2009/62

The Institute of the Horse & Pony Club Ltd,

Playing fields: Our Sporting Life in the countryside, Collecting 20th Century Rural Cultures

Franco (Manufacturer)

Enamel sign 'The Institute of the Horse & Pony Club Ltd'. Founded in 1929, merged with the National Horse Association of Great Britain in 1934.
This enamel sign, is mainly white, with a blue circle with the words inside, in white, 'The Institute of the Horse & Pony Club Ltd'. It has a silhouette of a figure on horseback in the centre of the circle, and also the word 'HOTEL' underneath the circle. The maker's name, 'Franco', is stamped at the bottom, in a blue and white triangle. The sign is double sided, with hanging points near the top. The Institute of the Horse & Pony Club was founded in 1929, and merged with the National Horse Association of Great Britain in 1934 to form the British Horse Society.

1 sign: metal, enamel

MERL 'Handwritten accession' form (Museum of English Rural Life) – 'White with blue circle with inside the words, in white, // 'The Institute of the Horse & Pony Club Ltd.' // Silhouette of a figure on horse back in the centre of the circle. // Word 'HOTEL': blue underneath the circle. // Maker's mark at the bottom, 'Franco' on a blue + white triangle. // ... Collected as part of the 20thc Rural Culture Project. // Seller had no further information on provenance. // The Institute of the Horse + Pony Club was founded in 1929 and merged with the National Horse Association of Great Britain in 1934 to form the British Horse Society. // References // 'The Pony Club Golden Jubilee 1929-1979', paperback published in 1979.', Collecting 20thc Rural Culture blog [Wednesday, 6 January 2010] – 'The Pony Club, 1929 // This recently acquired sign relates to one of those key communities of interest in the twentieth century countryside - the Pony Club. The arrival of riding as an organised leisure and sporting activity for children owes much to the rise of an affluent middle class with rural connections in the decades either side of mid-century. // The Institute of the Horse inaugurated its junior branch, the Pony Club, on November 1st 1929 with the aim of 'interesting young people in riding and sport and at the same time offering the opportunity of higher instruction in this direction than many of them can obtain individually'. A nationwide network of district committees was set up, closely allied to the territory and organisation of local Hunts. By 1931, there were 59 Pony Club Branches, with a total membership of just over 4,400. In 1958, membership stood at over 25,000. // An enduring favourite, the Pony Club camp, made its first appearance in 1931 and the sign above is evidence of efforts at the time to create riding-friendly establishments around the countryside. // In 1934, the Institute of the Horse and Pony Club merged with the National Horse Association of Great Britain to form the British Horse Society, with the Pony Club as one of its constituent parts. // The Pony Club now has over 110,000 members spread through 18 countries and celebrated its 80th year in 2009 with the opening of new offices at Stoneleigh in Warwickshire, and the announcement of a new President, Lady Lloyd-Webber.'

1929 - 1934

Metal, Enamel