ALTHOUGH the weather was bleak, there was colour, action and laughter at the Pony Club Association of Victoria's State Games and Flat riding championships.
The Pony Club State Games were first held in 1973 and were the brainchild of the Kaye Irving.
Irving realised young riders not interested in horse trials or dressage needed their own state titles and children with handy ponies that could do bending races and relays.
The flat teams events were first held in 1976, and the musical ride was first introduced in 1990. Each zone conducts qualifying competitions annually to select teams to compete in them.
The flat riders compete as a team and individually and some of the themed costumes for the team rider are simply wonderful.
The ride to music also shows the amount of work the teams put in to qualify.
There were pirates, Barbie dolls, cowgirls and knights in shining armour.
The games teams compete to gain points in a bending and baton relay, a mug race, a ball and bucket relay, a stick pegging relay, a pyramid and a flag and drum relay.
Yarrambat was the winning team scoring 290 points during the six events, with Macedon and Kangaroo Ground both recording 250 points.
Benalla won the musical ride from Bealiba 1 and Oaklands pony clubs.
The unrehearsed team ride title was won by Doongala, followed by Oaklands and Warragul.
