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United States Pony Clubs
4041 Iron Works Parkway
Lexington, KY 40511-8462
Phone:  (859) 254-7669
Fax:  (859) 233-4652

Game Setup:

Place one bending pole on Line B. The other two poles should be placed 24’ to 30’ on either side of the center pole. A plastic bucket containing four golf balls should be taped onto the center pole. All riders start the race behind Line A. Rider 1 should start with the golf ball placed on the spoon and his hand behind the colored tape.

Game Play:

The first rider of each team will carry the spoon on which the golf ball is placed.   On the signal to start, rider number one will cross line A, ride down the line of bending poles passing them on alternate sides, turn around the last pole and return in the same manner, crossing line A, rider number one will hand his spoon and golf ball to rider number two, the golf ball still being untouched by hand.  The second, third, and fourth riders will complete the course in the same manner successively.  The winning team will be the one whose fourth rider crosses the finish line first carrying his golf ball on his spoon.  The golf ball must not be touched by hand except when being picked up or while mounting.

Should the golf ball be dropped the rider must either pick it up or collect another one from the bucket attached to the center pole, and resume the course again from the point where the golf ball was dropped.  The golf ball need not be placed on the spoon until this point is reached.

The spoon may not be held or touched in the area marked by the brightly colored tape except while mounting.  If dropped at a handover, the golf ball and/or spoon may be retreived by either rider, mounted or dismounted and placed on the spoon of the next rider to go.

Advanced Pairs Rules:

Riders number one and two are behind line A.   Rider number one, carrying the spoon on which is placed a golf ball, rides up and down the line through the bending poles, carrying the golf ball on the spoon, bends the last pole and again crosses line A.  He/she then hands off to rider number two, who will complete the race in the same manner.

Correction rules:

• If the rider drops the golf ball, the rider must either pick it up or collect another golf ball from the bucket attached to the center pole. The rider must resume the course again from the point where the golf ball was dropped.

• The rider may pick up the golf ball mounted or umounted, by hand or with the spoon.

• The rider may NOT touch the area in front of the brightly colored tape on the spoon or the golf ball except during a correction. The rider will be eliminated otherwise.

• If the rider drops the golf ball during a handover, the golf ball and/or spoon may be retrieved by either rider, mounted or dismounted and placed on the spoon of the outgoing rider.

• The rider may only pick up from the ground the golf ball that he dropped. He may not pick up another rider’s dropped golf ball.

Special Tips:

• Remember the holding area line (6-yard line) is six yards from Line A and Line C.  During the playing of the games only the next rider out may be in front of this line.  All others must be behind it in the holding area.  If there are more than one outgoing rider in front of the 6-yard line, the team will be eliminated for that game.

• The rider should not watch the spoon but should concentrate on riding the poles as smoothly as possible.

• Instead of sitting or posting to the trot, the rider should absorb the trot in his knees, standing in the stirrups throughout the game.

• The rider should hold the spoon as close to the colored tape as possible.

• The rider should hold the spoon perpendicular (across) and in front of the body. Then when it is time for the rider to hand over the spoon and golf ball to the next rider, the rider only needs to turn the handle out for the outgoing rider to grasp.

• Each pony and rider will have an optimum speed for this race. The rider should not go faster than his optimum pace.

• The rider should hold the spoon over the pony. Then if the golf ball falls, hopefully it will fall on the pony first. This might give the rider enough time to catch the golf ball before it falls to the ground. However, the rider should be careful not to touch the pony or himself with the spoon; to do so would cause an elimination.