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The History of the Pony Club 1929-1948

1929

On November 1, 1929, the Institute of the Horse started a Junior Branch of their organisation, known as The Pony Club, "for the purpose of interesting young people in riding and sport and at the same time offering the opportunity of higher instruction in this direction than many of them can obtain individually".

Under the new scheme, the country was divided into Districts the same as the Hunts, each under a District Commissioner, helped by a Local Committee. The new club was in close touch with hunting.

Members joined at an entrance fee of 2s 6d (12.5p) - unchanged until 1976 and an annual subscription of 5s (25p). A Membership badge was given. The pattern of this badge is virtually the same today.

A Central Committee of the Pony Club was started by the ‘Institute of the Horse and Pony Club’, under the Chairmanship of Harry Faudel-Phillips, who with the Secretary, T.H.S. Marchant, drew up the constitution of the new club. Also a Member of this Committee was Mrs Hugh Corbett (later Mrs. Victor Hurst) who was District Commissioner of the North and South Shropshire Hunt branch. She was, both District Commissioner and on the Committee until her retirement in 1956.


1930

The Central Committee held its first meeting in January 1930. By May, Branches and District Commissioners had been created at: Belvoir, Cottesmore, Craven, Essex Union and Essex, Fernie, Grafton, Ludlow, Shropshire (North and South), Surrey and Burstow, Vale of White Horse and Wynstay.

A Membership of 700 was recorded. A meeting of all District Commissioners was held in London.

The Royal Calpe Hunt Pony Club (Gibraltar) was formed - the first affiliated overseas Branch.


1931

Number of Pony Club Branches recorded: 59. Membership: 4,442. Harry Faudel Phillips and Mrs Hugh Corbett were appointed as the first visiting Commissioners of The Pony Club.

The first Pony Club camp was held.


1932

An official Pony Club tie was created. In a competition the winning design was from the joint Essex Union and Essex Hunt Branch - and entered by the District Commissioner, Mrs. H R Pelly.

In June the Central Committee was re-organised and became known as The Pony Club Organisation Committee, VDS Williams became Chairman, with Harry Faudel-Phillips as Vice Chairman.

Pony Club Tests were started, and efficiency certificates given.


1933

In November Hon. Guy Cubitt, became a Member of The Pony Club Organisation Committee which he continued up to 1970.


1934

Pony Club instructors’ courses (at Temple House - led by Harry Faudel-Phillips; and at the Porlock Vale riding school in Somerset - led by Tony Collings) were held for the first time.

Number of Pony Club Branches: 103; Membership: 8,350.


1935

The first course for Visiting Commissioners was held at Temple House.


1939

Almost every Branch had to close down during the war.


1945

Mrs.THS Marchant carried on the Secretarial duties at The Pony Club office single-handed.


1947

The Institute of the Horse and Pony Club were merged with the National Horse Association of Great Britain. This new society, with Guy Cubitt as Chairman, was called The British Horse Society and became the parent organisation of The Pony Club. When THS Marchant retired, RA ,Brown (who was Secretary of the National Horse Association) became secretary of the British Horse Society, helped by Miss Christine Black in The Pony Club office.

Number of Branches in Great Britain: 167

Membership: 17,082

Number of Branches Overseas: 13.