Advice After the A Certification from Pony Club Members Austin Skeens and Anna Erickson

From the USPC Instruction Department

In Pony Club, once a member has successfully passed the C-2 Horse Management (HM) certification, they may begin their journey towards national-level certifications, cumulating in what many may view as the ultimate achievement, the A certification. The A certification is the ultimate test of riding capabilities and knowledge, with added challenges, such as the rider being able display a thorough understanding of training young and spoiled mounts. There are three disciplines in which an A certification can be achieved; Dressage, Show Jumping, and Eventing.

We reached out to USPC members who achieved their A certification this year to ask them about their experience and what they could share with other members who aspire to achieve their A. Two riders provided their insight into the process: Austin Skeens and Anna Erickson.

Advice from Austin

Austin Skeens, age 24, H-A HM, is a member of Glenmore Hunt Pony Club in the Old Dominion Region, who received his A certification in Eventing on June 22. He shared that he was both proud and relieved to have his A certification.

Enjoy more advice from Austin in the below Q and As.

What advice would you give to someone who is nervous or unsure about signing up for a certification? 

I would say to anyone that is nervous, try not to put so much pressure on yourself! You get graded on what you know, not what you don’t know. I rode terribly at my B but owned my mistake, knew my mistake, fixed my mistake, and passed. Show what you know!

Is there a part of your certification you’re most proud of—perhaps a challenge that you overcame or a memorable moment?

I am probably most proud of my green horse ride. I was able to explain exactly what I was thinking in real time as I rode the horse, which helped me elaborate my thoughts in a coherent manner.

What tips would you give to someone who is preparing for a certification?

The best tip I can give is to narrate your rides! When by yourself, try to talk out loud as you ride. As if you’re teaching yourself in a lesson, explain to yourself why you’re doing the things you’re doing. This helps to turn your natural talent or “feel” into analysis. Through this method, I found myself asking questions like, “Wait, why AM I doing this with my hands?” This helped me to explain everything in my head to the Examiners.

When test day came, I had a reason for every single move that I made, and it really helped me out. Our brains will process and create a physical response to create desired outcomes subconsciously faster than we realize: this is “feel” or “talent.” True knowledge is to break down this feel and to fully understand WHY our brains create the reactions they do. Narrating your own rides in real time helps you bridge the gap between pure feel and analytical, conscious riding.

 My A was an amazing experience that took around 10 years, and I’m extremely grateful for the support I’ve been lucky to have through those years. I just want to add a huge thank you to Meg Holden and to my District Commissioner (DC), Diane Hinch of Glenmore Hunt Pony Club, and to the organization for the opportunity!

Advice from Anna

Anna Erickson, age 19, H-B HM, is a member of Hidden “K” Stables Pony Club Riding Center in the Carolina Region, who earned her A in Eventing on August 10, 2025.

Enjoy the advice and insight that Anna was willing to share with her fellow members in the below Q and As.

What advice would you give to someone who is nervous or unsure about signing up for a certification? 

My advice for someone who is nervous or unsure about signing up for a certification is you can always use it as a test run, especially if it is your first national-level test. It is always good to go into it having done it before, so volunteering to be someone’s groom or going to a test to help can always help you feel less nervous. I always come out of a test with more tools in my toolbox. And no matter what the outcome, I always feel more knowledgeable. Going into it just wanting to learn as much as you can makes it seem less scary.

Is there a part of your certification you’re most proud of—perhaps a challenge that you overcame or a memorable moment?

I am most proud of passing the Dressage test portion. We have been struggling in the Dressage at our events, and I felt like we were not making any progress. One year ago, I did not pass the B Dressage test on the same horse, so I was very nervous coming into this section as the test is harder and more precise. I was extra nervous because my horse was more tense than usual in the warmup. I made the choice to use the test as a schooling opportunity instead of working on accuracy. This allowed me [to have] better discussion, and I was very proud of how my horse handled it. I was so excited to learn that I passed.

What tips would you give someone who is preparing for a certification?

The thing that helped me the most was looking around for any catch ride opportunities available. To pass the A you need to be fit and strong, so I tried to ride as many horses and work as much as I could to build up my strength. This really helped my no-stirrup work and allowed me to pass with exceeding standards.

Certifications can be very overwhelming since they have so many blocks with different requirements. The way I handle that is to break down each box into about a week and work hard to “master” that box to take it one thing at a time. My trainer and I did one Dressage lesson per required movement to really focus on accuracy and make it feel less overwhelming.

Also, I read the Pony Club manual the week before. It is a game changer for discussion. The way I learn is by writing [things] down, so I took notes and made a plan for each phase on what I could talk about and what they were looking for with the help of the Standards of Proficiency. Overall, my best advice is to break it down to make it less scary and be as prepared as possible so you can go into it feeling confident. Make sure to fake it till you make it!