Mill Creek Pony Club - Ashburton, New Zealand

08/01/2025

Entries have started coming in for Mill Creek Pony Club Show (Saturday 8th February) and we have our first entrants in INHAND show horse, INHAND saddle hunter and cob, INHAND standardbred, INHAND pleasure/ pony club horse, RIDDEN show pleasure/ pony club horse, RIDDEN western and leisure, RIDDEN beginner/ pony club lead rein, RIDDEN beginner/ pony club first ridden. Schedule available if you email [email protected] or find it on showday.online in the Mill Creek event under documents and downloads.

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05/01/2025

Please send those photos in…. come on local riders, apparently one person has sent photos only.

30/12/2024

Would there be Mill Creek helpers please to help set up show jumps at Ashburton Showgrounds on the 7th for SIPCSJC approximately 1.30pm. This would be much appreciated if we have a few helpers from each branch please. Good luck to Izrael and Fly that have teamed up with Methven. We wish all our local branch riders good luck and have fun 👍

29/12/2024

Go along and support our Ashburton riders. Teams from Methven and Tinwald with draft riders from Mill Creek, Tinwald and Rakaia. Good luck to Izrael Kingsbury on Pioneer Firefly (Mill Creek draft rider) who will be competing as an intermediate.

Almost 25 years ago the Ashburton Pony Club hosted the first South Island Showjumping competition. Now it is gearing up to hold the event again on...

23/12/2024

Lots and loads of flowers on these beautiful garlands to be won at our Mill Creek Show on Saturday 8th February. Thanks to garland sponsor, our head coach Nicky Cumberland and Nooramunga Ranch. 6 lovely garlands to be won… 5 supreme champions and 1 showcase pony versatility class. Entries are now open on showday.online

21/12/2024

First of the show entries have been received for 2025 Mill Creek Pony Club Show to be held Saturday 8th February. Entry form on showday.online or email [email protected] I can send through schedule.

17/12/2024

Original member, Shirley Jamison has passed away.
The inaugural meeting of the Ashburton Pony Club was held in the Ashburton A & P Office on 16th August, 1948. 21 children attended the first rally and were instructed by Mrs EW Gray, Mrs R Jack, Miss S Lowery, Mr V Digby and Mr JW Coffey joined by Miss H Hillyer and Mrs E Moore. Maroon was selected as the branch colour and was worn by most branches until the early 1970's.
That’s a snippet of history of the Ashburton Pony Club and I would like to recognise the last of those “originals” who passed away on Friday, Mrs Shirley Jamison (Miss S Lowery).
I think I would be correct in thinking Shirley’s father, Mr JW Lowery was a horseman and passed his passion of horses onto his family of three daughters, Shirley, Marjorie and Joan.
Shirley was a skilled horsewoman who had patience, knowledge and a way of making learning to ride fun. It was only natural that she would go on to be one of Ashburton Pony Club’s original coaches and stayed with the group when it branched off and part of it became Mill Creek Pony Club. Through late 1960’s to mid 1970’s, Shirley had four children of her own (Helen, Robin, Howard and Diane) competing successfully in the local equestrian scene. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, the youngest of the Jamison kids, Judy lined up in several area competitions before stepping into a successful racing career. I personally remember Diane on Zenith and Garbuck. Judy started off with welsh Buddy, then went onto Sasha and Taif in the ponies, and finished with Tintullan and a couple of Claudio Nicolai thoroughbreds with one being I, Claudius (I think!) Helen’s daughters, Melissa and Carly Burrows rode at Mill Creek in the early 1990’s.
A well respected instructor who held the instructor role for many years, Shirley would advise on who was ready to sit exams and who needed extra work. Often an after school lesson was given at the Racecourse Road property or at pony club. And you knew if Shirley said things were going well, they probably were. Shirley trained or managed several Springston Trophy teams at Mill Creek. The depth of her horse knowledge was great for all disciplines and it was not surprising that when her husband and herself trained harness racehorses, they racked up some huge successes for a small team. Basil Dean who is in the Hall of Fame Champions and NZ Trotter of the Year 1983/84 and 1984/85 was one of the Jamison owned and trained racehorses. The Jamison family contribution is remembered with the presentation of a dressage cup that is presented annually.
Shirley’s funeral will be held this Friday in Ashburton. Please comment if you remember Shirley and the Jamison family – it would be lovely to read your memories too!

