Page 54 - The Hunt - Spring 2024

Pony Racing continued from page 16
ALL YOU“NG RIDERS MUST WEAR AN APPROVED HELMET,
A PROTECTIVE VEST, A YOKE OR NECK STRAP, AN OVERGIRTH, AND SAFETY STIRRUPS. NO WHIPS, NO SPURS. ALL PONIES AND JUNIOR HORSES MUST BE AT LEAST FIVE YEARS OLD.
racing at steeplechase events for 20 years. Last year, they rode for the first time at the Radnor Hunt Races. “Both the kids and the crowd loved it,” Hiner notes.
Ponies are defined as equines under
14.2 hands high (or 58 inches) at the withers (the point where the neck meets the back). There are three main categories: large pony (13.2-14.2 hands), medium pony (12.2-13.2 hands) and small pony (12.2 hands and under). Some meets also run races for Shetland ponies, who top out at 10.5 hands and are known for their shaggy coats, broad backs and gentle dispositions.
Welsh organizes U.S. Pony Racing events at venues ranging from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore to Saratoga Racetrack in New York, where the aspiring jockeys meet the sport’s top riders. Events include lead-line trot races, where ponies and their young riders, typically under the age of 5, are led around the ring. In flat races, ponies and riders around age 10 vie continued on page 20
18 STEEPLECHASE LOOKBOOK 2024 | todaymediainc.com