Olivia Akers, left, and fellow pony club member, Zara Stumpo, at the Shepparton Pony Club clubhouse. The club is concerned they may have to relinquish their Shepparton site and clubhouse if they are forced to move.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
The Shepparton Pony Club is appealing for help in finding a new home for its 40 young members as it believes they are being nudged out by their landlord.
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The club has a long-term lease on land behind the Shepparton Harness Racing Club, but members believe an expanding development on the neighbouring site will make the area unviable and unsafe for pony club activities.
The harness club says it is engaging with the pony club and is not forcing them out. They believe the pony club could continue on the site but acknowledge that there will be more activity and more harness horses being stabled on the adjoining site.
Pony Club president Karen Bond said they were concerned that track horses could spook ponies with vulnerable riders using the secure, fenced sand arena which is only a few metres from new stables being built.
Harness Club president Chris Hazelman agreed the pony club had two leased areas, one inside the rear training track, and another owned by the council on which the club rooms had been built.
“We have no intention of encroaching on to those areas.”
Pony club parent Peta Stumpo said her main concern with the new development was the safety of the young riders.
“The stables are now closer than they used to be. If the horses make a noise they could frighten the ponies and the kids could fall off.
“Some of the kids are just learning to control their ponies.”
Olivia Akers with her Australian pony called Lady. The sheds behind her are part of the new Shepparton Harness Racing Club redevelopment. Parents are worried that the new stables are too close to the pony club’s leased area.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“A clause in our 99-year lease relates to the harness club ensuring the pony club has ‘quiet enjoyment’ of the grounds, this development, does not allow for quiet enjoyment.”
The pony club says the the harness club’s stables were 200-plus metres from where kids ride, whereas the new development sees stables less than 10 metres from their most used and safest sand arena.
Ms Bond said the pony club felt like we are being pushed out by stealth
The pony club has met with Greater Shepparton City Council to see if there were any parcels of council land that could be used by the pony club and is exploring other sites including crown land parcels.
Ms Bond said the pony club wanted to raise awareness that they would largely be homeless when an extra hundred harness horses are at the site and are seeking input and ideas from the community.
“We need a new home and funding.”
If the club leaves their current site, which they have occupied since 1973, they will have to abandon their club rooms, built with a government grant on a small parcel of land owned by the city.
Zara Stumpo with her pony, Max, an eight year-old Welsh cross, on the leased pony club arena. She is with Olivia Akers, right, on an Australian pony called Lady. The club is concerned it will have to move due to the redevelopment of the Shepparton Harness Racing Club property nearby.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
“To up and leave our brick club rooms is a big decision, we need to have enough funding that we can replicate our club rooms at a new site,” Ms Bond said.
Community members with any ideas can contact the pony club on its Facebook page.
Mr Hazelman said the new $1.5 million development on the Melbourne Rd site would see up to 100 more horses housed on the harness club grounds.
Ms Bond said the club had not been consulted on the proposed development but Mr Hazelman said the harness club had spoken with previous executives of the club about what was proposed.
Asked if the harness club would be interested in occupancy of the pony club club house if the club moved, Mr Hazelman said the harness club would be interested in talking about the future of the building.
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