Pony Racing

Start by contacting your Branch or Centre – they’ll be able to guide you on how to get involved. Most beginners begin with a taster session, which includes both mounted and unmounted activities designed to give you a real feel for pony racing.
Another great way to get started is by attending a Pony Club Race Day as a spectator. Entry is free, making it an ideal opportunity to experience a racecourse environment and watch pony racing in action.
Many Pony Club Race Days also offer a PRA Taster Session in the morning. These unmounted sessions include balance and fitness exercises, an introduction to racing tack, and often a behind-the-scenes tour of the racecourse. More information can be found on the PRA website, and booking is essential.

Taster sessions and Pony Racing rallies are designed to introduce you to racing skills in a safe and supportive way. Activities may include:

• Balance and fitness exercises to build strength and stability
• Equicisor training (a mechanical horse) to practise your racing position safely
• Cantering in an enclosed space, such as an arena, to develop control and technique
• Gallops and field practice to experience riding at speed in a safe environment

Rallies are a great time to also incorporate doing the Pony Racing achievement badges! They’re also a great step in becoming qualified for Pony Club Race Days, where combination of rider and pony have to prove that they are capable of everything it takes to participate safely in Pony Racing.

Training Days are a joint initiative between the Pony Racing Authority and The Pony Club, offering a comprehensive introduction to pony racing for riders aged 9–16. Sessions are led by experienced Pony Club and BHA Jockey coaches and include riding in an arena and on the gallops, Equicisor coaching, and group galloping sessions on your own pony. Riders also take part in unmounted activities designed to improve balance, control, fitness, and overall racing technique.

Alongside ridden work, parents and carers can learn more about PPE, tack and equipment, vaccination requirements, and race day rules and procedures. Training Days also provide the opportunity for combinations to be assessed for Race Day eligibility.

These sessions play an important role in progression and count towards Race Day qualification. Most are held between July and the winter season, and are booked via the PRA website. If you are aiming to race, we strongly recommend checking for dates early and booking in advance, as places are limited.

Race Days give you the chance to compete on real racecourses, with fixtures across the country. Our most southern fixture is at Exeter, and our most northern is Kelso in Scotland. In between, we race at venues such as Ascot, Cheltenham, Chelmsford, Bangor-on-Dee, and Newcastle – so there’s something for everyone.

On a Race Day, all riders must attend a course walk with a jockey coach. This is mandatory in order to race.

Riders are also required to weigh in and out, and we are fortunate that most racecourses allow us to use their professional weighing rooms. Competitors also gain access to the parade ring before and after racing, helping to create a genuine race day experience. Riders are then taken to the start, usually by outriders, where they meet the Official Starter before the race begins.

Races typically range from 4 to 8 furlongs, depending on the height and ability class, as well as the facilities available at each course. After racing, there is a prizegiving ceremony.

Please remember to thank all officials and volunteers on the day. The Pony Club relies heavily on volunteers to run these events, and many officials – who work professionally within the horseracing industry – often give up their time free of charge to support Pony Club Race Days.

To enter a Race Day, you and your pony must meet eligibility criteria as a combination (i.e., you qualified together, not on a different pony, or your pony with a different rider).

Since 1st July of the previous year, you must have completed one of the following:

• a minimum of two ridden group rallies of one hour in duration. The ridden activity to take place in a wide-open space, preferably on grass or on gallops. Combinations must have been able to demonstrate that they can maintain control whilst cantering in a group and alongside other ponies. Both the rider and pony should be suitably fit to meet the demands of a Race Day, as well as understand the dress and saddlery required to take part, OR
• One passed PRA/PC Training Day, OR
• A Level 3 training day at the British Racing School or National Racing College.

Your District Commissioner (DC) or Centre Proprietor will need to confirm that you’ve met these requirements and that you are a current Member.

For clarity, passing a Level 3 course or completing a training day in previous years does not automatically qualify a combination to race in future seasons. As circumstances can change, it is essential that all combinations are reviewed each year in a training environment. This can be done through Pony Club rallies (including Camp), a PRA/PC Training Day, or a Level 3 course.

Yes! Many Pony Club Pony Racers also take part in Point-to-Points and the PRA Racecourse Series, so there are plenty of opportunities to compete when Pony Club Race Days aren’t running.

However, it’s important to be aware of eligibility rules for each Pony Club class. Taking part in (and placing in) Point-to-Point races or competing in the Racecourse Series will affect eligibility for certain Pony Club classes.