Horse Show info for YOU

Friday July 11th, 2008

Dearest Pony Farm Families, One and All,

What a fantastic group of kiddos you have bequeathed us. Wow, they are game for anything, listen well, work hard, play well and are just plain delightful. Thank you for sharing them with us and sending us such great young people. The world will indeed be in good hands when they grow up!

I know you are eager to know when your child is riding tomorrow. The instructors and kids have finished the final decision making process as to which classes they will each enter. The horse show will be on the Outside Courses in the lower field from the lodge. This is the best way to have a horse show in the summer because it is on grass rather than in the rings which get so very dusty that none of us can breathe, humans or horses. However, it is more challenging riding because it is in a more open space and without the ring fence. Many of the riders that we get at camp have never ridden out of a ring much less jumped a course….thus, we take our time to make sure they are each entered in an appropriate and safe class. After reviewing each entry form, both the head instructors and I feel confident that your daughter is in the right class on the right horse with the right teacher…..So, please look at the end of this Blog to see when she will be riding. I hope it suits your travel and family schedule.

I also want to have you note that I am giving you an approximate time. It is my best guess. I just hate to have parents struggle to get here at the crack of dawn if their child is going to be riding in the afternoon. Conversely, I hate to have parents miss their child’s class because they arrived too late. So….it is my best GUESS…What makes it hard is that we never know how many horses are coming from other farms. So much depends on what other shows are happening or what special events are taking place in the lives of the various coaches from the local barns. Thus, I am doing my best to let you know…Please do look at the end of the Blog for this info. If you have any questions, please do email me rather than call as I will be out with the kids for the rest of the day following writing you. While they are resting or untacking, I will check my email and get right back to you. I do hope this helps.

Before I list the riders and show times, let me back up a moment to update you as to what we have been doing here at camp. I always like to have our parents know as so many of the girls don’t write letters because they are so happily engaged in camp. This is a good sign but also leaves parents with no information as to what is happening at camp! Therefore, I feel it’s a good use of my time to update you.

When I left off on Tuesday, we had organized all the riding groups and finalized the horse matches….Happily, we were mostly right about where the girls fitted into the levels and which horses were the right matches to make it a happy, learning and safe experience for each and everyone…two and four “footeds” alike. So all ended well on Tuesday with smiles and happy good nights following my Mom’s stories from her days in the Wild West and during World War II in Washington, DC. My mom is nearly 86 so she kids that the campers and staff know the stories better than she does! I must say that it is a pleasant way to spend the evening. We had planned to have the story telling around the campfire ring outside the lodge, complete with S’Mores. Sadly, the heavens opened up and it was raining hard so we all huddled together in the main room at the lodge and listened with great glee to her stories….all safe and sound inside. We had yummie Ice Cream Sundaes instead and all was well in the land of Pony Farm.

Wednesday dawned hot and humid, but we were not daunted. Everyone set off to ride after breakfast, room clean up and morning meeting. The groups spread out into all the rings and the Outside Courses to practice, practice and practice some more. The teachers all felt that the kids were making great progress and would be ready to show in the field.

Wednesday was the first Afternoon Activities offerings of the session. Before lunch and rest hour, the kids chose between the following possibilities. Trip to swim at the Falls, Swimming at the pool here and playing with the Farm Animals, Carriage Driving with the Miniature Horses and ponies, Riding Bareback, Individual coaching for Equitation (form of the rider for the show), learning to lunge a horse, and trail riding (two levels). Everyone signed up for one thing and off we went…The only changes were that we kept the activities close to the farm as thunderstorms were a strong possibility. I joined with them to do the driving, which is always a popular activity. Such fun!!! I feel so lucky that we have so many choices to offer the girls between trail riding, camping with the horses, swimming with the horses, driving and vaulting, plus showing….There is surely never a dull moment.

