'It’s about kids on ponies having fun'

She was honoured for her work with a life membership decades ago, but long-time Central Otago Pony Club member Billie Tohill says her involvement with the pony club movement is its own reward.

"It’s been a great life for me. It’s about kids on ponies having fun - that’s the best part of it all."

Mrs Tohill, who was made a COPC life member in 1987, was one of three club life members at the COPC’s 65th anniversary interclub competitions in Cromwell last weekend, families braving the wet weather to compete in classing, dressage, show jumping, mounted games and a good old-fashioned trotting race.

Mrs Tohill helped form the Dunstan branch of the COPC in 1959, six years after the Central Otago club was established, in 1953.

The Dunstan branch later became the Clyde branch, and Mrs Tohill has been one of its strongest leaders all along, coaching, serving as president and secretary and helping prepare hundreds of children for shows and exams.

Mrs Tohill also used to ride herself, and all seven of her children went through pony club.

She said she enjoyed seeing children gain skills, confidence and discipline  and had made "lots of wonderful friends" within the pony club movement.

She said the Central Otago club - which is the umbrella organisation for six branches, Clyde, Maniototo, Teviot, Hawea-Wanaka, Cromwell and Wakatipu - was in "good shape", as almost 200 children took part at present.

COPC president Geoff Hewson said it was impossible to describe the contribution Mrs Tohill and other life members and club stalwarts had made to the COPC.

"You can’t thank them enough. You can’t put words on it; we’d be lost without them."

Mrs Tohill is still the district commissioner and chief coach for the COPC.

pam.jones@odt.co.nz