Shop Donate Join now
Members Portal | Resource Hub

Endurance

What is Endurance?

Endurance riding is a chance to ride over open country, along a specified route, over a set distance with specific speed requirements. You will be issued with the route a few days before your competition is a which you will need to study carefully, so that you can plan your ride pace to ensure you finish in the required time. There will be checkpoints along the route at which stewards will record your competitor number, and most competitive rides require your horse/pony to be vetted before and after the ride. Final scores are based on speed of completion as well as fitness of horse/pony calculated by heart rate. Highest score wins!

Pony Club works closely with the three governing bodies for Endurance (EGB, SERC & ILDRA) to provide members with plenty of opportunities to take part in the sport, as well as running some of their own events.

There are five levels of endurance within the Pony Club, as shown in the table below which also shows eligibility criteria. Riders can simply enjoy taking part in organised endurance rides or can aim for Championships! Riders wanting to take part in The Pony Club Endurance Championships must complete a minimum of two rides at the correct level before entering. More details about this can be found in the Rulebook.

Image

Endurance Rulebook 2024

How Do I Get Involved?

Pony Club members can take part in various different organised rides. These can be branch/centre organised rides EGB rides. At Novice GERs, the horse/pony will undergo a veterinary check before and after the ride where the vet will check for soundness and heart rate. Both EGB Pleasure rides and Novice GERs can count as qualifying rides for PC Championships.

How Do I Progress Further?

As well as Endurance rides, you can keep your pony fit and ready for competitions by taking part in The Great Pony Club Hacking Challenge. Members receive a certificate and a prize on completion of each milestone.

EGB Membership

Pony Club members can obtain Club membership with EGB free of charge, which allows you to take part in Pleasure Rides and Novice GERs (these rides range from between 20-50km so suitable for members wanting to qualify for Novice, Intermediate AND Open PC Endurance). If you are then wanting to take part in an EGB ride, you will have to purchase ‘Temporary day membership’ (£10) and enter the ride through the EGB website.

Click here for the EGB Website

Image

Key Competitions and Events

 

The Great Pony Club Hacking Challenge

An opportunity for members to ride out of the arena and explore new areas of the countryside. Whether you already hack out a lot or want to start hacking more, you just need to sign up to the challenge and track the distances of your rides. When you hit each milestone (25, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 miles), submit your Hacking Tracker to receive your certificate.

Endurance Regionals

Pony Club classes held at specific EGB (Endurance Great Britain) events around the UK. There is no need for prior qualification for these events, and all entry is directly through EGB with no extra cost for Pony Club Members. Pony Club Members who are also members of EGB can enter the Pony Club classes and receive both an EGB grading and Pony Club recognition.

Endurance Championships

The Championships provide members with the opportunity to be part of a national event in which they will ride alongside professional endurance riders from around the country.Held in collaboration with Endurance Great Britain (EGB), the Pony Club Endurance Championships will take place on challenging endurance routes and run alongside the Endurance National Championships and The Young Rider Championships.

 

Endurance Master Cards

 

What is an Endurance Master Card?

Your ride Master Card forms the only acceptable record of your endurance riding achievements – it is therefore a very important document, which it is your responsibility to hand to the Ride Secretary at the start of each ride.

The Secretary will complete and validate your card each time you compete.

No awards will be back dated due to loss of a card or failure to present it on the day.

It is imperative that you download and print a Mastercard from the Resource Hub in advance of your first ride, and that you take it to every endurance ride that you participate in. You will not be allowed to ride if it is not presented to the Ride Secretary in advance of the ride.

Upon completion of distances you can achieve your Mileage Achievements

 

Why is it important?

1. For welfare reasons equines are not usually allowed to compete at more than 10 endurance rides in a year. The record card allows secretaries to monitor this.

2. As riders can compete at events run outside The Pony Club, it is not possible for The Pony Club or ride secretaries to verify results for qualification and certificates otherwise.

3. Your Master Card is your only proof of performance and failure to produce it on the day will result in your entry being withdrawn, which would be disappointing to all involved.

Resource Hub

Endurance Contacts

Contact Image

Annabel Stanley

Sports Officer
T: 02476 698300 option 2 E: endurance@pcuk.org

Robert Blane

Endurance Chairman (Volunteer)
E: endurancechairman@pcuk.org