Local Riders Attain Knowledge And Proficiency Rating At Burrows Farm in Fayette County on May 4 West Tennessee Pony Club (WTPC) announces four of it's members, Hannah Bearden, Ani Blair, Audrey Hanisco and Maggie Hyde, attained a United States Pony Club D-3 rating at the recent testing held at Burrows Farm in Fayette County on May 4, 2008. To earn the United States Pony Club (USPC) D-3 rating, the girls individually had to pass a series of standardized tests since joining the USPC. The D-3 examination, the highest D level achievement, tests both horsemanship skills and knowledge. Each of the Pony Club rating levels are more difficult than the preceding one, and require members to learn more about horses and their care and to become increasingly accomplished riders. The USPC has established Standards of Proficiency within the framework of the international Pony Club, the largest association of riders in the world, represented in over 14 countries. The top rating, "A", is reached by fewer than one in 300 and denotes throughout the international horse industry a highly competent and knowledgeable horseman. The USPC was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit national youth organization to teach riding and horsemanship through a formal educational program. Along with an emphasis on helping its members learn to ride and care for horses, Pony Club promotes teamwork, a sense of responsibility, safety, good moral judgement and self-confidence. Many of the nation's top equestrians, including most of our Olympic Equestrian team members, have Pony Club roots. Members range in age from children through age 25. Activities are English-riding based, and members ride both horses and ponies, depending on the size of the rider and the discipline in which they are competing. All Pony Club competition is team competition, much like the Olympic games, where members learn the importance of cooperation and teamwork. The USPC offers a variety of individual and team activities at the club, regional, interregional and national levels. These horse-related activities include study, mounted meetings, clinics, knowledge competitions, horse management, stable management, eventing (dressage, cross country, and stadium jumping), trail riding, fox hunting, mounted games, tetrathlon, equitation, vaulting, polo, polocrosse, camp, shows, festivals, rallies and championships. For more information about Pony Club, contact USPC District Commissioner, Margaret Meyer, at 901-757-9859.