Club Highlight: Deep Run Hunt Pony Club

With questions answered by Julie Muniz, District Commissioner (DC) of Deep Run Hunt Pony Club

What region is Deep Run Hunt Pony Club (DRHPC) in?
Virginia

When was your club formed?
1954

How many members are currently in your club?
36

Does your club host any events throughout the year?
We host a summer camp, several regional rallies, and a spring horse trial as a fundraiser.

What disciplines do your members participate in?
Eventing, Dressage, Show Jumping, Mounted Games, Tetrathlon, and Foxhunting

Do you have any favorite club traditions?
One of our very special traditions is our annual summer camp. It has been held around the same time, at the same location, and in the same format for many years. The week-long camp is packed with riding instruction, unmounted clinics, swimming, crafts, trail rides, Mounted Games, and a D certification. All the campers are put into teams, and each team picks a theme and uses an empty stall to decorate and use as a “lounge.” These lounges are decorated with everything imaginable and make the best hangouts in between activities. Parents who have attended DRHPC camp in the past are now sending their children. We also have past campers who are now camp instructors and some instructors who have been teaching at camp for decades! Our camp has become so popular that we have campers travel from afar to attend, some as far away as Sweden!

What are some fun activities that your club likes to do?
We organize the DRHPC Horse Trials every April as a club fundraiser. We have levels from Intro through Training, and many of our members compete, and everyone volunteers to make it fun and successful.

Do you have a story about your club that you’d like to share?
Every year, our club joins the Deep Run Hunt Club and we travel to the Virginia State Capitol during one of the state legislative sessions. While there, we meet with delegates and representatives of the districts in which our members reside. The Pony Club members discuss Foxhunting and the importance of land conservation and preservation. The Pony Club members get to learn about how our state government works and see it in action, and our government officials get to hear from their younger constituents. So many policies affect riding and horse ownership, and this visit gives our members an opportunity to voice their ideas and concerns.

What achievements from your club would you like to highlight?
Every year, we usually have several of our members earn national certifications.

Do you have any advice for other clubs?
Don’t be afraid to try something new in your club. It can be really fun and refreshing for members to try a different discipline.

What is your club’s website?
www.deeprunhuntponyclub.org

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