An 80-year partnership has broken down into a public stoush, following social media posts from the Moss Vale Pony Club and Moss Vale Show Society over the club's "eviction".
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The pony club announced this week they were looking for a new home after 80 years at the Moss Vale Showgrounds, saying they had been evicted from the premises.
The Moss Vale Show Society has said the departure was the club's own doing.
Secretary of the Moss Vale Show Society Edwina Grant said relations between the two parties had become strained.
"They're trying to get rid of us and off of the committee," Ms Grant said.
"They're signing petitions, dobbing us into council and the Environment Protection Authority (EPA). They've turned their backs on us.
"We were trying to help them out. Obviously that's not good enough.
"They are a tenant of the Moss Vale Showgrounds, so I would have assumed they would have wanted to work with us if they wanted to continue a relationship."
In a statement released on the pony club's Facebook page, the group said that it had not been able to use the showgrounds due to "ongoing rabbit baiting".
Ms Grant said the pony club wanted the pests gone but then other problems were raised.
"They said they wanted the rabbit holes gone," Ms Grant said.
"Then they claimed to have found contaminated soil on the grounds and dobbed us into council. That has all since been cleared and is all okay.
"They keep stabbing us in the back."
Ms Grant alleged that nothing has been signed on the dotted line between the groups for over a decade.
"They haven't signed a lease agreement in at least 10-11 years," she said. "When Brian Spence was president of the Show Society, as well as the Moss Vale Pony Club, they got away without signing a lease."
Ms Grant said the Show Society was willing to work towards a resolution but that it would require a willingness on both sides.
"They would have to work with us," Ms Grant said.
"They have signed petitions to get rid of us off the showgrounds. They would need to stop stabbing us in the back also.
"I have no idea how it has got to the level. We're all volunteers. We went out of our way to get the grounds open for them to come back after COVID and continue pony club.
"They complained that the grounds weren't good enough. Even after we filled the rabbit holes they decided not to hold their rally day.
"We ran a rabbit program, then they dobbed us into the EPA.
"It's ridiculous."
The president of the pony club, Brian Spence, was contacted by Southern Highland News, but directed all inquiries to the club's Facebook page, which released a statement on the matter.
In it, the club said that it had requested a new license agreement for the past two years, but was notified on September 21 that the club's contract was to be terminated with 30 days notice.
"The club was not given the opportunity negotiate the terms of the agreement prior to being given notice that tenancy was being terminated," the club said in the statement.
"In recent years the club's committee has made several requests to meet with the show society committee so as to understand the vision and strategy for the grounds and provide support.
"To date a meeting has not occurred."
The statement added that while the club committee "remains hopeful that mediation may lead to resolution, interim grounds are now being sought, with assistance or suggestions from the public being greatly appreciated."
That statement can be read here:
The Show Society's Facebook response urged concerned community members to get in touch.
A petition has been organised to save the Pony Club from eviction.
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