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12/12/2024

December breakup rally is this Saturday starting 12noon. Here is the format for the day:
9.30am: our 3 members C certificate
Izrael. Grace. Tarrah
12pm BBQ and shared lunch
1pm members ride their paced and mannered. rider and unity classes finished with a game and trophy's will be handed out at the end. Thank you looking forward to seeing you all family members most welcome.

11/12/2024

8 weeks until our annual show at Mill Creek Pony Club on Saturday 8th February. Here are some of our members and coaches who look forward to hosting you at our fabulous wee show! FUN FACT - Did you know Mill Creek has 9 youth members, 6 coaches, 11 Mill Creakies (adult riders) and all the rest are parents, officials and hangers on (sorry honorary life members!!!).
How do we put together a great show event? We have a great working committee who pull together planning the schedule (fantastic sections for most handlers, riders and horse types), approaching sponsors (generous businesses and individuals who kindly give vouchers, products, gifts, garlands and money towards ribbon costs), preparing the grounds (surface rolling, tractor topping, spraying, setting up the grounds), on the day (stewarding, judging, BBQ caterers).
How can you enter to compete or view the schedule? Load this into your browser: https://showday.online/show/millcreek and look in Documents and downloads to find the schedule. If you have trouble entering online, please contact event secretary Susan Harvey on 021 2076660 and she will fix up and issues. Or alternatively send an email to [email protected]

08/12/2024

Very last call for hay! If anyone is requiring hay, it will be baled this week. Please pm Nicky Mcdonnell if you would like to place an order 😊

07/12/2024

Attention, riders who have ridden in SIPCSJC from the past 25 years (didn’t that go quick)
The Ashburton Pony Club committee is working on creating a photo board to celebrate 25 years of SI PC SJ Champs. Are you able to email Mary Stewart any photos from the past 25 years (especially the early years). A brief description of who is in the photo would be super helpful also. Taking a photo of the photo will work. [email protected]

Nadine Brown Andrea Harborne Heather Clucas Eraina Temple Amy Stewart Emily Fisher Katie Cawte
I’m trying to think who else rode at show jump champs.
Jill Quigley Annette Scott Rose Thomson Teresa Eden Markiss Cowie
Please take time to send through some of our show jumping history.

04/12/2024

Last opportunity to place hay orders for pony club hay. Details to Nicky Mcdonnell please. Price to non members is $10 per bale. Surplus bales will be available from Drummond Contracting Ltd.

03/12/2024

2025 Mill Creek Pony Club Show - Saturday 8th February.
Approximate ring times:
*In hand pony classes - starts 8.30am (show pony, miniature horses, pleasure/pony club, saddle hunter, partbred welsh, purebred welsh)
*Tiny tots (rider 3 years and under) - starts 9.15am
*Supreme in hand pony - 9.45am or earlier if all sections finished
*Ridden pony classes - starts 10am/10.15am at the latest (A, B, C, saddle hunter, pleasure/pony club x 2 heights, first ridden, lead rein, beginner/pony club first ridden, beginner/pony club lead rein)
Supreme ridden pony and supreme ridden first ridden/ lead rein - 11.45am
*Fancy dress - 12noon
*Showcase "Pony Versatility Class" - 12.30pm
*In hand horse classes - starts 12.15pm (show horse, saddle hunter and cob, standardbred, riding horse, coloured (no height restriction), pleasure/pony club)
*Supreme in hand horse - 1.30pm or earlier if all sections finished
*Ridden horse - 2pm/2.15pm at latest (hack, park hack, saddle hunter and cob, standardbred, riding horse, coloured (no height restriction), show pleasure/pony club, leisure and western)

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01/12/2024

Did you see our show is now live! I have tried to send schedules out but Showday.online did not filter out competitors from last two years like I asked. Sorry if you no longer own a horse or compete and receive the email.

25/11/2024

Mill Creek Pony Club Hay - this is your one chance for Expressions of interest to buy conventional bales from Mill Creek. Please comment your interest and one of our organising members will be in contact. All financial members have been contacted about hay. This is for non members to be able to order and collect off paddock. Payment on collection. Further hay sales will be available through our contractor and at their price if you miss this opportunity.

18/11/2024

Calling local riders competing this weekend at the championship showjumping. Please offer to help by running the gates, being jump crew (picking up rails, dropped back numbers, the odd whip etc) and just helping where you can. As a local rider, it’s “our” show, you are a part of the local equestrian community.

05/11/2024

Grounds booked for 1st December for an Adult Riders event for Mill Creakies (adult members).