Shane Rose and Virgil at the Paris Olympic Games. Image by Michelle Terlato Photography.
As the largest equestrian organisation in Australia, Pony Club is a familiar starting point for many riders in Australia and around the world – including four-time Olympian Shane Rose.
Shane Rose and Virgil following their dressage test at the Paris Olympics Games. Image by Michelle Terlato Photography.
“It’s where my passion
for riding began…”
Shane Rose began riding at Forest Hills Pony Club in NSW, and joined a further four pony clubs at Manley, Warringah, Avondale, and Arcadia during his teenage years. He spent the longest period of time at Avondale Pony Club. While over time some of these clubs have been dissolved or renamed, Shane’s time with them helped to establish his skills and passion for riding.
“Back when I was growing up, Pony Club was how kids learnt to ride. And when I say learnt to ride, all the formal sort of disciplines we learnt through Pony Club,” recalls Shane. “I knew the Dutton family from near Nyngan and my parents were friends with them. We used to go out to Nyngan for Pony Club camps and exchange ideas with country kids and city kids. It was sort of a lifestyle thing as well as just the Pony Club movement. Going to Pony Club we learnt important aspects of horsemanship and horse riding. That’s where my passion for riding began.”
That passion quickly had Shane focusing on eventing from an early age. Moving up through the grades and into open competition, he has since won three Olympic medals among many other accolades. Most recently, Shane contested his fourth Olympics in Paris this year – a feat made all the more remarkable given the fact he was severely injured in a fall four months prior to the Games.
FUN-FILLED DAYS
Shane remembers his Pony Club days as fun-filled, and the club environment as a great place to grow up in. “I think I started off at age four, and the reason I know that is because you weren’t allowed to go to Pony Club until you were five and I got into trouble one day for riding at Pony Club. I sort of went through until I was about 17 or 18,” says Shane.
Some of Shane’s best memories of his Pony Club days may sound familiar to many other old pony clubbers. The Pony Club camps were some of his favourite times. Anyone who has been to a Pony Club camp will know the drill. Early rise and a long, exhausting, and probably hot day of riding. The horses are all a bit fidgety on the first day, but by the end of the camp they are going better than they ever have.
“Yes, we used to go on a lot of camps, whether they’d be zone camps or interzone camps. I certainly remember going out to the Nyngan camps, and to Pony Club Championships spread out all over the place. And the friendships that we established through the Pony Club camps and championships were also a great part of it. Many of those friends I still have today,” Shane says.
“As kids, we were pretty feral. I got in lots of trouble at Pony Club, always doing the wrong thing. Not with my horses, but just being a kid. However I really have fond memories of the time. We learnt to grow up as kids, and it just happened to be at Pony Club with horses and learning about responsibility, looking after horses, and being with horses.
Shane at Avondale Pony Club’s Pony Club Summer Camp. Image supplied.
“I think that is probably the biggest thing Pony Club can offer kids. It absolutely gives kids the focus and direction in life of being able to look after things other than themselves. I think if that’s all Pony Club does, is give people a good start in life, then whether they go on and become famous horse riders or not, then it’s massively important in society. And hopefully from that we do get some really promising riders and horse people that come from it.”
ADVICE FOR YOUNG RIDERS
As one of Australia’s best-known eventers, Shane has a lot of experience and advice which he tries to give back when he gets the chance to clubs near his property, Bimbadeen Park, south-west of Sydney. “I think that whenever people can give back, it’s always good. I’m obviously fairly busy with what I do and don’t get a lot of opportunities, but if I do get that opportunity to give a day here and there then I certainly do.”
Shane Rose and All Luck at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where they were part of the silver medal winning team. Image by Julian Herbert – Getty Images.
When asked what advice Shane would give to aspiring young riders climbing the grades, he says: “Accept that there’s going to be a lot of hard times, that when you’re working with animals there’s always disappointment. However, if you work hard then anything’s possible. If you think something’s going to come to you because you have money, or because you’ve got talent, then you’ll be sadly mistaken.
Shane Rose and Virgil at the 2021 Tokyo Olmpic Games. Image by Hippo Foto – Dirk Caremans.
“Getting to the top comes from working hard whether you’ve got money or not, and if you’re willing to work hard and find a way then opportunities are endless.”
Young riders today have more options in terms of where they ride and who they learn from in their formative years. However, as in Shane’s day Pony Club still remains an important stepping-stone for young riders and it will no doubt continue to provide a springboard to success for our future stars. However, and perhaps more importantly, Pony Club will also provide another generation of horse-loving kids with fun, focus, direction and the foundations they need to live a happy and successful life with horses!
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This article first appeared in the May/June 2019 issue of Equestrian Life. EQ
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