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Pony Club Camp 2007

Myerscough College 24th - 29th July

The day of the camp finally arrived and here comes 24 excited members with their ponies and hundreds of suitcases!!  As this was a new venue of Myerscough we were in a different world from the portacabins of Osbaldeston and this year we were in the student accommodation with beds and bathroom facilities next to each room !!   The first hour or so needed lots of organisation to get the members from the equine yard to their rooms with the friends they wanted to share with (this was a task in itself) thankfully the rain stayed off at this point.

Eventually all was sorted and it was ready for the parents to wave goodbye to their little darlings and have a week of peace.  Off we set for the dining room to have lunch.   Once back on the yard it was time for the first ride of camp and we all gathered into the arena and got to know the instructors for the week and also time to prepare for the annual musical ride directed by Ann, there were a few very excited ponies in there at one point.    Once the lessons had been completed it was time for Jo and Kerry from Myerscough to explain their roles in stable management and how they were going to mark the tack cleaning, grooming and mucking out for the week to see who won the trophy.  After all the stables were cleaned out and the ponies groomed it was time for their tea and ours too.   Off we set for the canteen with all the adults in tow to get them there and back in one piece.   After a lovely meal it was back to the yard for a few games of rounders and for everyone to get to know each other a bit better until eventually we headed back to the rooms for our first night sleep.

 

Day 2 arrived and here comes the first full day at camp.  Before long the members were into their routine of being on the yard at 7.30am to feed the ponies and skip out.  Then it was back to the canteen for breakfast followed by a lesson with their group in either the indoor arena or outdoor facilities.  After the lessons tack had to be cleaned, ponies groomed, stables mucked out again and everyone fed.  Once back on the yard the ponies were tacked up and another lesson ensued.  Some were jumping, some practicing dressage and the younger members doing their D+ test under the watchful guidance of Jo and Kerry.  They were pleased to report back on the excellent standard and that they had all passed with flying colours.  Once again after their lessons it was back to the yard to groom the ponies, skip out and bed them down for the night.  After the members had been fed it was time for some relaxation with an excellent talk and presentation from Simon Constable the vet and some very good questions being answered.

 

Day 3 seemed to come in a flash with much the same as the day before  with the exception of Becky and Mario demonstrating the dressage test which Tom/Sarah’s ride and Jennifer’s ride were about to do.  It was an exciting and nervous time for the members as they took it in turns to ride the test which was kindly read out by Lisa.   After tea it was back to the yard for an excellent night of activities where Peter came to show them how to make kites and glove puppets and then have the best entertainment of camp with a skipping rope.   All the members had a ball and really enjoyed themselves until they were absolutely shattered and ready for bed !!!

Before we knew it Friday had arrived and it was time for Becky’s ride and Lisa/Hazels ride to do their dressage test which as in the previous day went well with some excellent riders it has to be said.   Most of the older members then had a lesson in jumping work with Mark in which they all enjoyed themselves and learnt a lot.   Before tea we had a demonstration of pony driving with Sarah and Tom being very good, if not petrified, riders on the back of the cart. Friday night came and a trip from the hounds kept all the members attention with again lots of interesting questions about the hunt and what is expected from the Huntsman and his helpers.   Finally Rick from sports development did some physical work with them using the facilities of the sports hall at the centre to show them how exercise can be fun and not a chore.

 

Saturday came all too quickly and it was time for the show.  All the members were up early and ready to plait the ponies and groom them well, from what they had learnt all week.  In the morning were the equitation classes kindly judged by Emma.   The afternoon was then set for the Show Jumping which was watched over and judged by Mike Miller.  Preparations were being undertaken in the background to work out scores for all the trophies and rosettes which were presented after tea.   Saturday evening was taken up with a demonstration from Mark on how to break a young horse, thanks to Melissa’s pony for being a great model and Kyle being the brave rider.

I hear the adult helpers cry out ‘at last it is Sunday’ and time to go home and recuperate.  Once the last of the members had made their way home it was time for us all to pack up and do last checks that nothing had been left and it was time for us to also leave for another year.  

A big thank you has to be said for Tom and Lisa who experienced their first camp ‘on the other side’ as instructors and not members and both understood why we are those horrible adults who keep them in tow.

Thanks also should go to Hazel, Becky, Jennifer, Sarah and Mark for the expert tuition all week.  Thanks to Ann for organising yet another camp and ‘hats off’ to Gillian, Joanne and Rhona for keeping the members on the straight and narrow at night and making sure they did get some sleep.

Here’s to next year !!!!

Camp Awards

 

JUMPING (under 14 yrs)  - Becky Bolam

JUMPING (15 - 16 yrs)    - Kelly Sagar

COMBINED TRAINING (Senior)  - Rebecca Harrison

COMBINED TRAINING (Junior)  - Ryan Smith

EQUITATION  -   Bryonny Denny

DRESSAGE  -  Alice Miller

TACK CLEANING -  Abigail England

EYE FOR A HORSE  -  Rebecca Harrison

 

MOST IMPROVED

Sarah/Tom ride:   -  Edward McLoughlin

Hazel/Lisa ride     -  Sophie Jones

Jennifer ride        -  Rebecca Harrison

Rebecca ride        -   Kelly Sagar

 

RIDE RESULTS

Tom/Sarah ride 

Dressage                                  Jumping                                    Equitation

1st Holly Baxendale                  1st Kyle Smith                         1st Holly Baxendale

2nd Joanne Bowker                  2nd Joanne Bowker                  2nd Catherine Bowker

3rd Rhiannon Wheeler              3rd Holly Baxendale                 3rd Molly Heywood

 

Hazel/Lisa ride 

Dressage                                  Jumping                                    Equitation

1st Briea Denney                      1st Briea Denney                      1st Sophie Jones

2nd Tom Grundy                      2nd Tom Grundy                      2nd Hannah Mansell

3rd Rebecca Wheeler                                                              3rd Briea Denney

 

Jennifer ride

Dressage                                  Jumping                                    Equitation

1st Bryony Denney                   1st Abigail England                   1st Bryony Denney

2nd Abigail England                  2nd Rebecca Harrison              2nd Melissa Penny

3rd Rebecca Harrison               3rd Bryony Denney                  3rd Abigail England

 

Rebecca ride 

Dressage                                  Jumping                                    Equitation

1st Alice Miller                         1st Ryan Smith                         1st Becky Bolam

2nd Ryan Smith                        2nd Kelly Sagar                        2nd Kelly Sagar

3rd Becky Bolam                     3rd Becky Bolam                     3rd Alice Miller


RIDING AND ROAD SAFETY

Bryonny Denny

Brea Denney

Ryan Smith

Sophie Jones

Olivia Jones

Catherine Bowker

Rebecca Harrison

Melissa Penny

 

D+ TEST

Edward McLoughlin

Catherine Bowker

Joanne Bowker

Olivia Eddlesdon

Hannah Mansell

Kyle Smith

Holly Baxendale

Molly Heywood

                                                              Report by Janette (Holly Baxendale’s mum).

 

This year we had a new venue for the Holcombe Hunt annual camp. The initial problems encountered upon on arrival around the sleeping accomodation were soon sorted and the whole experience was enjoyed by everyone.

Thanks go to the staff of Myerscough's Equine Section, to our instructors,our judges and examiners, also to parents who helped throughout camp and to all the members who once again worked so hard and improved so much in the short space of time.

I have provisionally booked camp next year for the last week in July. This will of course need to be confirmed at a later date.

Ann.