Pony Club rallies require teams to set up a tack room. The tack rooms have to be set to very specific parameters and include specific items, all impeccably clean and labeled. The tack room is inspected by horse management judges and points are given for any infractions found.

When I was in Pony Club one of the items required, and possibly still required, was a bulletin board to pin the schedule to. Most clubs had plain brown bulletin boards, and my club was no exception. Most clubs at the time did not have anything fancy in their tack rooms. A few had bridle or saddle racks painted in club colors, and towards the end of my Pony Club tenure some teams had moved up to matching wooden brush boxes also painted and decorated. But for the most part, decoration was not something many clubs delved into.

One year, my friend and fellow Pony Clubber, Margie, was over at my house to play for the day and we decided to paint our bulletin board. It started out simple with us painting the cork part yellow and the frame part royal blue, in our clubs colors. But it moved on from there and we painted our clubs name across the middle, “Frederick Pony Club” and then our team’s ponies along the bottom. I can’t remember for sure, but I think I had a pony shaped sponge or something to work with.  Or it’s also possible my dad made a stencil for that part.  We also added in some equipment to spice the board up and dun dun dun, we had a custom board.

Recently when I was at my parents house my mom pulled the board out of her basement to show me and I decided to take it home. I think it will be fun to hang up in my sewing room for now and possibly my tack room one day.

Ponies: My pony Berry, Jenny’s pony Jack, Mollie’s pony Tess, Christine’s pony Tease, Margie’s pony Blaze

My pony, Berry, was a strawberry roan with some white spots. Notice my signature to the left of her.

Margie’s pony Blaze, was a perfect chestnut