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Pony Club Autumn Challenge 2019

Back to newsPony Club Autumn Challenge 2019
20 October 2019·UKPA Administrator

Due to the sad cancellation of Pony Club Championships, the PC Polocrosse Committee, led by Iain Heaton and PC Polocrosse Secretary Zoe Pulling, managed to pull out all the stops and run a wonderful ‘Autumn Challenge’ at Dallas Burston instead! This venue provides a fabulous setting for a polocrosse tournament, and although the event was not a straight replacement for the Championships, it did showcase how far PC polocrosse has progressed over the last ten years.

Utilising the beautiful pitches at Dallas, even the weather was kind to players over the weekend. There were the main PC divisions and alongside these ran several UKPA divisions as well, making for a great family atmosphere. PC teams were across five divisions (Minis, Open and Novice Juniors, Open and Novice Seniors). Within the Novice and Mini grades it was good to see lots of new faces, demonstrating that our sport continues to grow within Pony Club!

The biggest grade of the weekend (in entry numbers, not in size of players or ponies!) was the Minis and it also saw the closest final as it went to golden goal, after the two teams were equal at the end of normal time. It was won by the Area 8 Panthers, made up of members from Essex & Suffolk and Enfield Chace, with Flint and Denbigh finishing second.

The Open Juniors featured a number of players who had taken part in the Four Nations competition earlier this year and the standard of play was high. It was won by a combined team made up of Warwickshire Hunt, Dinas Powys and Flint and Denbigh members. United Pack were in second place after a hard fought final.

The Novice Juniors saw another combined team lift the trophy as West Lancashire County, Warwickshire Hunt and Amman Valley members combined to great effect. The second placed team was made up of Oakley Hunt West, Essex Hunt North and Fletchers Farm EC members.

The Open Seniors saw brilliant play from some of the top young players in the country, with all four of the England team members from the Four Nations competing against each other for their branch teams. It was won by North Warwickshire after they beat Rockwood Harriers in the final. Rockwood took the first chukka but then North Warwickshire fought back in the second and third chukkas to win the match. In the third/ fourth play off a combined Ledbury and Croome Hunt team beat a combined Dinas Powys, Swansea and Llangeinor team to seal 3rd place.

The Novice Seniors grade saw some great matches, with lots of new players taking part in their first major tournament. The grade was won by Area 8 after they beat a combined United Pack and Tanatside team in the final.

In the UKPA competition, a strong Arden side won the High Goal against Cotswold. However, Cotswold got their revenge in the Low Goal, were they ended up on top with Arden in second place.

All in all, it was a great weekend, with lots of sunshine and smiles all round, made all the better by the fact it was all put on with only about a month’s notice! Well done to the Pony Club Polocrosse Committee, we look forward to seeing what winter has in store for PC training and events.

Autumn Challenge Results

MINIS (12 years and under, ponies 13.2hh and under)

  • 1st – Area 8 Panthers _– Olivia Kirkham & Spot the Button (Essex & Suffolk), Mollie Palmer-O’Donoghue & Pepper Pot (Enfield Chace) and Taryn Tinker & Webster (Essex & Suffolk) _
  • 2nd – Flint and Denbigh – _Leia Lloyd-Williams & Romance, Daisy Stone & Toshi and Isabella Stone & Freddy _
  • 3rd – North Warwickshire Powys – _Isabell Lewis & Jester (Dinas Powys), Tegan Jennings & Cyd and Isaac Flint & Verity (North Warwickshire) _
  • 4th – North Northumberland – _Jasmine Ford & Coco, Talula Mason & Bonnie and Katie Lowdon-King & Quen _
  • 5th – Wales & Kent – _Alfie Vollans & Treacle Tart (Llangeinor), Ceri Lloyd- Williams & Sparky (Flint & Denbigh) and Rowen Bevins & Newcott Music Boy (Kent) _
  • 6th – Area 8 Tigers – _Theo Todd & Foxy (Hill Farm EC), Eloise Kirkham & Harley (Essex & Suffolk) and Ali Peck & Bobby (Hill Farm EC) _

NOVICE JUNIORS (15 years and under):

  • 1st – Wales, West Lancs and Warwickshire – Georgia Wasdell & Bambi (Warwickshire Hunt), Summer Mawdsley & Geezer Boy (West Lancashire County) and Abigail Davies & Araucana (Amman Valley & District)
  • 2nd – Essex and Oakley – Xanthe Goodman & Cookie (Essex Hunt North), Emily Champion & Bissy (Fletchers Farm EC) and Lottie Wilson-Fitzgerald & Chill (Oakley Hunt West)
  • 3rd – North Warwickshire – Katinka Frassoni & Catcher, Keeley Rock & Doc and Thalia Poretta & Passion

OPEN JUNIORS (15 years and under):

  • 1st – Wales and Warwickshire – Will Holland & Panchacola (Warwickshire Hunt), Katie Davies & Little V (Flint & Denbigh) and Keegan Jacobs & Pinot (Dinas Powys)
  • 2nd – United Pack – _Philip Watney & Arnie, Jess Clarke & Goldspie and Georgia Richardson & Chibbuku _
  • 3rd – North Down and Warwickshire – _Ashleigh Saunderson & Ardila (North Down), Phoebe Gillan & Anabel (North Down) and Harriet Wasdell & Arrow (Warwickshire Hunt) _

NOVICE SENIORS (Players of any age, horses over 13.2hh):

  • 1st – Area 8 – Jack Page & Voodoo (Essex Farmers), Stella Stearn & Lola (Suffolk Hunt) and Xanthe Goodman & Chispita (Essex Hunt North)

  • 2nd – United Pack and Tanatside – Emily Roberts & Irish Coffee (United Pack), Emily Jerman & Brisa (Tanatside) and Cerys Jones (Kazbar)

  • 3rd – United Pack and West Lancs County – Ella Koole & Ciao Bella (West Lancashire County), Charlotte Porter & Meadowfarm Rolo (West Lancashire County) and Sally Watney & Trixie (United Pack)

OPEN SENIORS (Players of any age, horses over 13.2hh):

  • 1st – North Warwickshire – Katie Loutsiou & Naughty, Theo Cornforth & Dita and Danny Woodward & Candyman

  • 2nd – Rockwood Harriers – Stuart Dyson & Bumblebee, Eve Thomason & Horizon and Paige Wilson & Joey

  • 3rd – Ledbury and Croome Hunt – Jack Smith & Luca (Ledbury Hunt), Maisie Slight & Ballyhackett Tara (Croome Hunt) and Josh Smith & Dream (Ledbury Hunt)

  • 4th – Area 10/18 – Malkia Beadle & Brezeta (LLangeinor Hunt), Keegan Jacobs & Hartley (Dinas Powys) and Abi Phillips & Panam (Swansea & District)

LOW GOAL

  • 1st –Cotswold – Zoe Williams & Diva, Cara Williams & Stumpy and Laura Scott & Rizzla

  • 2nd – Arden – Phil Henshaw & Mahara, Coral Henshaw & Bushpig and Liz Johnson & Skye

  • 3rd – Limemere – Gill James & Gavelina, Tim Batchelor & Malambo and Tim James & Fergus

HIGH GOAL

  • 1st – Arden – Jacquie Minnaar & Baby, Boy Wilson-Fitzgerald & Courtland and Theo Cornforth & Manzanita

  • 2nd – Cotswold – Sophia Harpin & Bersa, Matt Hale & Koala and Danny Duhig & Bastille

Click here to visit the Pony Club Polocrosse website and read the full write-up

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