The National Pony Society (NPS) is a charitable body that was established in 1893, ‘to encourage the Breeding, Registration and Improvement of Riding Ponies and Mountain & Moorland ponies and to foster the Welfare of Ponies in general’.
In conjunction with the British Horse Society, it is the officially appointed liaison between the Government and all those concerned with ponies, and is represented on all major horse and pony organisations. To download a copy of the Charitable Memorandum and Articles of Association can be found HERE
The NPS is also the custodian of the British Riding Pony Studbook. The studbook is a DEFRA approved Passport Issuing Organisation that registers the offspring of British Riding Ponies and also crosses between British Riding Ponies, British Mountain & Moorland breeds with Thoroughbred, Arab or Anglo Arabs. More information on the Studbook can be found HERE.
The NPS offers a range of services to it’s members which include:
Further information on the different types of NPS membership and how to apply can be found HERE.
The NPS main office runs two major shows each year. The Spring Festival is held each April and as well as running the first M&M qualifiers of the season for Horse of the Year Show, it is the venue for the Winter Finals. These exciting championship classes are offered for M&M ponies from novice lead rein all the way up to open ridden classes.
August sees the NPS Summer Championships, traditionally held at the Three Counties Showground at Malvern in Worcestershire. This three day extravaganza offers a full range of classes for riders of all ages. From the hotly contested junior ring, through to fancy dress and concours d ’elegance, all the way up to HOYS qualifiers and the prestigious NPS Finals. The show is also the annual breed show for the British Riding Pony, and as so is the ideal place to come and see fabulous youngstock who will one day go on to compete at the highest level under saddle.
For more information on both shows, please visit the Shows section of the website which can be found HERE.
Each NPS Area also runs shows throughout the year, which are open to members and non-members. These shows run a wide variety of NPS qualifiers as well as other classes. Information and contact details on the Areas can be found HERE.
The NPS offers National Finals for both plaited ponies and M&Ms, with a full range from Novice to Open, Lead Rein to Juniors, Working Hunter Ponies to Amateur Ridden. A full list of all the NPS Finals can be found
HERE and the rules behind each class are listed in the Rule Book which can be downloaded HERE
The NPS Dressage Group also organise the NPS Supreme Dressage Championships, held each Spring and offering our British Riding Ponies, M&Ms and Part Breds a chance to compete against their own breed type in Prelim and Novice sections. There are also sections for the junior riders. All qualified combinations also get the chance to compete in the Team Challenge. More information on the Dressage Finals and Qualifying venues can be found HERE.
The NPS is renowned for having one of the most stringent judge appointment and training schemes in showing. As a result, NPS Judges are highly respected and sought after, being appointed to judge at the most prestigious shows in this country and abroad. In addition to assessment days, the NPS runs Judges Conferences and training days, to ensure Judges remain up to date with the latest rules and changes.
For show secretaries looking to introduce NPS qualifiers the office are always happy to review schedules and give advice. Affiliation Forms and full class details are available to download HERE.
Nearly 300 shows affiliate to the NPS over the course of a year, hosting qualifiers for both our Summer and Winter Championship shows, and for the Royal International Horse Show. A full list of all affiliated shows and the qualifiers they are running is available HERE.
One of the charitable objectives of the NPS is to promote knowledge relating to the care of ponies and to encourage the use and protection of ponies. The Welfare committee works towards this in a number of ways including publishing reports and information on the website and the newsletter and training NPS Welfare Officers. The Society is represented on the Welfare Committees of the British Horse Society and The National Equine Welfare Council. More information on Welfare can be found HERE.
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