On Wednesday night, the girls played a game called Personal Scavenger Hunt…This is a game that I am hopeless at playing…and I might add, so would parents or grandparents be lost. It is a series of questions of modern day singers, actors and teen idols…It is a total camp favorite but I can not answer one of the questions…So much for old age and wisdom!!! Teen magazine is just not my thing!!!

Yesterday, the groups split into two and half the girls schooled hard over the courses and in the field while the other half cleaned their tack and organized their show clothes. We held dinner a little late so that everyone could get their turn in on the courses in particular. The weather was cool and beautiful so no one got overheated and everyone was in a great mood. Those kids and their staff sure were working hard. What a beautiful sight to see all the happy, healthy kids and horses enjoying learning in a sea of green grass and brightly colored jumps. A beautiful sight indeed.

Last night was another all camp fav with the Fashion Show….the biggest hit of which is when the kids each pretend to be a staff member. They sure come pretty darn close to acting and talking and walking like we do…It can be pretty scary to see one’s self in action.

Today, the kids are again out schooling in the field and on the courses. While one half is riding, the other half is trimming their horses, pulling manes and giving bathes. They are all helping each other so it is going nicely. At rest hour, the staff will give any final schools for any horses that need an extra amount of steady hands and confidence.

Tonight, we will get everyone into the shower, set out the clothes, explain the schedule and polish the boots…..We will all retire early and be ready for our big day tomorrow. I feel like I can report that the kids and coaches feel ready and eager.

We will invite you to arrive about the time your child is showing. You are also welcome to come early and stay late. We do ask that you park at the lodge as the field will be pretty full with trailers and riders. We will have a food concession truck for your ‘dining’ pleasure…Food will be served at the show grounds for all campers. Kris and I will take turns announcing so that I can ‘visit’ with everyone. You know how I love to greet people and chat!

Once your child has finished showing, you are welcome to take her out to ice cream or to dinner. You may also want to take a friend or two with you. Please do check in and out with Kris to make sure that everyone has the right parental permission to go out on the town. Kris and I can also tell you what might be a fun place to go to eat or enjoy looking around. We want this to be a fun day for you too.

Tomorrow night the kids will see a movie that is age appropriate. Kris is really good at finding ones that everyone will like. If you have taken your daughter out for dinner please do try to return before 9:00PM…The kids will have gotten up early and it is hard when a ‘roomie’ is coming back after lights are out. It wakes everyone up.

I hope that this helps you get a gist of what we have been doing. Next week will be much more geared to the ‘fun’, non showing part of camp…The pony camping trip, the Hunter Pace, the All Day Ride and the Swimming with the horses…So, it will be lots of fun and exciting things to do with our horses. I always love that week as I enjoy seeing the kids get out of the ring and see all the other ways to enjoy a horse!

I send all my best to you on behalf of the staff and Kris. We are having a blast with you kiddo and look forward to seeing you either this weekend or next. Until then, know that we are giving out lots of hugs and offering tons of fun in the sun!

Warmly,
Boo

SHOW SCHEDULE…APPROXIMATELY….

Kids who want to help but not show….Rebecca P. and Lea M-S.

9:00: Mia and Ava L., Keala G., Emma D, Louisa S., Tess J.

9:45: Avrille LaV., Jessen E., Marie W., Emma Montoya

10:00 Jill C., Hailey O’B., Nicole B., Olivia M., Anna F.

11:00 Caroline R.

12:00 Kirsten M., Grace J., Eugenie L., Mackenzie D., Katherine S., Laura McC.,

1:00 Erin M., Caroline R., Tess C., Molly B., Natalie B., April K., Hannah F., Emily S., Georgia M., Jill A., Emma S., Caroline R., Kelly C., Megan T., Bebe M-S.

2:30 Adriane M., Annie M., Allie K., Becca C., Emma Milford, Robin K., Mallory M., Mikaela W-S., Jessie R.

HAPPY DAY TO YOU ALL!!!!