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A Belated NCPC Camp Diary (July 2006).

By Heather Charlesworth.

As I arrived at Lamp hill I got the shivers, shivers of excitement. Memories came back of last year. This year I was hoping to have more luck with my new horse Topaz. I had only had her four months yet I was still determined to go to camp on her.

Going up there bumpy lane excitement hit in I was so excited to see my friends and find out what group I was in.

We pulled up and I went in through the jockey door to go and give Topaz a carrot. She whinnied deeply. I told dad that I wouldn’t be long just wanted to go and see what stable number I was and what group I was in. I linked arms with my best friend Anya. We ran off to see what was happening over by the stalls. “YES” we cheered giving each other a big hug! We were in the same group. Topaz had the biggest stable; the one at the end and Poppy (Anya’s pony) had the stable two to the left of me. Checking whom else was in our group we already knew Olivia and Steph but couldn’t recognise the other names. It was Anya’s first camp so I was showing where everything was.

Afterwards we ran back to our trailers to find both our ponies tied up outside and both parents chatting.

I went and told mum that I was in Anya’s group as Anya did the same.

Unloading my entire luggage I firstly got the wheelbarrow out of the trailer and dad loaded 2 bails of shavings stacked on top of one another. My sister came with us. She helped unload my things as well. Next my dad wheeled the shavings over to my stable and dumped them in the middle. I passed him the shaving fork and he started laying her bed for me. I sprinted back to the car and grabbed some things, which would help dad. Mum gave Topaz a bucket of water and she nuzzled it not drinking just getting my mum wet. My sister and me helped each other carry everything over to the compartments where we stored our horse equipment.

Not long after everything was out of the trailer and my pony was safely in the box sniffing and scrapping around. I walked around and gave her some haylage. There she was happily eating. Then my dad and Derek (Anya’s dad) made the decision to park the trailer and get both Anya’s things and mine unpacked as well. Derek and Claire (Anya’s parents) reversed their trailer in first my dad and mum following not far behind with our trailer. The plan was to sleep in Anya’s trailer and get changed in mine so we had more room to sleep. Both parents hard at work unhitching the trailers Anya and me decided to go and check on the ponies just to make sure they were settling in ok. They were fine still munching away on there pile of haylage. Dad had left me a spare bail of shavings in my trailer so Anya and me could go and sit down.

Anya had bought a friend with her Georgia was her name. She pumped up the inflatable bed for us! Anya and me made our bed and not long after we were saying goodbye to our mums and dads. Hugs and kisses before they left. Dad was going through the quick instructions on how to look after Topaz. Mum was reassuring me that things would be ok. Anya and me waved from a distance. Then I went into Topaz’s stable and gave her a big hug.

Camp ran smoothly during the week and Anya and I had become stronger friends then when we first arrived there. Our instructor was Sacha she was lovely and got my confidence back with Topaz. Before long it was the last day, the competition was on!

So far I had, had a great dressage score which but me in joint first and a clear show jumping that meant Olivia and me were joint first. Heading down to the cross-country course and then warming up. Cross – country didn’t go so smoothly. But Nina Ball soon sorted Topaz out for me.

Just to say to the entire pony club that without all the parents help, Anita and the landowner’s permission, camp wouldn’t have gone ahead.

Thank you everyone for such a great camp and thank you Sacha for teaching us.

The food was delicious and the atmosphere was amazing.

Hope to have a great camp again next year.

Below is a picture of my group.