U.S. Pony Club hosts USEA

Instructor Certification Workshops

September 9, 2009 (Lexington, KY) – The United States Pony Clubs recently hosted two USEA Instructor Certification Program (ICP) Workshops August 21st – 23rd at Penrose Farm in Knoxville, TN. The USEA Faculty for the two workshops were Phyllis Dawson (Jumping, Levels I and II) and Brian Sabo (Dressage, Levels I and II).

“This is the fourth year that USPC has hosted ICP workshops,” said Lynn Miles, Instruction Services Director. “We believe strongly in educating our National Examiners and Instructors, and this is a wonderful program from which they can all benefit. The ICP Faculty are very knowledgeable and give very constructive feedback to help all candidates review their instruction program. Thanks to the generosity of the Eleanor Brennan Fund, USPC is able to offer scholarships for Pony Club instructors and National Examiners to attend the USEA ICP workshops to make this opportunity more affordable.”

The USEA Instructors’ Certification Program is a professional education and certification program for instructors of event riding. The five ICP Levels of instructor certification correspond to the levels of national eventing competition from Novice through Advanced, as well as the corresponding CIC and CCI competition levels. Candidate instructors enter the program at the ICP Level appropriate to their own riding and teaching experience. All program workshops seek to develop the candidate instructor’s eye, knowledge base, communication skills, and ability to select exercises appropriate for the development of the horse and rider. You can find more information about the USEA Instructor Certification Program at www.useventing.com

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., was founded in 1954 as a non-profit national youth organization to teach riding and horsemanship through a formal educational program. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including most of our Olympic Equestrian team members, have Pony Club roots. Members range in age from as young as 4 through age 25. Activities are English-riding based, and members ride both horses and ponies, depending on the size of the rider and the discipline in which s/he is competing.

There are approximately 12,000 members of USPC in over 600 clubs and centers throughout the country. Along with an emphasis on helping members learn to ride and care for horses, Pony Club promotes teamwork, a sense of responsibility, safety, good moral judgment and self-confidence.

For more information about the United States Pony Clubs, visit the USPC Website at www.ponyclub.org or contact the office at 859-254-7669.