SEIB Announce new Search for a Star class for Pony Club members in 2022
The SEIB Search for a Star team have announced an exciting new opportunity for Pony Club members in 2022. The Search for a Star Pony Club Championship will be held at Your Horse Live. It will be an introduction to showing for members of all ages. Members from lead rein through to young adults can showcase their knowledge of ring craft, turnout, and way of going by qualifying to compete at Your Horse Live.
Pony Club CEO, Marcus Capel said: “This is a great opportunity for our members to learn more about the world of showing, with a fabulous final at Your Horse Live in front of a great crowd. I am very excited to enable our members to enjoy different experiences with their horses and ponies and the Search for a Star series provides a fun, supportive structure to help them achieve.”
The Search for a Star Pony Club championship will offer a lead rein and first ridden championship for children under 10 years old. There will be an open class for older members that will be judged on suitability for all round Pony club activities, conformation, way of going and temperament open to any type of horse or pony that is both athletic and correct enough to be a show horse. Each of the five Search for a Star qualifying shows will include the Pony Club classes.
Head of Marketing at SEIB, Nicolina MacKenzie said: “We are delighted to be offering this Search for a Star opportunity for Pony Club members. We have been keen for some time to provide classes for younger people and offer education, training and support. Older Pony Club riders are also very welcome to come along to our qualifiers and in addition they can enter the other Search for a Star classes – or even take part in the Racehorse to Riding Horse series. Showing teaches so much that is relevant to other disciplines, including turnout, way of going and of course showing the horse or pony off for a judge when it is not feeling at its most cooperative, a very useful skill when producing a dressage test!”
The new Search for a Star classes will be open to any horse or pony capable of doing all round Pony Club activities and ridden by a member of the Pony Club. There will also be a best rider award in each class.
The SEIB Search for a Star judges and stewards will be on hand to help and mentor competitors at qualifying shows.
In addition to this Search for a Star has two ‘Weekender’ events planned, one in England and one in Scotland. The Weekender events will include a day of training followed by a full qualifying show.
Your Horse Live Event Director, Emma Bedford said: “We are so proud and pleased to continue working closely with SEIB Insurance Brokers and expand the Search for a Star Championships at Your Horse Live with the launch of The Pony Club Search for a Star. The Pony Club is an amazing institution that we are excited to welcome into our stable.”
For full details on all Search for a Star, virtual Search for a Star, Racehorse to Riding Horse and SEIB competitions, including the SEIB Burghley Sponsored Ride this is a different website, please visit www.seib.co.uk/competitions. The website will be updated as class times, dates and venues are confirmed.
Photo: Becky Elvey and her pony Omega qualify for the Your Horse Live Search for a Star finals in 2019.
