Since 2019, Pony Club Australia’s Centre Membership has been breaking down barriers for those who don’t have a horse or pony of their own. Facilitated via Accredited Centres such as Kurshonbrooke Lodge, it’s the perfect introduction to equestrian sport and gives young riders the skills they need to ride and care for horses safely and effectively.
Keen on going to Pony Club, but don’t have your own horse? Introduced five years ago, Pony Club Australia’s (PCA) Centre Membership was created to solve this common conundrum.
Run via Accredited Centres, Centre Membership gives riders the chance to join a Pony Club program partnered with school horses, providing the benefits of Pony Club without the cost and responsibility of owning a horse or pony.
While some Centre Members may go on and buy their own horse and later join their local Pony Club, others may prefer the convenience of riding at an Accredited Centre. Either way, PCA’s internationally recognised proficiency certificates will make sure that Centre Members are better prepared to ride and care for horses safely and effectively.
Accredited Centres must meet stringent PCA requirements. Currently, there are 30 centres spanning six states and territories, making Pony Club more accessible than ever here in Australia.
Shonel Balsillie and her family in the early days at Kurshonbrooke Lodge, which has been named the 2024 PCA ‘Duncan Equine’ Accredited Riding Centre of the year.
ACCREDITED CENTRE OF THE YEAR
At the recent PCA Annual Awards, Kurshonbrooke Lodge in Gumdale, Queensland was named the 2024 PCA ‘Duncan Equine’ Accredited Riding Centre of the year. Owned and operated by Shonel Balsillie and her husband, Scott since 2015, Kurshonbrooke Lodge was founded by her parents Brad and Sue Maidment back in 1993. They are still very much involved in the daily running of the Lodge, which is named after the three Maidment children: Kurt, Shonel and Brooke.
“Parents from Pony
Club would ask Mum
to teach their children and
it grew from there…”
“Dad trained racehorses, and Mum had the riding school,” recalls Shonel. “The riding school started from people asking who taught my brother, sister and I to ride… which was my Mum!”
Kurshonbrooke Lodge’s Pony Club connection began long before it became an Accredited Centre. “Parents from Pony Club would ask Mum to teach their children and it grew from there. It has always been word of mouth… people along with other Pony Clubs would refer people to Mum to teach their children to ride,” explains Shonel.
Now a qualified equestrian coach, Shonel is Kurshonbrooke Lodge’s head instructor and has a long history with Pony Club. In the saddle by age three, she joined Pony Club as a six-year-old and competed with her Shetland pony at gymkhanas all over Brisbane. By age 11, Shonel was selected for Pony Club Queensland’s State Sporting Team to represent Queensland at the Pony Club New South Wales State Sporting Championships for the next four years. At the Queensland State Championships held in Mareeba, Shonel won all gymkhana events bar one in which she placed fourth, which was a record at the time. Later in her teenage years, she took up eventing and was part of the Queensland Junior Eventing Team, competing in one-day and three-day events at two-star level.
“Centre Membership gives
children the opportunity to
be part of the Pony Club world…”
The Maidment kids at Pony Club.
Once Shonel finished school, she knew she wanted to work with horses in some capacity, and simultaneously completed her equestrian coaching qualification and primary school teaching degree. Although she no longer competes, running Kurshonbrooke Lodge has given her the opportunity to combine her love of horses and love of teaching children: “I have the best of both worlds!”
It was a natural progression for Kurshonbrooke Lodge to become one of the first centres in Queensland to become accredited by PCA in early 2020.
“As a qualified primary school teacher, equestrian coach and mother, I believe it is important for our equestrian industry to have consistency in the areas of instruction, horse welfare, safety and a certain standard in facilities, ensuring they are safe and sustainable for both horse and rider,” says Shonel.
“With over 80 years of experience, Pony Club Australia has these key aspects covered. Centre Membership gives children who do not have a horse – and would therefore be unable to otherwise join Pony Club – the opportunity to be part of the Pony Club world through an Accredited Centre.”
Shonel, husband Scott and their kids with Shonel’s mother Sue.
Kurshonbrooke Lodge has over 100 young riders.
“IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT TEACHING CHILDREN TO RIDE…”
“Once a rider decides to join our Kurshonbrooke Lodge family for weekly lessons, they sign up with Pony Club Australia,” explains Shonel. “We follow the PCA Syllabus in all our lessons. Horse welfare and horsemanship are key focuses in every lesson. It is not just about learning to ride; it is about teaching children to be well-rounded, knowledgeable and respectful horse people.”
The PCA Syllabus was revised in 2019 with input from one of the leading proponents of equitation science, Dr Andrew McLean.
Kurshonbrooke Lodge has more than 100 young riders registered as Centre Members with PCA this year. From Shonel’s perspective, joining an Accredited Centre has several benefits over a standard riding school. Like traditional Pony Club members, Centre Members can complete their PCA Certificates. This in turn opens doors to applying for opportunities such as the Pony Club International Alliance Quiz Exchange – an international event that doesn’t require a horse.
“I also believe that being a PCA Accredited Centre gives parents, school leaders and the community the reassurance that we are a legitimate business invested in doing things correctly and ethically in the industry,” adds Shonel.
“We are not just a
riding school, we are
a second home…”
Centre Membership allows riders to take part in a PCA program on school horses.
Passionate about helping children become more resilient and confident risk-takers, Shonel is currently studying to become a counsellor, planning to offer equine therapy at Kurshonbrooke Lodge in the future.
“We are not just a riding school, we are a second home and second family for so many children,” she explains. “It’s not just about teaching children to ride. Kurshonbrooke Lodge gives children the opportunity to belong, to feel supported and be part of a community where memories and life-long friendships are formed, and children have every opportunity to explore the real world of horses in a safe and supportive environment.”
In addition to Centre Membership, Kurshonbrooke Lodge also offers grassroots learn-to-ride programs, school programs, school-based traineeships, NDIS programs, and Equine Assisted Learning programs. It also delivers equine practical experience for James Cook University veterinary students and can assist students with leasing or purchasing horses for competition.
Gumdale State School kids with their PCA Certificates.
“There is something for every student at Kurshonbrooke Lodge to be involved with horses,” says Shonel. Making the sport more accessible for everyone, especially in an era where horse ownership is a challenging prospect for many, is certainly something to celebrate.
You can find out more about PCA Accredited Centres here.
This Pony Club article was brought to you by Scoot Boot; Australian-designed hoof boots for pleasure, performance and rehabilitation. Click here to find out more about the Scoot Boot range. EQ
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