Adding to the excitement of the 2015 Prince Philip Cup Games Competition held in conjunction with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, Pony Club will again hold the “Celebrity Challenge Round” where well-known Rolex Celebrities (competitors and horsemen) are invited to join the four Pony Club teams for a round of games.
The Celebrity Challenge will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 24, in the Walnut Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park. “Celebrities” are graduate Pony Club members from the United States and other countries. Participation of the celebrities will depend upon the final Rolex competition schedule. Several famous alumni have expressed interest. Celebrities will arrive with helmets in hand and will be matched with suitable pony partners for a fun games exhibition.
Mounted Games is a series of relay races on horseback, where the riders must perform different skills while riding at speed. These riders perform skills that require them to use hand-eye coordination, strength and speed—all while working as a team to complete each relay. Some games require them to dismount and pick an object off of the ground and then vault back on to the pony; other games require weaving through poles or running alongside the pony. The goal of mounted games is to enhance riding skills, physical coordination and self-confidence.
The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (Pony Club) was founded in 1954 as a nonprofit national youth organization to teach riding and horsemanship through a formal educational program. There are approximately 9,000 Pony Club members in over 600 clubs and riding centers throughout the country. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including several of our Olympic team members, business professionals, government leaders and career military officers, have roots in Pony Club. Youth members range in age from as young as 4 through age 25. Pony Club also offers educational opportunities to over 500 adult members in its Horsemasters Program. For more information visit ponyclub.org.
