Canadian Pony Club Team heads to Inter-Pacific Exchange in New Zealand

A Canadian team representing the Canadian Pony Club embarked for New Zealand on January 6th, to participate in the Inter-Pacific Exchange (IPE). The exchange is an international competition held biennially, involving Pony Club teams from Canada, the USA, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand. The team includes four riders, a coach and a team manager. There are three riders representing Pony Clubs in BC, and one from Alberta.

Riders will not bring their own horses but will ride loaned horses for the competitions, matched to them by the team coach based on their experience and preferences. In order to qualify for the competition, riders had to be between the age of 17 and 25, and have achieved a high Canadian Pony Club standard (B level), have competed at a minimum show jumping height of 3’6”, and demonstrated ability and experience in riding a variety of horses, including “green” horses.

T he IPE team is very grateful to have the generous sponsorship from a number of local businesses, including Saddle Up magazine! The team members will be representing Saddle Up by sporting the Saddle Up logo on their team jackets and polo shirts while touring and riding in NZ.

Meet the team members!

The exchange runs from January 9-26 in and around Christchurch, on the south island of New Zealand. The competition involves a National Cup show jumping competition and will also involve one or more additional “friendly” competitions prior. In addition, team members will have the opportunity to liaise with members of the other international teams and see local sights, including attending a horse race (the “Kangaroo Cup”) and visiting with horse owners; as well as visit scenic locations, such as several glaciers, which the area is renowned for.

Jessica Spoletini, 17, was born in Calgary AB, and currently lives in Salmon Arm BC. She has ridden since she was 6, having started Eventing at age 10. Jessica says that when she was younger she would always hop on any and every horse that was offered to her at the barn, from the Trail Quarter Horses, to the 3-year-old Warmbloods. Jessica has competed through the Preliminary level on two horses. Jessica also enjoys Dressage, having competed to Second level.

K atie Thielman, 18, grew up on her family’s farm, Pine Ridge, in Salmon Arm BC. Horses have always been part of Katie’s life. Around the age of 10, she met her now long-time coach, Julie White (of Long Road Farm). Katie has been in Pony Club for over 10 years, and says it has presented her with the opportunity to meet many amazing people. She primarily shows in Jumper, Hunter, and Jumper Equitation. She looks forward to competing in a team format alongside fellow Pony Club members.

D eshann Valentine, 22, has grown up on a farm and with horses all her life in Sundre AB. After starting off riding Western, she was introduced to Pony Club where she quickly fell in love with Dressage and Eventing. Throughout her 15 years in Pony Club, Deshann says she has learned so much about being an equestrian and says that IPE was one of her major goals with the organization. She has competed up to the Training level of Eventing and hopes to move up to Preliminary this season. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science and Education at the University of Lethbridge with the end goal of being a teacher, and has currently taken the semester off to explore New Zealand! It’s with her love for teaching and riding that her plan now for Pony Club is to help bring up the next generation of riders. Deshann says she is super excited to see New Zealand and explore a different part of the world all while being able to compete and represent our country!

Carlie Wells, 22, grew up riding Western in Strathmore AB, and moved to Chase BC a year and a half ago to work at the highly regarded Chase Creek Eventing. Carlie joined Pony Club and started jumping at age 8, and began Eventing a few years later. Carlie loves starting horses and producing them through the Eventing levels. She was part of the 2019 IPE team in Hong Kong, and is so excited to be representing Canada and Pony Club in New Zealand.

T he team coach is Lisa Schultz, from Surrey BC. As a Pony Club member herself, she achieved the top “A” level rating, and is a full-time coach and trainer who also works at the Langley Equestrian Academy, a local high school, coordinating equestrian field trips and mentoring students. She has competed up to FEI levels of Eventing, winning at the Intermediate level as well as competing successfully in Hunters,

Jumpers, Dressage, and even breed shows. Lisa is no stranger to national Pony Club competitions, having been Champion at National Dressage and National Show Jumping. She enjoys traveling around and competing, and is looking forward to visiting New Zealand with a great team.

T he team manager is Angel Mackenzie, from Ottawa ON. She grew up riding and was a member of Pony Clubs on Vancouver Island and in the Ottawa area, and currently serves as Regional Chair of the St. Lawrence-Ottawa Valley Pony Club region. Angel, alongside her mother, maintains a farm and small Warmblood breeding operation, Red Gate Sporthorses. Angel has competed for over 15 years in the sport of Eventing up to the Intermediate level on a number of young horses she produced through the levels. She now enjoys pursuing Dressage and Eventing on her homebreds, competing as an amateur outside of her day job as a senior research analyst for the federal government. Angel is grateful to be a part of the 2023 IPE and is looking forward to meeting the members of other international teams!