Sisters pony club shoots, swims, rides

While many in Sisters Country were aiming to keep cool over the weekend, members of the High Lakes Pony Club were taking aim at shooting targets with an air pistol.

They also swam lengths in the Sisters Athletic Club pool, ran around the cross-country course at O'Neal Farms and rode their horses around a course of jumps in the indoor arena there.

Thirteen members were participating in a unique Pony Club activity called tetrathlon. It's a junior version of modern pentathalon, an Olympic event that includes fencing, swimming, running, shooting and riding. Tetrathlon originated in the British Pony Club and was added to United States Pony Club in 1972 as an incentive for boys to join Pony Club. Girls began competing in Tetrathlon in the mid-1970s. The purpose of the competition is to broaden members' interest in riding, and develop multi-sports skills.

Sisters Athletic Club owner Tate Metcalf opened the pool early so the Pony Clubbers could hit the water at 7:30 a.m. They then trekked over to the O'Neals, where the Pony Club is based, to finish the competition.

Tetrathalon is one of many events that Pony Club uses to build leadership and teamwork among members.

"There's a real sense of older kids helping the younger ones," said Annie Winter, one of the organizers and herself an ex-British Pony Clubber. The older kids act as mentors of sportsmanship and perseverance.

While Saturday's competition was in-house for High Lakes Pony Club, the event is also held at regional and national levels. For now, the emphasis in Sisters is on learning the skills and having fun.