Greenville, SC, is the site for the 2008 Annual Meeting and Convention of the United States Pony Clubs, Inc. From Wednesday, January 21 until Sunday, January 25, an anticipated 1,000 Pony Club leaders, volunteers and youth are expected to attend the meeting for a variety of informative and exciting seminars on equestrian topics. Noted professionals from across the country will conduct workshops on subjects relating to equine activities and sports, and the popular Anatomy Room will be available for hands-on study. Younger Pony Club members will spend time in Pony Club Paddock.

The keynote speaker will be Pam Stone (famous for her role as basketball coach “Judy Watkins” in the hit ABC series “Coach”). Stone is a former “C” Pony Club member, comedian, sitcom star, acclaimed author of Only Horse People: A Look At The Sport for the Deranged!, equestrian, and occasional beanstalk. Her presentation at the banquet should keep everyone laughing!

Also available on site at the Annual Meeting will be the USPC Bookstore and an impressive trade fair of equestrian products. The Hyatt Regency Greenville will host the meeting. Media representatives are encouraged to attend. For information on the Annual Meeting, contact www.ponyclub.org (click on Annual Meeting) or call Wayne Quarles, USPC Activities Director, at (859) 254-7669.

Pony Club is a misnomer; it is not a club for ponies. It is a non-profit organization that teaches horsemanship and the care of the horse to young people through the age of 25. Pony Club is a worldwide educational organization that originated in Great Britain in 1928. The United States Pony Clubs (referred to as Pony Club or USPC) was founded as a non-profit national youth horsemanship organization in February 1954. Today, there are over 600 Pony Clubs nationwide—including clubs in Alaska and Hawaii—with over 12,000 members. Pony Club members range in age from as young as 5 to age 25.