Awards

Celebrating excellence, dedication & community spirit

PCA Annual Awards

The PCA Annual Awards celebrate the achievements of our riders and coaches and express gratitude to our volunteers.

These prestigious virtual awards highlight excellence and dedication within our community, reinforcing our culture of appreciation and motivation.

Award Categories

The 'VIPA Safety' Best Achievement by a Rider Aged 12 Years and Under

Sponsored by: VIPA Body Protector Vests

2024 Winner: Oliver Sinclair, Inverell PC (NSW)

Selection criteria:

  1. Participation in Pony Club rallies and activities 
  2. Achievements in riding and completion of Pony Club certificates
  3. Demonstrated partnership with and care for their pony.
The 'Ranvet' Best Achievement by a Rider Aged 13-17 years

Sponsored by: Ranvet

2024 Winner: Natasha Schilling, Mildura Alcheringa PC (VIC)

Selection criteria:

  1. Participation in Pony Club rallies and activities
  2. Improvement in riding and leadership skills through diligence and effort
  3. Club citizenship (eg. helpful to others)
The 'Lara Tweedie Equestrian' Best Achievement by a Rider Aged 18-25 Years

Sponsored by: Lara Tweedie Equestrian

2024 Winner: Sharne Haskins, Londonderry PC (NSW)

Selection criteria:

  1. Participation in Pony Club rallies and activities
  2. Improvement in riding and leadership skills through diligence and effort
  3. Contribution to club or zone management and programs
The 'Equinade' Best Achievement by a Rider Aged Over 25 Years

Sponsored by: Equinade

2024 Winner: Lisa Streeter, Maryborough & District Horse and Pony Club (VIC)

Selection criteria:

  1. Participation in Pony Club rallies and activities
  2. Shows enthusiasm and improvement in riding and horse management, and application of the PCA syllabus.
  3. Participation in Pony Club rallies and activities, and contribution to their local club
The 'Earlwood Equine' Volunteer of the Year

Sponsored by: Earlwood Equine

2024 Winner: Jo Humphries, Oxenford PC (QLD)

Selection criteria:

  1. Displays Pony Club values
  2. Contribution to development of their Pony Club for the benefit of members
  3. Commitment to good governance and professionalism
The 'Scoot Boots Australia' Kay Irving Coach of the Year

Sponsored by: Scoot Boots Australia

2024 Winner: Paul Seuren, Loch Nyora PC (VIC)

Selection criteria:

  1. Contribution to development of the contemporary coaching program at Pony Club
  2. Commitment to coaching excellence and professional development through the PCA National Program
  3. Contribution to a club or zone coaching program in one or more disciplines, and/or as coach of a zone or state team

The 'Thoroughbred Breeders Australia' Young Coach of the Year

Sponsored by: Thoroughbred Breeders Australia

2024 Winner: Adeline Collins, Corner Inlet PC (VIC)

Selection criteria:

  1. Aged under 30
  2. Contribution to development of the contemporary coaching program at Pony Club 
  3. Commitment to coaching excellence and professional development through the PCA National Program.
  4. Innovation in rally program or lesson design to increase fun and engagement of members with the PCA rider syllabus. Positive feedback from students and peers
The 'Gow-Gates' Club of the Year

Sponsored by: Gow-Gates Insurance Brokers

2024 Winner: Black River Pony & Hack Club (QLD)

Selection criteria:

  1. Implementation of initiatives to attract and retain members,inclusive and responsive to the needs of members
  2. Good governance processes at club level including member protection, objective decision making, safety and risk management program, succession planning.
  3. Innovation in club management, such as sponsorship programs,financial management, use of online database for management of memberships and events
  4. Delivery of coaching syllabus, demonstrated achievements by members and coaches (eg certificates attained, PCAS National coach accreditation)
The 'Duncan Equine' Accredited Riding Centre of the Year

Sponsored by: Duncan Equine

2024 Winner: Kurshonbrooke Lodge, QLD

Selection criteria:

  1. Implementation of initiatives to promote Centre Membership, attract and retain members
  2. Innovation in the delivery of the Pony Club program, inclusive and responsive to the needs of Centre members
  3. Delivery of the PCA syllabus, demonstrated through achievements by Centre Member riders and Centre coaches (eg certificates attained, PCA National coach accreditation)
The Gillian Rolton Award for Pony Club Alumnus

Sponsored by: Pony Club Australia

2024 Winner: Rachael Edwards, Seville PC (VIC)

This award is for a current or ex-Pony Club member over 25 years old who has gone on to be an active participant in the horse industry as a rider, leader or professional serving the horse industry (eg coach, educator, journalist, vet). The nominee has taken inspiration from their time at Pony Club and been an ambassador for the organisation.

Selection criteria:

  1. Career achievements and profile
  2. Contribution to the horse industry
  3. Links to Pony Club, past and present.

2024 PCA Annual Awards Timeline

The 2024 Pony Club Australia Annual Awards are an opportunity to celebrate the outstanding achievements of our members, volunteers, and clubs. Below are the key dates to keep in mind if you’re planning to nominate someone for these prestigious awards.

