Seneca Valley Home Page

SVPC is located in Montgomery County Maryland
SVPC is part of the  Capital Region of the United States Pony Club
Bittersweet Field

Directions

From 270 North or South. Exit 15, Route 118 South, to Germantown. Go 6 miles to Route 28. Turn Left. Go 0.7 miles to Route 112, Seneca Road Shell Gas Station on the corner). Turn Right. Go 4.2 miles. Turn Right onto Partnership Road (SVPC Horse Trials sign on corner). Go 0.7 miles to Bittersweet Field on the right.

From Beltway 495 - Take River Road exit #39  towards Potomac. Go 11.3 miles to stop sign. Turn left at stop sign (still River Road) and continue 1.4 miles. Turn right onto Partnership Rd. (SVPC Horse Trials signs on corner). Go 0.7 miles to Bittersweet Field on right.

Alternate VA Route - Take White Ferry to MD side go through Poolesville take right fork outside  Poolesville onto Partnership Road Bittersweet Field on left. No large rigs allowed on Ferry..

Due to the generosity of the Austin Kiplinger Family ( a founder of SVPC more than 30 years ago), SVPC is privileged to have access to Bittersweet Field, a beautiful property located in Poolesville Md, for recreational riding, group and individual training sessions, hosting our local and regional events and conducting fund raising horse trials. Certain rules and regulations must be complied with to ensure rider safety, protection of field and equipment, and for insurance reasons.

Guidelines:

  • The Field may not be used for personal or financial gain.
  • Bittersweet is for the use of Members, Sponsors, and an occasional guest.
  • The schooling of client’s horses is not allowed.

Field Use: FIELD CONDITIONS PERMITTING

  • The field is open to members and parents on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
  • You must wear a current field pinney at all times while riding at Bittersweet. We are in the process of revamping the field pinneys; we will be collecting your current pinney on May 13th and issue you a new one.  Beginning May 14th, you must have the new pinney to ride at the field.
  • No one can ride at the field alone – you must have a groundsperson or another rider with you.
  • The banks at Kip’s Corner and the Intermediate obstacles cannot be schooled.
  • Guests are allowed to ride only on weekends, must complete a hold harmless agreement before riding, and must obtain a guest pinney from the Membership Chair, Donna Willems.
  • Use common sense – if the ground where you are riding is muddy or overly soft, don’t ride there! The same goes for your trailer – park only on the graveled areas or on hard ground. You do not want to have to get towed out!
  • You must wear an approved helmet and a safety vest is strongly recommended.
  • The competition course (the area that is generally used for the Horse Trials) will be closed on May 17th until after the Trials.  The back practice field will remain open and a number of our portable jumps will be moved to that location.  Obviously, we cannot police the field every minute, but be aware that anyone found violating this rule (following USEA rules) will both lose their field privileges and will not be allowed to compete at the Horse Trials.

Parking:

  • Enter the 4th gate (end gate closest to River Rd, by Kip’s Corner).
  • Park on the graveled area only – do NOT park on the grass.
  • Check footing to ensure that you can get your vehicle & trailer out without getting stuck.
  • Exit through gate at the Dressage Tower.
  • Avoid driving on the grass at all times.

Pinnies:

  • SVPC members are REQUIRED to wear their assigned pinny (NOT a borrowed pinny) when
  • mounted on the Bittersweet Field property.
  • Pinnys can be obtained from the Membership Secretary, for a fee of $10.00.

Guests:

  • Guests are allowed to ride on Sundays only.
  • Guests MUST be accompanied by a SVPC Member.
  • Before the guest can ride (at least one week), the member must contact the Membership Secretary:
    • Return a completed Bittersweet Field Hold Harmless Form for the guest.
    • Current Negative Coggins form for the guest pony.
    • Obtain a Guest SVPC pinny.
  • Return the Pinny to the Membership Secretary.

Questions?

  • To confirm that the field is open for schooling, please contact the Field Coordinator.
  • Questions about field use should be directed to a DC.
  • To obtain a pinny or for guest information and release forms, contact the Membership Secretary.
  • Additional information can be found on the SVPC website. For DC and Membership contacts, go
  • to the SVPC tab, then click on Board or Contacts : www.SenecaValleyPonyClub.org