Helen Harvey Laffitte Palmetto Pony Club recently announced the uprating of Helen Harvey Laffitte from H- A to A at a testing held in July in Aiken, South Carolina.

Helen, 21, is the daughter of Drs. Helen and Tucker Laffitte of Columbia.

To earn the rating, Helen passed an examination that tested horsemanship skills and knowledge. She has passed a series of eight previous standardized tests since joining Pony Club in 1994.

Each of the Pony Club rating levels is more difficult than the preceding one and requires Pony Club members to learn more about horses and their care and to become increasingly accomplished riders and teachers of riding and horse care to younger members.

The top rating of "A" is reached by fewer than 1 in 300 and denotes throughout the international horse industry a highly competent and knowledgeable horse person.

The Palmetto Pony Club was established in 1993 and serves the greater- metropolitan area of Columbia. The District Commissioner of the Club is Carol Minsk.

Additional information is available on the club's website at www.palmettoponyclub. com.