The week-long USPC Festival is held every three years at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky. More than 3,000 Pony Club members, volunteers, and families participate, and the public comes to enjoy the festivities as spectators. Anyone is welcome. USPC Festival is divided up into two parts: Championships and education. The National Championships are held the first part of the week, followed by mounted and unmounted clinics and workshops taught by Olympians, Pony Club experts, and equine industry professionals. Throughout the week, participants, family, and visitors can shop at the USPC Festival trade fair, participate in and watch the mock foxhunt, and enjoy all aspects of Pony Club activities.
Each year, Pony Club is proud to offer Championships competitions in eight competitive disciplines, as well as open competitions in our two newest disciplines: Gymkhana and Trail. Held in two locations across the country (except for Festival years), these competitions allow members to compete on regional or scramble teams. Members showcase their Horse Management abilities and riding skills across the different disciplines on a national stage.
Championships are held across the country in a yearly rotation–East and West one year, East and Central the next, followed by a Festival year. While Festival is typically held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky, Championships East, Central, and West move around the country within their respective locations. Each Championships competition brings together hundreds of members, youth and adult, regardless of location. Teams are formed from members of different clubs and centers throughout our 41 regions. Competing as part of a team teaches members sportsmanship, respect for others, communication, and the importance of working together.
Pony Club members, their parents, coaches, volunteers, friends, and siblings all have activities to see and do while in attendance. Championships are a time of excitement as friends are made, goals are met, and awards are earned. With up to 10 disciplines running over several days and a trade fair with many equine vendors, there is something at Championships for everyone.
Members who wish to compete at the USPC Championships must meet the age, certification, and competition eligibility requirements as outlined in the rulebooks and on the Competition Resources page, accessible using the button below. After their Regional Supervisor marks them eligible, competitors must submit and pay their entries by the deadlines listed below. Any Championships discipline/division for which a competitor is eligible to compete will be listed on their Championships competitor page (accessible from the member’s online profile). If the discipline/division for which the competitor wishes to register is not displayed, please contact your Regional Supervisor for clarification.
Upon completion of the Championships competitions, educational offerings come to the forefront during Festival. Members who register for educational sessions have the opportunity to ride in mounted clinics twice a day and may choose to attend as many unmounted clinics as they wish. Mounted clinics include: cross-country at the Intro, Beginner Novice, Novice, Training, and Modified levels, distance riding, western disciplines, mounted games and gymkhana, polocrosse, hunter seat equitation and show jumping, and dressage. Unmounted workshops include ground work and natural horsemanship, advances in equine health care, as well as the Masters Clinic series where professionals will demonstrate their sport. Additionally members can participate in a mock foxhunt at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Younger members who wish to participate in mounted and unmounted educational offerings may also register for D Camp. D Camp is designed for the Pony Club youth member up to the D-2 certification, ages 6 to 12. This exciting opportunity allows youth to ride their mount twice each day in small group instruction, to participate in unmounted instruction in the barn, and gives attendees the change to care for their mount at the iconic Kentucky Horse Park. (Space is limited for this opportunity-registration is required.)