Kerry Lee Charlton, one of the organisers of yesterday's Family Fun Day at the pony club's premises at O'Sullivan Park, Sawyers Bay, said more than 300 people, many of them youngsters and family members, flocked to yesterday's event.
The ''open day'' had been an ''amazing'' success, with many people enjoying themselves and people young and older taking the chance to learn more about the pony club.
''I'm just really overwhelmingly pleased with how it all came together, and I'm so proud of everyone who was involved,'' Ms Charlton said.
Born in Australia, she grew up in the greater Dunedin area and, as a child, enjoyed participating in activities of the Blueskin Bay Pony Club, an organisation she said no longer existed in that form.
Several pony clubs in the greater Dunedin area had faded away over the years. The costs of equestrian activities and competing demands on the time and resources of parents contributed to some of the problems in running pony clubs, she said.
But the clubs offered healthy, lively activities for youngsters, and participants in the West Harbour Pony Club rallied round and helped people to take part despite some of the financial challenges, she said.
A beautiful day, promotional fliers and other publicity efforts, and more activities, including a bouncy castle and a petting zoo - where a lamb, calves and a lizard could be encountered - had added to the day's appeal.
About $2000 had been raised, well up on last year's total, and overall attendance was also believed to be higher this year, she said.
