Endurance

What is Endurance?

Endurance riding is a chance to ride over open country, along a specified route, over a set distance with specific speed requirements. You will be issued with the route a few days before your competition which you will need to study carefully, so that you can plan your ride pace to ensure you finish in the required time. There will be checkpoints along the route at which stewards will record your competitor number, and most competitive rides require your horse/pony to be ‘vetted’ before and after the ride to check soundness and heart rate. Final scores are based on speed of completion as well as fitness of horse/pony calculated by heart rate. Highest score wins!

Pony Club works closely with the three governing bodies for Endurance (EGB, SERC & ILDRA) to provide members with plenty of opportunities to take part in the sport, as well as running some of their own events.

There are four main levels of endurance within The Pony Club; Grassroots, Novice, Intermediate and Open. Some rides may also put on additional rides over shorter distances for younger, or lead rein riders.

Members can simply enjoy taking part in organised endurance rides or can aim for Championships! Riders wanting to take part in The Pony Club Endurance Championships must complete a minimum of two rides at the correct level before entering. More details about this can be found in the Rulebook.

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Endurance Rulebook 2025

How Do I Get Involved?

Pony Club members can take part in various different organised rides. These can be Branch/Centre organised rides, or EGB rides. At Novice GERs (Graded Endurance Rides), the horse/pony will undergo a vet check before and after the ride where the vet will check for soundness and heart rate. Both EGB Pleasure rides and Novice GERs can count as qualifying rides for PC Championships.

How Do I Progress Further?

As well as Endurance rides, you can keep your pony fit and ready for competitions by taking part in The Great Pony Club Hacking Challenge. Members receive a certificate on completion of each milestone. Completing 100 miles of hacking also qualified members to enter the Novice class at the Endurance Championships.

Click the button below for a really helpful guide to Pony Club Endurance which explains what Endurance is, how you can get started, what you will need and the benefits you will gain!

A beginner’s guide to Pony Club Endurance

Membership with EGB

Endurance GB has introduced a new membership structure for 2025. Pony Club members can now join any EGB ride, from short distances up to 160km Race Rides, with the free ‘Pay As You Go’ (PAYG) membership, with no limit on the number of rides. However, for rides of 30km or more, members will also need to purchase an EGB logbook (£16) as a one-time fee and an annual Competition Subscription for their horse/pony (£25). This membership option is perfect for Pony Club Members starting their Endurance journey without committing to bigger membership offers. Click here to visit Endurance GB’s website.

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Key Competitions and Events

 

The Equilab & Hy Equestrian Hacking Challenge

An opportunity for members to ride out of the arena and explore new areas of the countryside. Whether you already hack out a lot or want to start hacking more, you just need to sign up to the challenge and track the distances of your rides. When you hit each milestone (25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 miles), submit your Hacking Tracker to receive your certificate.

NEW for 2025 – Endurance Relays

This competition is open to all our Members over the age of 8, and is designed for riders of all experience levels. Whether you’re an eventer, show jumper, or completely new to endurance, this event is a fantastic opportunity to try something different. The goal is to complete a 20km ride at an optimum speed of 12 kph, focusing on riding steadily while keeping your horse calm and relaxed. It’s about strategic riding, not speed—your team’s score is based on a balance of time and heart rate, so it’s a test of both skill and endurance.
Read more about the Endurance Relays here

Endurance Championships

The Championships provide members with the opportunity to be part of a national event in which they will ride alongside professional endurance riders from around the country. Held in collaboration with Endurance Great Britain (EGB), The Pony Club Endurance Championships takes place on some of the most amazing Endurance routes.

The 2025 Endurance Championships will be held at the Lions Tail ride (Nr. Melton Mowbray) on September 14th. Find out more here.
The 2024 Endurance Championships were held at Well Vale, Lincolnshire on 23rd August. Read the full report here.

 

Find out more about The Hacking Challenge 2024 Endurance Championships RESULTS
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Endurance Rides & Training

The below links will take you to the booking pages for EGB rides holding Pony Club classes. Whilst PC members can enter any National EGB ride to qualify for the Championships, Pony Club specific classes are the perfect start for members wanting to try Endurance, as well as for more experienced riders wishing to gain Pony Club recognition.

EGB Rides hosting the Endurance Relays:

April 26th/27th – Pembrey, South Wales
May 3rd/4th – Shuckburgh, Warwickshire
July 11th – Cirencester, Gloucestershire
July 12th – White Horse, North Yorkshire
August 3rd – Hexham, Northumberland
August 3rd – Compton Downs, Berkshire
August 17th – Cumbria Challenge

Hacking Challenge Roll of Honour

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February 2025 Roll of Honours – 25 Miles

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February 2025 Roll of Honours – 50 Miles

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February 2025 Roll of Honours – 100 Miles

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February 2025 Roll of Honours – 250 Miles

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February 2025 Roll of Honours – 500 Miles

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February 2025 Roll of Honours – 1000 Miles

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February 2025 Roll of Honours – Branch/Centres Leaderboard

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Endurance Master Cards

 

What is an Endurance Master Card?

Your ride Master Card forms the only acceptable record of your endurance riding achievements – it is therefore a very important document, which it is your responsibility to hand to the Ride Secretary at the start of each ride.

The Secretary will complete and validate your card each time you compete.

No awards will be back dated due to loss of a card or failure to present it on the day.

It is imperative that you download and print a Mastercard from the Resource Hub in advance of your first ride, and that you take it to every endurance ride that you participate in. You will not be allowed to ride if it is not presented to the Ride Secretary in advance of the ride.

Upon completion of distances you can achieve your Mileage Achievements

 

Why is it important?

1. For welfare reasons equines are not usually allowed to compete at more than 10 endurance rides in a year. The record card allows secretaries to monitor this.

2. As riders can compete at events run outside The Pony Club, it is not possible for The Pony Club or ride secretaries to verify results for qualification and certificates otherwise.

3. Your Master Card is your only proof of performance and failure to produce it on the day will result in your entry being withdrawn, which would be disappointing to all involved.

Download your Endurance Master Card here

Endurance Contacts

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Annabel Stanley

Sports Officer
T: 02476 698300 option 2 E: endurance@pcuk.org
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Robert Blane

Endurance Chairman (Volunteer)
E: endurancechairman@pcuk.org