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2006 Pony Club Camp

A Members Story

My Pony Club Camp

In 2006, I went to Pony Club Camp. It was at Bryanston School, in Blandford. It was from 23rd to the 28th of July. I took Shah, Rachael took Joe Brown and Sophie took Blackjack to Junior Camp.

We arrived on Sunday, and we have to settle the horses in, put them in their tying up spot, and put all our equipment to do with the horses in our assigned trailers. The trailers are always packed! There is normally about 6-8 people in each group, and we have our own instructor for the week. I had Naomi, and I was in a group with Saffron, Daisy, Alice, Sabrina, Another Alice, and a couple more. We all knew each other, and got on well.

We were set in bedrooms. The house was big and confusing, but once you knew where your rooms (and your friend's rooms!) were, it wasn't quite so confusing! When we weren't riding, the Pony Club offered lots of other activities. You could do Canoeing/Tennis/Swimming/Squash or just watch TV and hang with your friends.
I did Canoeing and had lots of fun, we played games, and I really enjoyed it, and we had our fun run back to the house.

Shah was a really good boy all week. We had to wake up at 7am to go collect our horses and feed them. Mornings were so hard, everybody was half asleep, and some cheeky ponies woke them up! It was half 7 and we were filling up hay nets and carrying water buckets to our horses that were happily stuffing their faces! Then it was rush back to the house, to wash hands and change shoes before getting to the Breakfast Hall. At camp, it's made very clear that horses are far, far more important than us! Then we'd have breakfast, which was usually fried breakfast or cereal, fruit was on offer too (for all the healthy people!!!) and hot chocolate/tea/coffee/milk was on offer as well as fresh juice.
As soon as breakfast was finished, it was straight up to the house again to change for riding. When everyone was there, everybody would walk up to the horses, and groom, and tack up in record time!

We did a lot of activities. Dressage, Cross Country, Show Jumping, Mounted Games, hacks and more. My personal favorite was Cross Country. I think Shah liked it too, the chance to gallop, free with the wind... until he got to the hill! My worst activity was Dressage; I just couldn't get the correct leg!

We'd finish off at the end of the day, with a thrilling tack cleaning session whilst we did practice for tests and achievement badges. The whole group sat around the trailer and cleaned whilst the instructor asked questions. After that, it would be a manic session to feed all horses and get them turned out in their fields, or put away in their stables.

Once you got back to the house, it was a quick wash and change before going to the Hall for tea. We'd have our food and drinks and go back to the house. We'd either go swimming, play squash or sit or stuff ourselves with sweets! Then we'd have supper and soon get to bed, or so the helpers thought! Most would chat for ages, or run round playing murder in the dark, or visit all your friends' rooms!

Soon the week was finished, and we did a Combined Training Session. I unfortunately knocked one jump down in Showjumping, but I was quite happy with my dressage test, considering I had been stressing over it all week!

My plan next year for camp is to improve enormously this year and I can't wait for camp 2007. BRING IT ON!