Key Dates for Nominees

  • Nominations Open:
    Monday, August 19
    Start submitting your nominations for the 2024 PCA Annual Awards.

 

  • Nominations Close:
    Sunday, September 8
    Be sure to submit your nominations before this deadline.

 

  • Finalists Announced:
    From Monday, September 30
    Stay tuned as we reveal the finalists across all categories.

 

  • Awards Night:
    Thursday, October 17
    Join us for a virtual celebration of our finalists and winners.

How to nominate:

To nominate, submit an electronic form detailing why the nominee should be considered for the award. Ensure you address each of the assessment criteria, as they are equally weighted. Focus on the nominee’s activities from the past 12-18 months. 

Submit a nomination

Selection process

Each nomination submitted will be carefully reviewed by a judging panel comprising four members, including representatives from PCA and Member States. The winners of the 2024 PCA Annual Awards will be announced in an online event on Thursday, October 17.

Pony Club is not just about riding. It’s about riding well into the future, bringing everyone along for the ride and caring for horses along the way. That’s why we created three national values awards. They are not competitive but are designed to recognise all our members who do extraordinary work and make an impact in the areas of sustainability, inclusion and horse welfare. The Values Awards are open all year.

PCA Community Captain Award

Community Captains consider the perspectives, skill level and ambitions of others and have the ability to make them feel safe, valued and included. Community Captains identify and create ways to bring people together for the greater good of Pony Club. They are ambassadors for the community spirit that unites the international Pony Club movement. The PCA Community Captain recognition award is awarded to a PCA member who represents the aforementioned attributes of a Community Captain, as demonstrated in a specific project, activity or innovation. The award is to recognise extraordinary efforts above and beyond what would ordinarily be expected of a Pony Club Australia member.
Examples include: Developing a support group for riders with particular needs/desires/ambitions, creating alternative or virtual spaces to connect people who are geographically distant, translating Pony Club resources and messages into alternative languages or forms of communication, removing a physical or social barrier to participation in Pony Club, accommodating cultural and linguistic diversity in Pony Club, creating new exchange programs, introducing Pony Club to the broader community through school visits or articles in media. Congratulations to Jenny Maynard and Jane Wilson on being awarded the Community Captain award in March 2022. 

PCA Welfare Warrior Award

The Welfare Warrior recognition award is awarded to a PCA member who has put the horse’s health and wellbeing needs before their own on a notable occasion, or delivered a project that addresses the mental and physical aspects of horse welfare and wellbeing across one or more of the following areas: nutrition, health, environment, behaviour and human interaction. The award has been introduced to recognise extraordinary efforts above and beyond what would ordinarily be expected of a Pony Club Australia member.
Examples include: The innovative dissemination of welfare-related information and education, creating a new resource, designing or installing improved facilities, removing physical and social barriers to improved horse welfare (or addressing enablers), arranging for a workshop or forum with an expert speaker, conducting research to determine current knowledge, writing a grant to purchase Large Animal Rescue equipment for the club, creating a poster/webpage/mobile app, writing policy or guidelines, etc. The activity should benefit more than one horse, have direct impact on pony club horses and have direct or indirect impact on other horses.

PCA Sustainability Champion Award (Social or Environmental)

Pony Club Australia is the longest running equestrian organisation in Australia. Sustainability Champions undertake projects which ensure the long-term environmental and/or social sustainability of Pony Club. The Sustainability Champion award recognises a Pony Club Australia member who has advanced the sustainability of Pony Club in particular and equestrian activities more generally. The recipient’s impact and achievements will be demonstrated in a specific project, activity or innovation in the areas of environmental or social sustainability.
The PCA Sustainability Champion award has been introduced to recognise extraordinary efforts above and beyond what would ordinarily be expected of a Pony Club Australia member.
Examples of environmental sustainability activities and projects include: Protecting water courses on Pony Club grounds and courses, implementing waste recycling strategies or policies which reduce the amount and type of waste produced through horse-related activities, partnering with community gardens to compost manure, hosting a horse property permaculture workshop or farm walk, writing a sustainability plan, writing a bushfire action plan, writing a natural disaster plan, introducing a new practice to reducing energy consumption at the club grounds, installing waste collection information and resources on popular shared-use trails, developing capacity for faecal egg counting and other practices which reduce the chemical burden on soils, educating trail riders about sustainable use of trails.
Examples of social sustainability activities and projects include: Projects which develop positive relationships and strengthen ties with non-equestrians in the local community, taking horses to retirement homes or hospices where appropriate, raising awareness of the benefits of having horses in the local community, creating events which support local businesses and not-for-profits.

Emma Le Grand from Learmonth Pony Club, Victoria.

Fiona Mamet from Hendra Pony Club, Queensland.

Click here to nominate an extraordinary member for a Value Award

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