Fun, unforgettable, entertaining, nerve-racking, exciting…. adjectives that my daughter [Amanda Fisher] gave to describe what she felt being at the Virginia Horse Park during the United States Pony Club Championships on July 25-28.  More than 500 pony club members and 300 horses from around the nation scrambled around the grounds before opening ceremonies, meeting new team members Thursday evening.

All competitors previously qualified to participate by attaining top scores at their regional rallies throughout the country.  They vied 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 (an un-mounted equine educational competition).

The Greenville Foothills Pony Club sent four members. Will Zuschlag, a C2 certified member, clinched first Place in show jumping in a two person tie-breaker after riding his final clean round.  Krista Just, a C1 certified member, took seventh place in the Junior and senior C section of quiz.  Rounding out the last two wins are teammates Amanda Fisher and Mallie Moore, both D3 certified competitors, taking seventh Place out of 25 teams in the Junior D section of Quiz.  Our pony clubbers had teammates from other clubs in New York, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and South Carolina.