Crystal Brook Pony Club is a small but active club located in the Mid-North. It is one of the six currently running clubs of the PCASA Northern Zone.
For nearly 40 years, the Crystal Brook Pony Club has been run by enthusiastic volunteers who have positively influenced many riders’ lives. The earliest records found of rally attendance date back to 1974, with many members participating on horses who are now well-known in the area for teaching many young people the basics of riding.
In the late ’90s and early 2000s, Crystal Brook Pony Club was a strong club with many members regularly competing around the area in eventing, dressage, hacking and showjumping. The club was also very well represented at the annual PCASA Northern Zone Eliminations, and always brought home great results.
PCASA Northern Zone Eliminations - Four on the Flat "B" Grade champions (early 2000s).
Very unfortunately, a few years later, the older riders lost interest in pony club and moved on from the club. Member numbers decreased greatly and the volunteer input was very little. It looked as though this once great club was going to close.
2007 gave hope when a few riders from the area came together for a rally. These horse-people were new to the club and greatly enjoyed their first rally there, despite the poor attendance. They spread word about the club and tried to gain some enthusiasm from other riders.
Unfortunately, Equine Influenza hit Australia, and after just three rallies, pony club meets were halted for the remainder of the year. However, those few families had decided to come back to the club when the bans were lifted.
In 2008, Crystal Brook Pony Club gained much more membership, and held its first competition in years; a small in-house gymkhana with dressage, showjumping and mounted games.
2009 then kicked off even stronger, and from there the club has continued to grow and improve.
Now, not only is Crystal Brook Pony Club is constantly represented at many local shows and other pony clubs’ competitions, but has regular representatives at the annual Northern Zone Eliminations, with its first appearance in 2010 after six years without participation. Its riders have done the club extremely proud by placing highly in various events and therefore continuing on to compete at the State Championships.
Brianna Noble & Arnie at the State Championships (Keith, 2011).
