Sports Update – April 2026

Barrier Animal Health Spring Festival

The England & Wales and Scotland Barrier Animal Health Spring Festivals have now concluded, with Northern Ireland set to take place on 25th–26th April at Castle Irvine.

For the first time, the England & Wales Spring Festival ran over three days, allowing for the introduction of PC70 Show Jumping and Preliminary PC70 Dressage. It was fantastic to see so many Members taking part who may not have had the opportunity to attend in previous years.

We also had the pleasure of welcoming what may be one of our youngest-ever finalists – Evie from South Notts, riding Kyneton First Addition. At just five years old, she took part in both the Preliminary Dressage and the Novice Dressage to Music. A brilliant achievement – well done, Evie!

We were also delighted to see two fantastic successes in the PC110 Show Jumping and the PC90 and PC100 Arena Eventing. Caroline Barbour from Romney Marsh, riding Elamo He’s A Real One, took victory in the PC110 final, while Amy Veitch and Quinella Z (aka Nellie) from the Cumberland Farmers’ South enjoyed an outstanding performance – winning both the PC90 Arena Eventing and the PC100, where they were one of only five clear rounds from a class of 44 starters.

What makes these achievements even more special is that this marks the final year in Pony Club for both Caroline and Amy, who have each made an exceptional contribution during their time as Members. Both have achieved their A Test and are accredited Pony Club Coaches. Caroline has represented Team GB in Mounted Games in Australia in 2016 and later served as Youth Representative on the Mounted Games Committee. Amy has also built an impressive record, serving as Youth Representative on the Eventing Committee, being part of the PCIA Quiz team that travelled to Kentucky, and chairing the Youth Advisory Council. They are both outstanding examples of what it means to be a Pony Club Member, and we wish them every success in the future.

A huge thank you to all the volunteers, officials and judges who make these events a wonderful experience for all our Members, and we wish everyone taking part in the Northern Ireland Finals the best of luck!

Eventing

April sees the Eventing season begin to ramp up, with the first Area competitions being held in early May meaning that many Members are attending training camps and cross country schooling. If you haven’t had a chance to watch it already, scrub up on your skills and technique by watching Pippa Funnell’s section of the Coaching Conference where she talks about how you can use every day arena items to practice cross-country riding! If you missed the ‘What is Eventing’ webinar on the 25th March, don’t worry! You can watch it on demand for FREE on our YouTube channel. It covers everything in Pony Club Eventing from how to get started right through to the Regional and National Championships.

We’re also excited about a new chapter for the PC110 Championships, which will move from Wellington International to Bishop Burton College and run alongside the British Eventing Festival of Youth. We are hugely grateful to David Sheerin and the Wellington team for hosting us so successfully over the past few years, and we look forward to welcoming members to this exciting new venue. Read more about it here.
There will also be a BE vs PC 100 competition for those not quite ready for the staggering heights of the PC110!
While the Festival of Youth is for British Eventing members under 21, Pony Club classes remain open to Pony Club Members up to the age of 25.

Remember: as a Pony Club Member, you can enter up to two British Eventing events before joining as a full BE member. Plus, if you’ve never been a BE member before, Pony Club Members are eligible for 40% off British Eventing membership!

Following the success of the first Nations Cup at Ballindenisk in 2025, planning is already underway for the 2026 competition. It proved hugely popular last year, and we look forward to sharing more details on the venue, eligibility and team selection soon.

Eight Pony Club Members recently took part in a two-day training course with Gill Watson at the Fox-Pitt yard in Hinton St Mary. Read the full report from Hope Mussell and Lottie Warham, who share their experience of the training.
We are extremely grateful to Celia and the Plunkett family for their continued support through the Eloise & Katie Memorial Trust, as well as to Gill for sharing her expertise, and to the Fox-Pitts for the use of their excellent facilities.
As this marks Gill’s final year delivering this training, we would like to thank her for the invaluable knowledge and experience she has passed on to so many Pony Club Members over the years.

Horsemanship

April can only mean one thing in the world of Horsemanship… The Pony Club Dengie National Quiz Final!

Over 450 Members will come together at the Holywell Conference Centre, Loughborough University on 19th April 2026 to put their knowledge to the test. With a brand-new venue, we are really excited to welcome all qualified teams for what promises to be a fantastic day.

Don’t forget to share your photos and stories from the day.  Whether it’s your team, journey to qualification, or highlights from the event email quiz@pcuk.org for a chance to be featured on our social media channels.

🎨 Thelwell Art Competition
A reminder that entries close on 30th April. This year’s theme, “Pony Club Fun Memories”, is a wonderful opportunity for Members to reflect on their favourite moments with friends and ponies. Our judges are looking forward to seeing your creativity!

📚 Horse & Pony Care 
Area competitions are now underway. If yours is coming up, make sure you’re fully prepared by joining our next KAHOOT revision session on 6th May – click the link below to secure your place.

Horsemanship Home International

Get ready for something brand new and truly exciting… the Horsemanship Home International!

This brand-new Four Nations competition will bring together the very best Pony Club Members to compete in a unique format combining Horse & Pony Care and Quiz, testing both practical skills and depth of knowledge at the highest level. Designed to showcase teamwork, quick thinking and horsemanship ability, this is a fantastic opportunity to represent your nation and be part of something special.

Whether you’re aiming to compete or support from the sidelines, this is set to be a highlight of The Pony Club calendar.

⏰ Applications close on 4th May for both Team Managers and Members – don’t miss your chance to get involved!

Polo

Having had the last of our arena tournaments we are excited to get out onto grass and start the friendly tournaments at Beaufort in May to get ready for the qualifiers and championships in the summer!

It has been fantastic to see so many new faces at taster sessions over Easter, with another 24 members having a go in Area 6 after the first session was a sell out success earlier in the year, 19 South Berkshire members having a taster at Druids Lodge Polo Club, and a cohort of Old Berkshire and South Oxfordshire Hunt South members getting their own ponies involved as well!

To see Pony Club Polo in action please do go along to the upcoming tournaments, take a picnic and enjoy the action! Click below for a list of dates.

Pony Racing

The 2026 season is in full swing! Milborne St Andrew, Ascot, Cheltenham and Newcastle have all now taken place, and the results, as well as the Points Series, can all be found on the Pony Racing page of the website. A huge shoutout to the Cheltenham organisers who had to undertake a last minute venue move to Maisemore – a massive Thank You to all involved and to Maisemore for being so accommodating at the last second!

The next race day is Wincanton on 2nd May – entries close 23rd April so there’s still time to enter if you haven’t done so already!

As part of the Pathway into Racing through Pony Racing, we would love to hear what our current pony racers and Pony Racing alumni are doing now.
The Pony Club and the British Horseracing Authority have partnered to learn more about the careers our pony racers aspire to pursue, or are already pursuing within racing and beyond.
By completing the survey below, you will be entered into a prize draw to win a £100 voucher for Treehouse Sporting Colours, along with a Treehouse and Pony Club merchandise goody bag.

IMPORTANT!
We are continuing to receive a high number of incorrect entries at race days, which places significant pressure on organisers and Head Office, particularly as all eligibility checks are carried out manually using Pony Club and PRA results from multiple years.
It is the responsibility of parents and competitors to ensure entries are made correctly in line with the eligibility rules. Any incorrect entries may be withdrawn.
To help manage this, a new checking process will be introduced. Entries submitted up to one week before closing will be shared with competitors for review. Any incorrect entries identified by the closing date will be moved to the correct class where possible. If no space is available, the entry will be withdrawn and placed on the waitlist.