ginger111
Well-Known Member
My daughter is very keen to start doing shetland pony racing. Does anyone know anything about it. How old you need to be/how you start etc...
Hi
I used to do Shetland racing
the riders can race from 9 untill they are 14 (ages are taken from the 1st of januray), have to have rider insurance u must go to at least 5 shows a year with the shetland u are planning to race.
The shetland u want to ride MUST be registered with the Shetland Performance Scheme for 1 year and should graded every year but this not a must before they can start racing, they have to be at least 5 years old to start racing and it is recommended that if u are riding a young shetland that you get a rider that has raced for at least a year to take him o her for the first just because there id usaully around 40 - 50 shetland in the areana at one time, and with everbody around the areana shouting some shetland can be a little excited.
U have to wear a skullcap current to the correct standards a body protecter and u can either wear Long rubber riding boot or u can wear real Jockey boot, u can either wear white or biege jodpurs of white racin breches and the u need to have a pair of racing silks you can dessign ur own on the internet of is u are planning to ride for a stables/stud they normally have silks that they use that u can borrow
The actually races are held throught the year at the likes of Royal Windsor Horse Show, Badminton Horse Trails and Gatecombe there is a final every year at Olympia Internatational Horse Show
To go to the final
24 - 30 riders are picked throughtout the year and you then go to a final selection at Towerlands in september and then 10 riders are then selected from the 24 - 30.
It is an amazng fun and i would not miss the chance if you got it
Hope this helps![]()