For the second year in a row, Sleeping Giant Pony Club will be co-hosting the annual regional pony club quiz rally here in Bethany on Sunday April 7th.

More information here!

Sign up here!

What is Quiz Rally?

https://www.ponyclub.org/Members/Disciplines/Quiz/

Quiz rally is the only rally held by pony club that does not involve a horse on the day. Instead, kids are quizzed on their general knowledge of all things horse related through a hands-on educational format. We create teams based on their age, ability and certification level and the questions they receive on the day are suitable for that level. We do not expect our members to know everything and it's a great way for kids to learn about new topics they have not yet encountered on their pony club journey. There is a short written test at the very start of the morning that is in a multiple-choice format. They are allowed to have a reader all day too if needed for younger members. Once the written test is done and out of the way they head off as a team and go to all the hands-on phases where they both work as a team and have a chance to answer questions as individuals. There are breaks between phases for bathroom and snacks/lunch and then at the end of the day there is a prize ceremony for both teams and inidividual.

Quiz Resource book list: https://www.ponyclub.org/ContentDocs/Activities/Quiz/Quiz%20Reference%20List.pdf

If you already have the Pony Club D manual that is a great place to start https://trafalgarbooks.com/products/the-united-states-pony-club-manual-of-horsemanship-basics-for-beginners-d-level-book-1?_pos=1&_sid=616ca9b22&_ss=r

And of course, there are tons of free resources on the pony club web page like Pony Club IQ https://thehorse.com/ponyclub/ where you can log in with your pony club account (members can also have their own logon).

Rule books are also used in quiz for a source of questions. https://www.ponyclub.org/Members/Rulebooks.aspx

A little history on Sleeping Giant....

Sleeping Giant Pony Club was established in 1974 with Shirley Smith Winer as our original DC. Along with Diana Cooper, Ann Lehman, Joan Wolfson and Gaynor Coassin as the adults who got it started. During the first years of SGPC we had around 30 members! The high number of members settled down to around 26 and was at that level for many years. Shirley had her first "camp" at her farm in Massachusetts in 1974. It was a lot wilder than it is now, with less equipment, a smaller house and no electricity at all. We used the Cooper's Bethany property for many events and ratings, and we had a pretty extensive cross country course there for 25 years. We also used Heritage Farm and the old Yale Farm, which became Somersett, then River's Edge and now is Sperry View Farm. (SVF is now owned and operated by original member Liz Doering). We also had members in Wallingford, Orange, Milford, and in New Haven at the Yale Polo barn. We used farms in those towns for lessons etc. to reduce trailering. An annual event was our Mock hunt in Bethany. Shirley Winer was DC until 1993 when she moved to Massachusetts. Literally hundreds of kids have spent part of their youth as SGPC members. We have produced quite a few B's and only two A's in all those years: Tremaine Cooper and Kirsten Lee. Tremaine is a world renowned cross country course designer and builder, and Kirsten is a professional trainer and instructor. Tremaine, Kirsten, Sherry Languerand, Liz Doering, Megan Schulz, Mary Ann Rudolph, and Cathy Languerand are professionally involved with horses; most other former members have ridden and kept horses as adults. Some of our earliest members are now in their 50's! Pony Clubs have fewer members these days. But USPC's mission still includes producing excellent horse people along with excellent adults and leaders.

-Shirley Smith Winer

Thank you Shirley for providing us with such a great history!