never in my targets with this horse or within myself, but it just kind of fell in place.”

We've just discovered this lovely article about Tom Ho and his road to Tokyo published in The Chronicle of the Horse (a US magazine) in July.

Tom Ho story.pdf

As we've said before, we couldn't be more proud of our alum who is a fantastic role model for Pony Club. We are also forever thankful for his late father Fred, who encouraged many young riders, not only Tom and his brothers, in his role as District Commissioner of HKPC.

Thank you to Christian, Gary, Luci and Laurel for pulling off another awesome Summer Eventing camp for 24 seniors at Lowu Saddle Club. There was substantial rain over the three days (August 9 - 11) but we didn't let it stop us ... including hacking out towards Shenzhen and competing in an Arena Hunter Trail on the final morning.

Congratulations to the winners of our camp prizes:

• Best at Camp - Lyndsay Son
• Most Improved at Camp - Kate Lui
  
• Stable Management Awards - Siobhan Doherty, Fenella Millen, Sarah Broderick & Charmaine Ip
  

Arena Hunter Trial Results:

• 1st - Oskar Boekhorst on Elsa
• 2nd - Sophie Bater on Chopsticks
• 3rd - India Gray on Happy Eagle
• 4th - Anita Qian on Fun Faster
• 5th - Jemma Quinn on Paddy
• 6th - Jessica Yiu on Rocky
• Judge's Box Commendation - Gemma Duncan on Dora & Ella Legere on Ace

Thank you LWSC for hosting us and to all the volunteers and supporters who made it possible. We are so grateful to be able to offer these fantastic experiences for our members.