Pony Club!

[mcnaughty]

Sorry guys - going to have a vent! I now remember why we gave up PC - it was because of the exceptionally rude parents!!

Entered our pair for a mini PC ODE this weekend because I thought it would be fun and I also thought it would be really good complementary experience for Rebecca and Romeo alongside the WH classes we enjoy. OMG how wrong could I be. Standing at the SJ ringside videoing (at Rebecca's strict instructions!!) the round the family right next to me - yes, shoulder to shoulder! Proceeded to rip Rebecca and Romeo apart!

Now dont get me wrong - I am sure we have all in the past commented on riders and their animals in this way but not when it is bloody obvious that I am the mother videoing her daughter and so loud that I was able hear every nasty comment back on the video.

Suffice to say that I turned the camera off at the end of the round and then gave them a few gentle words of advice back! Oh and she came 3rd at her fist ever ODE and first ever competitive XC round so she wasnt that bad after all was she at 10 years old!!

Anyway, rant over - I gave up PC at xmas due to vile PC mothers and that experience only made me feel more sure of the fact I had made the right decision. We all may moan about showing sometimes but I have to say that I have met many lovely new friends since taking up showing.

[cg]

How horrible mcnaughty! But well done on your daughter coming 3rd, that's a fabulous achievement.

Such a shame that you have had a bad PC experience. I was in the pony club from 11 to 18 and thoroughly enjoyed it! My mother wasn't horsey but really got into it, I guess it was luck that we had a nice pony club, I know its not the same everywhere which is such a shame.

[sjw87]

What a shame, especially that your daughter would then want to watch the video and would be able to hear everything they said. Good on her for doing so well at her first ODE!

I'd be tempted to submit the video to the DC of the PC - I wonder how those people would have felt if someone else had done the same to their children. It's absolutely disgusting behaviour!

Sent from my SM-A300FU using proboards

[mcnaughty]

Yes that is an idea but I have no clue who they were unfortunately. I let her watch it and she didn't notice because she was watching it on my phone and I turned the sound down but I have deleted it now as it would be obvious on a computer.

[kateanne0]

What a pity you didn't manage to video the back stabbers! That would have made a nice show to the PC District Commissioner!

It's horrible when things are'clicky' and hard on the outsiders

Well done to your daughter and yourself

[bubbles1822]

Well done on 3rd super achievement,

Think there is a way to remove the sound from a video... And replace it with music maybe? Then you can keep the memories!!

Don't let others ruin it! sounds like she's a super jockey, and will win and show them all one day soon!!

[honeypot]

I think each branch has its own character, and depending on it catchment area can vary a lot. We changed branches when my daughters were teenagers, simply because they had gone to the same rallies and had the same teachers since they were four. The new branch, the parents obviously had more money, check out the lorry park, with children that felt very entitled and mouths to match. We have about four different branches in about 15 miles and each is very different.
Over the years I have met some lovely mums at PC, but there will always be some that see it a way of social climbing through their children, if it wasn't a pony it would be the house, car, job clothes, you just have to laugh at their pretension.
I wish PC would make it easier to change branches, to be honest I think RC is far better, most are members are adults and mainly have far too much to do than bit*h about others.

[gillwales]

Souds to me that the green eyed monster raised it's head when someone new came along and put their noses out of joint. Sadley this sort of behavior does not just occur at Pony Club or even in the horse world in general, but everywhere where you get pushy parents who "give" their children what they would have like to have done themselves when that age.

Rise above and enjoy your days out together

[girly]

This is not confined to Pony Club. Personally I have found it happening more and more outside the show ring

[maxandpaddy]

Exceptionally rude parents are everywhere its not just the pony club (god bless em I remember my Thelwell days back in the day)

They're invading all walks of life - shops, all sports, and even schools - especially schools!! I honestly dont know how they managed it, politeness and good manners has given way to politics and imagined social status. Ignore them all, do what makes you happy, embarrass them at every opportunity and dont be tempted to move over to the dark side no matter what

Avoid and laugh ...may the force be with you xxxx

[pipandflo]

Transfer to a different branch ours was lovely and never had an experience like this at PC but did funnily enough at the show yesterday

[mcnaughty]

Went to a PC show over the weekend down in W Sussex and they were lovely! Clapping all the kids and generally being very lovely. Feel a bit better now! We were starting to have to think twice about PC anyway due to the additional cost and what we were actually getting out of it.

[sarahp]

PC can give huge benefits, but branches can vary enormously. Some RCs have thriving junior sections too, I know ours does and is very encouraging to the young. It does to some extent depend on what you do with your pony and what you expect to get out of it - when my daughter was PC age yes she showed, but it wasn't the be all and end all, she did all the PC stuff too, in fact left to herself she'd have chosen to do more eventing than she had the chance to. It did give the chance to use fantastic venues and great instructors at reasonable prices, far less than if paying for either privately.