Show Jumping Course Design for Pony Club and Riding Clubs

Most show jumping happens a long way from an affiliated arena — at Pony Club rallies, riding-club leagues, clear-round evenings and unaffiliated shows run by volunteers. There is rarely a technical delegate to sign off the track, which makes thoughtful design more important, not less. The goal is simple: safe, fair and fun, across a wide spread of horse and pony sizes.

Start with who is jumping

Club classes mix a tiny lead-rein pony with a 16.2hh allrounder, sometimes in the same afternoon. Design for the range:

Set distances that walk for ponies as well as horses, and offer a forgiving option on related lines.
Keep heights honest to the class — a "40cm clear round" should invite, not intimidate.
Avoid technical traps (tight related distances, sharp turns to fillers) in low classes.

Our notes on horse and pony stride length and show jumping distances cover the numbers.

Use the Unaffiliated standard

You do not need an FEI rulebook for a club show, but you do want sensible guardrails. In the course designer, set the standard to Unaffiliated — you still get live stride feedback and combination warnings, with limits a little more permissive than affiliated sport. Switch to British Showjumping when you want a training track that mirrors what riders will meet at affiliated venues.

Build forgiveness into the track

Inviting first fence on a straight, forward approach — settle horse and rider before you ask a question.
Generous turns — give green ponies time to balance.
Progressive difficulty — save the only real question for late in the course.
No combinations in the lowest classes unless they are gentle one-stride doubles with a true distance.

Make it easy for volunteers

Club shows run on goodwill and a small team. Help them:

Export a clear builder PDF so the fence crew sets exactly what you designed.
Share a 3D walk-through link in the helpers' group chat so everyone sees the plan.
Reuse and tweak the same course next month instead of starting from scratch.

Safety first, always

Volunteers are not professional course builders, so spell out the basics: level ground in front of every fence, secure cups and fillers, and a track that never points a tired pony at a wall. A validated plan plus a careful walk-round catches most problems before they happen.

The short version

Design for the smallest pony and the greenest rider in the class, use the Unaffiliated standard for sensible limits, build in forgiveness, and hand your volunteers a clear plan. That is how club shows stay safe, fair and fun.