Seneca Valley Pony Club

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc., develops character,leadership, confidence and a sense of community in youth through a program that teaches the care of horses and ponies, riding and mounted sports.

Seneca Valley Pony Club is an educational organization, dedicated to its members: the Pony Clubbers and the Pony Club Ponies. Our hope, as parents, volunteers and believers, is that through the club, our children will learn and grow together in the common experience of horsemanship, team spirit, cooperation, and in their mutual love for the loyal, admirable friend to us all, the horse. Seneca Valley Pony Club has over 50 kids as members and over 75 parents as sponsors and volunteers. The members come from many areas around the Washington, D.C.. vicinity in (but not limited to) Montgomery County, Maryland. We are grateful for the parents that help to make the logistics of our Pony Club work. Through their dedication of time and effort, the children go to events, lessons, rallies and through their hard work on the field we are able hold our yearly spring and fall trials. Seneca Valley Pony Club is a member of the local region called the Capital Region and are also members of our parent club the United States Pony Club. The USPC purports the principles, beliefs and policy frameworks with which we direct our Club's activities. SVPC participates in competitions with the other Pony Clubs within the Capital Region. These competitions are called rallies, each with its own focus, be it dressage, show jumping, games, combined training, or know-down. Once a year, at the United States Pony Club National Rally, the pony clubbers that qualify from the local regions, form teams and compete in the national competition. This is a very exciting event! Seneca Valley Pony Club has been graciously allowed to use Bittersweet Field in Poolesville Md., the property of the Austin Kiplinger family. The Seneca Valley pony clubbers cross country school at Bittersweet. We also sponsor two main events each spring and fall at Bittersweet Field. These events are open to the public and are called the Seneca Valley Horse Trials. They help fund our pony club. SVPC welcomes student volunteers to assist with various volunteer jobs at the horse trials. Also included in the SVPC year events are lesson programs which take place during the winter and early spring season. The lessons are offered at an economical rate, with great trainers, dedicated to the "philosophy of pony club". We are ever grateful to these instructors who give of their time to promote the sense of accomplishment and well being that horsemanship brings.