Euro Pony Club

Euro Pony Club
General Assembly - Istanbul, Turkey 2010

The Turkish Pony club welcomed this year the IPC AGM on March 13th and 14th. Tulya Kutulan, the Turkish delegate at the EPC, organised these most interesting and fruitful two days.

The first day was spent visiting Tulya's Pony Club, located on the outskirts of Istanbul in the countryside. Created eleven years ago, the TKBA Equestrian Academy is a very successful club where children start riding at four years of age and take part in all the usual pony activities including games. The club specialises in Dressage and Show Jumping activities.

In the last few years, it has sent competitors to the Balkans Championships and last year, for the first time, one of its members took part in the European Junior Dressage Championships.

There we were treated to a lovely riding display by the younger members and then two pony riders and two junior riders rode under the instruction of their German instructress. A very impressive display and no doubt we shall hear a lot more in the years to come from these young people.

From there we were driven to the Sebil Sabanci International Equestrian Centre. Based in Istanbul itself on a hill dominating the Bosphorous and open only five years ago. This I can safely speak for all the delegates was the most superb centre in terms of location, facilities and excellence of teaching. Under the guidance and vision of Sebil Sabanci, herself an international Show Jumping rider, the SIEC hosts FEI courses such as the Coaching course and Course Designers Courses. The children are also very well catered for having with in the complex, their own Pony club with pony stabling, indoor riding school and clubhouse from which the parents can view the progress of their children and the younger siblings play. Interesting to note that many of the ponies in the centre came from Ireland.

Our third and final visit was for the Pony club created in 1956 where Tulya, amongst many others, started their equestrian career. Again situated in the middle of Istanbul (22 million inhabitants and growing!) it has great facilities and hosts every day a great number of pony riders.

To finish the day, we were set free in the Grand Bazaar and miraculously nobody got lost…

Sunday morning, we had are AGM which was attended by the Turkish Equestrian Federation Secretary, Zeynep Gorbon, a fluent English speak and a very dynamic lady.

This was the EPC's second visit to Turkey and all the delegates were very impressed by all developments and achievements of the Turkish Pony Club since our last visit in 2004.

Sylvaine Galligan
President, EPC