United States Pony Clubs Seeking Speakers for 2025 USPC Convention in January; Apply by August 1

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. Official Press Release

June 11, 2024 (Lexington, KY) — The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) invites members of the equestrian community to speak at the 2025 USPC Convention, which will be hosted by USPC and the Great Lakes Region, January 22–26, 2025, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa in Traverse City, Mich. The USPC Convention provides a unique platform for experts within the equine industry to share information, ideas, and insights to attendees as a workshop speaker, which includes both USPC members and nonmembers and Pony Club leadership and volunteers, as well as equine enthusiasts of all ages.

“We invite all kinds of experts within the horse industry, or those who can teach horse lovers and Pony Club members about an interesting or important horse-related topic, to speak at the USPC Convention,” said Teresa Woods, USPC’s Executive Director. “We always strive to provide a wide variety of topics from knowledgeable horse people, and this audience just thrives on learning anything it can about horses.”

The USPC Convention is the premier educational conference provided by the United States Pony Clubs where attendees of all ages come together to learn, network, and share ideas to grow the horse industry. Individuals with expertise, passion, and a desire to share knowledge are encouraged to submit workshop abstracts. Presentations can be 45 or 75 minutes, and a wide variety of topics are presented. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Veterinary, farriery, and dental care
• Horse care and management
• Riding and horse training
• Safety for equestrians
• Discipline- and breed-specific opportunities
• Rider equipment usage and safety
• Land preservation and protection
• Collegiate riding experiences and opportunities
• Travel and lifestyle for the equestrian
• Careers within the horse industry
• How to get the most out of your Pony Club experience
• Ways to be a more effective leader within Pony Club’s various leader roles
• Tips for volunteering

Abstracts for workshops should be submitted online here no later than August 1, 2024, and should include a workshop title and a short (100 words or fewer) description of the workshop. The USPC Workshop Selection Panel will be selecting presenters to deliver workshops at the USPC Convention.

Workshops will be held on the afternoon of Friday, January 24; all day on Saturday, January 25; and during the morning on Sunday, January 26. A workshop speaker at the USPC Convention is responsible for their own transportation and accommodation, but as an attendee, speakers can enjoy the other activities and events of the USPC Convention, which include the hands-on Horse Management Anatomy Rooms, the Research Project Fair, the Saturday Night Banquet, and the USPC Meeting of the Corporation. In addition, Traverse City, Mich., is a beautiful destination—even in winter—with outdoor adventures, such as skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, snowboarding, sledding, tubing, bicycling, ATVing, and ziplining; attractions, such as Traverse City-area lighthouses and Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park with hiking and sledding; and activities, such as shopping, visiting port towns on Lake Michigan, and browsing art galleries and museums.

Individuals and businesses interested in partnering with USPC for the 2025 USPC Convention are also invited to participate through the trade fair and sponsorships. For more information about the trade fair, email Caryn Sappelli at [email protected]. Sponsorship information can be found here or reach out to Marian Wahlgren at [email protected].

For more information on the 2025 USPC Convention, visit the USPC website at www.ponyclub.org.

About The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. — The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that builds the foundation of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, and care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members. USPC is proud to offer instruction and competitive opportunities in 11 competitive disciplines through hundreds of clubs and centers across the United States. USPC’s educational standards continue to be instrumental in curriculum development for schools, universities, equestrian professionals, and organizations across the United States. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including Olympic team members, as well as successful business professionals and leaders in a variety of fields, have roots in Pony Club. For more information, please visit www.ponyclub.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – PHOTOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
Press Contact: Sarah Evers Conrad, [email protected]
Pony Club: ponyclub.org | (859) 254-7669