Pony Club coup

By Kath Gannaway
HEALESVILLE Pony Club has qualified for the Victorian Championships after an outstanding performance in the Flat Team events at Northern Metropolitan Zone competitions at the weekend.
Healesville came first on 203 points ahead of Nunawading on 164 and Yarrambat on 153.
“The placing shows just how outstanding the girls’ routine was,” club president Kelly Mulcahy said.
Flat Teams comprise four riders in a synchronised dressage riding pattern.
“It is a series of difficult movements requiring enormous skill and training and a lot of hard work,” Ms Mulcahy said.
The winning team was Alicia Sharpe, Stacey Florence, Larna Martin and Lauren Florence. There was disappointment for two original team members, Tenille Porter and Ruby Hatton, whose horses showed some lameness just 48 hours before competition rendering them unable to compete.
Ms Mulcahy said the girls have trained very hard over the past several months with Healesville Pony Club instructor, Faye Bates and with the assistance and support of the team manager, Di Florence.
The team also placed third in the Musical Ride, which is also synchronised dressage but with a fun element and set to music.
“Our team themed “Priscilla – Queen of the Desert” and they had a lot of fun with feathers, frills, garters and sparkles in their costumes. One of the horses, Christa, shook her groove thing in the middle of one of the movements, shifting the three other horses sideways a few feet but they managed to settle back down pretty quickly,” Ms Mulcahy said.
“The win is a huge coup for our local pony club and most particularly for Tenille and Ruby who supported and cheered the girls along despite their own huge disappointment at not being able to compete,” she said.
The Victorian Championships will be held later this year at the National Equestrian Centre in Werribee.