Volunteers are what makes a sport and two of Armidale's own have been honoured for lifelong dedication to theirs.
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This year marked 80 years of Pony Club Australia and the organisation put a call out to find members more than 80-years-old who have devoted a lot of their time to the sport to earn Living Legends status.
From all the nominations, 112 certificates were handed out across the country with Armidale Horse and Pony Club's Jim Edwards and Ken Parsons receiving the accolade.
Both men are Armidale Horse and Pony Club life members and have spent years helping children achieve their goals in the saddle.
You could write a novel on how much these selfless individuals have done for young equestrians in the Armidale area.
Edwards joined the local club in the mid 1970s with his then six-year-old daughter, Ros.
Edwards became president of the club in the 1980s with two stints spanning three years each in the top job as well as spending time on the Zone 13 committee.
Parsons joined in 1980 with his sons, George and Trevor.
Since his kids' graduation from pony club, Parsons continued his involvement in the local club by sponsoring many other children and giving them the opportunity to participate by taking them around to various events.
While the gymnastic-like discipline of vaulting isn't all that common anymore, Edwards was instrumental in allowing kids from Armidale to learn it.
He supplied the pony, legendary Frosty, as well as the harness and instructed it.
Parsons received a level two instructor certificate in 1983, instructed at rally days and camps, and has coached numerous children to winning ribbons at state level events.
They both helped setup, pack up and organise events at pony club events as well as Armidale Show.
The pair didn't just help and cart around young riders, including their own children, in their time in the equestrian sport.
They also put in many hours to improve the facilities and equipment in the local area.
Much of the infrastructure now found at the Kennedy Street Equestrian Centre was put into place by these men and a few other dedicated volunteers.
Edwards built the original timber round yard, which has since been replaced, and Parsons constructed the enclosed area at the back of the current setup to help children advance from being led to riding independently.
The duo helped introduce the trees which surround the current facility by digging the holes, planting the cuttings and watering by hand for 12 months.
An advanced level cross country course used to stretch from the centre on the corner of Douglas and Donnelly Streets, right through to Cook's Road.
It was designed by three-time Olympian Wayne Roycroft and Parsons and Edwards both played a vital role in the construction of the course.
The steel fence which surrounds the centre was welded together by Parsons who also used his skills to construct a trailer to cart the sporting equipment and organised the building of a trailer to hold the jumping equipment as well as working on the mezzanine floor of the pony club shed.
They also played a part in building a race to teach horses to jump straight over fences.
As well as building numerous items to benefit riders in the Armidale region, they donated time and equipment to help with working bee events.
Edwards' daughter, Ros, is still involved with equestrian in the Armidale community while Parsons' last sponsored rider, Salvana Kalinowski is about to embark on her last season as an associate pony club member.
Both men value pony club and put their hands up to help with the sport purely to give kids the opportunity to participate and they felt honoured to receive the Living Legend status.
"I think pony club is fairly important," Edwards said.
"It teaches kids to care for their horses, teaches them kindness, compassion and responsibility."
Congratulations to both men.