Shepparton Pony Club stalwarts: Wendy Holland, left, and Moira Cummins recall the early days of the club and the impact it had on their lives.
Moira Cummins was five years old when she got her first pony, but initially, she didn’t want it.
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“I had my heart set on a black and white pony, but my father got an all-black one. But I got over it — after about five days.”
‘Sugar’ the Shetland pony won her over, and so began a lifetime of connections with the Shepparton Pony Club and riding.
This Sunday, March 3, the club, thought to be the second oldest in Victoria, will celebrate its 70th anniversary.
“We lived on Pine Rd on about 20 acres,” Moira said, when the land, now occupied by a housing estate, was just padddocks.
“Dad was a horse-breaker, so we had a few horses on the property.”
Moira learned to ride with and without a saddle and had her share of tumbles off Sugar.
“He used to canter along a track, and each time he went around a left-hand turn, I ended up on the ground,” she said.
“Eventually, I learnt about balance.”
As she grew older, she participated in more classes with the pony club and by secondary school she was working horses before and after school.
Her dad was closely involved with the pony club and helped build the clubhouse known as the ranch house on the current pony club site in the 1970s.
Moira’s three children also enjoyed club activities.
Start them young: Wendy O’Callaghan, 8, of Shepparton, has her gear checked by Ruth O’Donnell at a pony club event in 1977.
Wendy Holland, a former News columnist, began riding when she was about nine and stayed involved in different capacities for decades.
“We had horses agisted in Archer St and we first had to ride them to the club meetings at Princess Park, and then later to the grounds behind the trotting club,” she said.
She recalled the traffic wasn’t a problem, then, as the cars would move off the road for the group of riders.
“It was a lot of fun; we’d go to gymkhanas together, camps and horse trials,” she said.
“It was a great chance to form friendships, many of which have stayed with you for life.
“It wasn’t just what you learnt about riding, it was to learn life skills, like persistence, resilience and co-operation with other people.
“And you learnt that your horse came first. You had to look after your horse before you looked after yourself.”
The first minutes of the pony club from 1952 record that the organisation was so new, those in charge had sought information from the British pony club association for guidance.
The first president was Bob Long, the vice-president Mr N. Spivey, the secretary Miss J. Craig and the treasurer Miss D. Coldwell.
The celebrations on Sunday will start at 10am with a rally and demonstration, followed by lunch and a further demonstration.
Anyone wanting to attend can contact sheppcsec@outlook.com and ask for an invitation.
Ready to ride: Christine Gunstone, left, with her sister Tracey at a pony club event in 1977.
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