Glenoaks Pony Club Riding Center Members Successfully Compete at Regional Rallies; Next Stop, Champi
May 8th, 2019 Portola Valley, CA – The spirited Games Rally competition hosted by the Middle California Region of The United States Pony Clubs was held at the Equestrian Center of Walnut Creek on Sunday May 5th, 2019. Vienna Mak from San Francisco, Audrey Gillett from Portola Valley, Anna Le Grix from San Francisco, and May Morita from Campbell, all Pony Club members of the Glenoaks Pony Club Riding Center in Portola Valley, competed in the discipline of Mounted Games recently. Mounted Games were originally the idea of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, as a way to encourage enthusiasm, participation, and training in younger riders without the need of expensive ponies. A natural draw to all levels of riding abilities, Games provide a fun sport that teaches the basic natural aids, physical coordination, self-confidence, and teamwork skills. Mounted Games competitions are comprised of several relay-style races requiring riders to pick up objects from the ground while remaining in the saddle, weave through a series of poles at high speeds, hand items off to teammates without slowing their ponies, and dunking objects into buckets (sometimes at a gallop!).
The teams are scored on Horse Management (HM), where the members have to organize the set up of their tackroom and manage the care of their ponies without help from their parents or coaches, and also given overall awards that take into account both HM and the results of their riding in Mounted Games. Vienna’s team rode very well in their Games, showing some impressive skills and won 2nd place in both HM and overall for their division. Vienna is the 15 years old daughter of Wisteria Mak and is a D3 certified member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. Audrey, Anna, and May’s team won 1st place in HM by a 19 point margin pushing them to a 1st place finish overall in their division. Audrey is the 10 years old daughter of Aisha Gillett and is a D1 certified member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. Anna is the 9 years old daughter of Angelina So and Francois Le Grix and is a D1 certified member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. May is the 10 years old daughter of Staeci and Jason Morita and is a new member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. In addition to their top scores, all of our members receive perfect Turnout Inspection Certificates. Our members rode abroad very trusty mounts, Jessie and Ozzie of Isola Riding Academy. Thanks to Isola Stables for providing the members with the use your wonderful lesson ponies.
Vienna Mak, left, 15, and Anna Le Grix, right, 9, members of the Glenoaks Pony Club Riding Center at Isola Stables in Portola Valley, CA, riding Jessie, won second and first place, respectively, in HM and Overall, also receiving Perfect Turnout Certificates at the Mounted Games Rally hosted by the Middle California Region of The United States Pony Clubs at the Equestrian Center of Walnut Creek on May5th, 2019. Vienna is the 15 years old daughter of Wisteria Mak and is a D3 certified member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. Anna is the 9 years old daughter of Angelina So and Francois Le Grix and is a D1 member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc.
May Morita, left, 10, Audrey Gillett, right, 10, and members of the Glenoaks Pony Club Riding Center at Isola Stables in Portola Valley, CA, riding Ozzie, won first place in HM and Overall, also receiving Perfect Turnout Certificates at the Mounted Games Rally hosted by the Middle California Region of The United States Pony Clubs at the Equestrian Center of Walnut Creek on May5th, 2019. Audrey is the 10 years old daughter of Aisha Gillett and is a D1 certified member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. May is the 10 years old daughter of Staeci and Jason Morita and is a new member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc.
This was all of their first time competing at a mounted Rally for the Middle California Region. In March, Vienna, Audrey, and Anna competed at Quiz Rally, an unmounted equine educational competition, hosted by the region, where they were tested on a broad spectrum of Horse Management knowledge through four phases of competition, Classroom, Written Test, Barn, and Stations. The team at Quiz Rally won 3rd place with qualifying scores to compete at USPC Championships this summer. Vienna is eligible to represent the Region at Championships and we hope to see her compete on a National level this summer.
Audrey Gillett, left, 10, Vienna Mak, center, 15, and Anna Le Grix, right, 9, members of the Glenoaks Pony Club Riding Center at Isola Stables in Portola Valley, CA, won third place at the Quiz Rally hosted by the Middle California Region of The United States Pony Clubs in Morgan Hill March 23rd, 2019. Audrey is the 10 years old daughter of Aisha Gillett and is a D1 certified member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. Vienna is the 15 years old daughter of Wisteria Mak and is a D3 certified member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. Anna is the 9 years old daughter of Angelina So and Francois le Grix and is a D1 member of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc.
All riders competing in Pony Club Championships this summer will have previously qualified by attaining top scores at their Regional Rallies throughout the country. At Championships members will vie for National honors in the disciplines of: Dressage, Eventing (dressage, cross-country, and stadium jumping), Mounted Games, Polocrosse (a combination of polo and lacrosse), Show Jumping, Tetrathlon (riding, running, swimming, and marksmanship) and Quiz.
About Pony Club - The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (Pony Club) was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit national youth organization to teach riding and horsemanship through a formal educational program. There are approximately 9,000 Pony Club members in over 600 clubs and riding centers throughout the country. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including several of our Olympic team members, business professionals, government leaders and career military officers, have roots in Pony Club. www.ponyclub.org. For more information about joining the Glenoaks Pony Club Riding Center at Isola Stables in Portola Valley see www.isolastables.com.