Wairoa Pony Club - 2019 AGM District Commissioner report

Welcome to the 2019 Wairoa Pony Club Annual General Meeting.

Over the past 12 months Wairoa Pony Club members are continuing to participate in a variety of

equestrian activities including regular rallies, the A&P Show, other equestrian competitions and

hunting with Mahia Hunt Inc. Having visibility in the community keeps raising our profile which can

be only positive.

While our membership role dropped slightly from last season it is still very healthy. We are a grass

roots club and we now have members who couldn’t rise to the trot when they first joined, to now

achieving their C certificate and competing and hunting confidently.

During the past 12 months our fundraising efforts have been outstanding resulting in upgrading our

facilities and assist coaches with up-skilling.

Thanks again to the First Light Community Foundation and Eastern and Central Community Trust for

supporting us with grants to upgrade equipment shed and our jumps and trailer.

Thank you to QRS, Eastland Vet Services, Tairawhiti COGS committee and PGG Wrightson Real Estate

for their sponsorship and donation during the year. Thank you to a number of smaller sponsors who

continue to support us when approached. The complimentary feed back received from the business

community is so good to hear. They watch and read about our members, and see how well they

represent Wairoa Pony Club – a reason why we have so much support.

Once again our sawdust fundraiser was a huge success. A huge thanks to East Coast Lumber for

supplying truck loads of sawdust. So many people supported our cause as they watched the children

working away and not just the parents.

Our club was entered in the Wairoa Sports awards and then in the Hawkes Bay Sports Awards –

Grass Root Club category without success. I often wonder what non-equestrian people’s perception

is about Pony Club – perhaps it is time for the NZPCA brand to be reviewed. It hasn’t changed since

pony club began!

Thanks to the A&P Committee for supporting and encouraging Wairoa Pony club. We are so lucky to

have free use of the showgrounds to call our ‘home’. We have contributed to the Society

throughout the year with working bees and sponsorship. They too have benefitted from our new

shed and jumps. It is important to keep supporting the Society where we can, as community groups

benefit so much more when they work together!

A huge thank you to our coaching team led by Jo. Kendra, Karen, Sonya, Elsa and Amanda Powdrell

the time you give preparing rallies is of huge benefit. Thanks also to Caroline Richardson, Rachel

Martin and Anna McNicol who have helped and supported the club during the year.

Aren’t we lucky we live in a place where people are so generous with their time and knowledge,

willing to help without the need to put their hand out. I will always support a volunteer who is keen

to up skill - and this year Jo attended the C-C+ coaches course and she and Karen are heading off to

the coaches conference. Professional development for any club can only be beneficial to its

members.

Thank you to Robyn Mackay and Annabel Parkes for giving up their time to examine the certificates.

Congratulations to Oliver, Amanda, Tattie, Georgia and Isobel for passing their C Certificates. Kayley

and Maisey passed their D+ Certificates and Annabel and Amelia sat and passed their D certificates.

A huge credit to you all and your coaches.

Thanks to Mandy Jarden - she loves coming to Wairoa to share her knowledge. I look forward to the

day when we send a games team to zone games.

A lot of the work that Bronya and Amanda Alexander do goes unnoticed. Being a charity and part of

a national organization requires ongoing reporting and this can take up a lot of time. While our club

grows and takes on more activities, more admin and managing behind the scenes is required, so a

huge thanks to you both.

We introduced the Rally & Fundraising Coordinator rolls for the first time last year. Thanks Jo and

Sara for all your work to lesson the load of others.

We have a great club - the camaraderie is awesome. We have different backgrounds, personalities,

strengths and weaknesses, but most of all we are all volunteers, which is why our club rocks!

Our time is so valuable but it is always extremely valued.

Sue Wilson

Wairoa Pony Club District Commissioner

May 2019

2018-2019 Coaches Report

Well here we are at the end of the season, not sure how that happened it seems to have gone really fast.

Firstly thanks to all the other coaches who have helped throughout the season, the mums and dads and Sue for all you help and support.

We have had a great season and although numbers have been back abit, our core riders have grown in ability and knowledge which was recognised when certificates were sat and everyone passed.  But also those on the lead rein who have come off or have mastered rising trot or even just parts of the bridle.  Great effort by everyone well done.

There has been lots of things to participate in this year as well as rallies we had the Christmas Cracker, then Wairoa Show, then an overnight camp at Tahenui and then camp at the showgrounds.  Some riders have also been off competing and now hunting, it is great to see.

At some of the rallies throughout the year it was a struggle to get coaches as everyone is busy, so we may need to look at encouraging and engaging more coaches from inside our club and outside, so if you are interested please let us know.

I attended a C + - A coaching clinic recently with Peter Barke at the HB Equestrian Center.  It was excellent, I came away with lots of ideas and felt very inspired.  I think what pony club examiners will be working towards is a bit more flexibility and not so by the book, as after all every horse and rider is different and if an explanation can be given as why it is done that way then it can be considered.

Queens birthday Karen and I are off to the coaches conference in Taupo, the content looks great and I am looking forward to going.  It is really motivating to be surrounded by lots of people and hearing different ideas.  Just like to say thankyou for helping with the costs of these clinics and conferences it is much appreciated.

We are so lucky with our range of equipment and shed and the new jumps are fantastic.

SO to finish….phew once again to my fellow coaches, parents, riders and everyone else who has contributed to this season thankyou very much, see you next season.

Jo Alexander