Community Shows Continued Support For Middle Of Nowhere Pony Club

The Middle Of Nowhere Pony Club has ended another successful season and celebrated with their members and the community on Oct. 7 during their Fall Round-Up Fundraiser at the Ridge Runners Saddle Club.

This year's event saw the addition of the Pony Club Olympic Games, featuring teams from around the community, including C&B Equipment, Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital, Northwest Real Estate and even some of the Pony Club dads came together for a team. As the teams competed in events such as sheep dressing, wheelbarrow polo, endurance relay and sweatshirt barrel racing, each team brought the fun, speed and silliness to the audience of all ages.

"Thanks to the generous donations towards the meal, silent and live auction items, many kids in our community will benefit from the opportunity to learn about, ride and spend time around horses," stated District Commissioner / Point Person Elizabeth Shipstead. "There is nothing better than seeing a kid develop qualities like responsibility, confidence, time management, care of the land and love of horses."

The origin of the club started three years ago when Shiptead started researching different programs that were available with the goal in mind of having a structured program available to those of all ages in the community. The board consists of community members from all over the area who bring a wide variety of knowledge and even the horses for members to ride on, which allows the Club to continue to thrive and flourish. The membership is an all-year commitment with mounting lessons typically when the weather turns into spring and fall and is entirely weather dependent. When not partaking in mounting lessons, the group holds meetings to learn about unmounting activities, which includes learning the parts and care of a horse, grooming tools, finding the horse's respiration rate, part of and what a good saddle entails among other topics to gain a further understanding of the horse species.

Being a member of the Middle of Nowhere Pony Club isn't all about learning, the instructors also ensure fun is part of the curriculum by playing games, learning different riding techniques and attending various clinics and camps. The Club also teaches life long skills such as confidence, independence, problem solving and communication skills, being respectful of others, working as a team, and being a part of a supportive community.

Shipstead stresses this Club could not be in existence and continue to flourish if it wasn't for the community's support. "We cannot say enough about how grateful we are for the support of our community, member families, Ridge Runners Saddle Club and the folks who make up our board," emphasized Shipstead. All of the proceeds from the Fall Round-Up Fundraiser will help the Club continue their mission to further education around horseback riding and horsemanship in the area.

The Club is welcoming new members to start in January. To get involved, reach out to Elizabeth Shipstead, Emily Redfield or message the Middle Of Nowhere Pony Club Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/middleofnowhereponyclub.