CONGRATULATIONS GUS AND KATELYN

Huge congratulations to Gus T and Katelyn S for passing their H rating!

Cathy B writes:
"Our first national rating of 2006 is now behind us. We had 10 very qualified pony club young adults as candidates for this rating. Six were from NJ, one from New Hampshire, One from Chicago area but currently living in VA, one from Eastern PA region, and one from the Capital Region.

All ten were an awesome bunch of kids who had spent a lot of time and effort preparing for this rating. The depth of knowledge and expertise of skills required to pass the H-A/H is at times mind boggling. Five of the 10 did meet standards and are now either Hs or H-A's (those who had the B rating going into the test)

The following passed -
Gus T and Katelyn S of the Hunterdon Hills Pony Club of the NJ region
Brittany M of the Kinnikinnick pony club of the North Central Prairie Region
Brianna R of the Pickering Hunt pony club of Eastern PA
Kristen S of the Squamscott pony club of Central New England

I can't thank Delaware Valley College, their staff and their students for being such wonderful hosts and providing us with such a beautiful testing site. I thank all the parents who have supported their kids through the ratings and sat so nervously on the side lines not being able to help make things go better.

I thank our pony club volunteer members who were students for the teaching phase. Thank you to the following Hunterdon Hills members who volunteered - Rita and Larry G, Olivia B, Sydney C, Piper and Geneva T, Kim and Kristen J and their parents and/or friends who got them to the school on Saturday afternoon. We also thank the DelVal Students who joined us as students for a C level group.

Thank you big time to my daughter Kate B, for filling in at the last moment as IO when Terri M couldn't make it (medical excuse). Kate kept the kids' spirits up and was constantly working with them and as a go between with the examiners to make sure everyone had the time and opportunity to show their knowledge and expertise in all areas of the testing.

These upper level testings are in many ways a lot tougher then the kids expect and the depth of knowledge required is a quantum leap from the C3-and even B level. Now, I hope that what is needed is more readily apparent to all who were at this test.

Additional preps will be added to our calendar for the upper levels during the coming year.

The next ratings for our region are the B in mid August and the C3 in early September. Preps for these are coming up beginning with the mounted prep with
Betsey Reeves Aug. 1,2,3.

A separate email will be going out on that shortly.

Again, thank you to all who were involved and congratulations to our new Hs - Gus and Katelyn!

Cathy B, New Jersey RS