MINI CAMP 2010
Thursday, 3rd June saw 12 excited mini campers, their equally excited ponies and very excited parents arrive at Limes Farm for the first day of mini camp. The sun was shining brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky.
The campers were put into groups for the riding and into teams for the team challenges. Lucy Burrows, Lucy Pedley and Katherine Smith were the team captains and led their teams through the first challenge – guessing what items of clothing or tack was being described without actually saying the word. The descriptions gave the eavesdropping parents much to smile about. After a drink and snack, the ponies were tacked up and the riding began.
Our fantastic instructors – Rob, Sarah and Georgina assisted by Rosie on Thursday, taught the 3 groups during the day. All groups had a stable management session, learning how to groom and practicing on very patient ponies. The older members were judged- all the ponies looked so smart with knot free tails and shiny hooves, but in the end Lucy Pedley and her pony Star were judged to be the winners.
Cross country skills were practiced and perfected, flat work was ‘worked on’ and all the time there were beaming smiles – and that’s not just the very proud parents!
After a super lunch – thank you Julie, the younger members took their road rider mini badge. Limes Farm was turned into a major highway with t-junctions and stop signs, not to mention a pig – you will have to ask Georgina to explain. Lead rein ponies were turning left and right – almost as busy as the M6! Once dismounted the younger campers dressed up in hi- vis clothing and explained how they would ride on the road, sitting on the back of their instructor, who was pretending to be a pony!
All too quickly it was time for the last challenge – a saddlery quiz. All the campers did very well and gained their saddlery mini badge.
The final task before going home was to judge the cake competition. It was just too hard to decide a winner so everyone was awarded 1st prize and we all set about sampling the cakes!!
On Friday the sun was still shining, the campers were still excited and parents were still very excited and the ponies as keen as the day before! Unfortunately, we had less campers than the previous day so three groups became two for the first activity of the day – a quiz about poisonous plants and feeding by Georgina.
Snack time was next and then the ponies were tacked up ready for the farm ride and hack. Lucy, Katherine and Kate appeared on their ponies, wearing long sleeves, body protectors and their medical armbands (well done girls for remembering) ready to set out on the farm ride. Rob and Anna accompanied the ride and after a 10 minute hack were through the farm gates and off they went. There was ample chance to canter and jump a range of fences on the way. The ponies even got their hooves wet crossing the stream. It was a scorching hot day and after an hour they turned back for Limes Farm where the ponies enjoyed a much-needed sponge down.
While the older members were farm riding, the younger campers, parents and helpers set off on a short road hack. Along the way they looked for birds to identify in order to gain their birds mini badge. On returning, Sarah had laid a treasure hunt, which was a great success.
Nostrils began to twitch (human not pony), and the wonderful aroma of a BBQ wafted around the corner. Steve, Zoe’s dad had put his culinary skills to good use and produced a lovely bbq lunch for us all. The farm ride and hack had certainly made the campers hungry!
Energy levels restored and it was back on the ponies. Everyone took part in a round of jumping. The training on the previous day had obviously paid off as we had some super clear rounds. The final activity of the day was mounted games – always a favourite.
Once the ponies had been safely loaded on the trailers and boxes everyone met up for the final time for the presentation of camp rosettes and well earned mini badges before setting off home. It had been a fabulous two days!!
Of course none of this could have been possible without all the help that we received.
A huge thank you to our instructors, Rob, Sarah, Georgina and Rosie who did a wonderful job teaching the youngsters.
The camp could not have run so smoothly without our older helper members – Abby, April, Hil, Imogen, Ki and Leah, tacked up ponies, lead ponies, pole picked, helped with the team challenges… in fact they were on the go all the time! Thank you girls – you are a credit to the branch.
Thank you too to Julie Pedley and Steve Hill for the fab food and to all the other parents for their help.
And of course a final thank you to the Gilsenan family for allowing us to ‘invade’ Limes Farm.
Looking forward to 2011!