Words: Alice Corrin
Photos: CJS Photography
This summer marked a new era for Pony Club camps in the Isle of Man recently.
After many years of successful camps at Kennaa the committee decided that a much larger venue at Grenaby Equestrian Centre was needed.
The facilities here were enhanced by a lovely 12-acre field where committee member Peter Bond installed a range of cross country fences.
Some 25 members aged 10 and upwards attended camp for five days and slept under canvas. For the first two days seven of the youngest members joined in for Diddy Camp, but they went home to sleep. On the last three days, 10 Junior members joined, staying in the tent for the final night.
Torrential rain for a couple of days did not dampen any spirits and everyone just carried on riding as normal. Fortunately the indoor school was used for the youngest members.
Organiser Vicky Collister managed to arrange lots of interesting subjects for members to enjoy – including a visit from Sarah of Saracen horse feeds who weighed all the ponies.
Lynda Christian brought along her lovely horse and carriage and explained how to tack up for carriage driving, later offering them the opportunity to ride in the carriage.
Local horse physiotherapist, Jo Howie, came along and painted our long suffering little Baxter to outline the muscles and skeleton of a horse.
UK instructors, Amy and Alice, brought a racing saddle with them which members enjoyed riding with.
There was also plenty to do socially in the evenings.
The theme for the camp was Hawaii and on the last night there was a Hawaiian party.
On the final day all of the children completed a course of show jumps and then tried their hand at a Trec course.
Overall it was a super camp where the children gained a lot of knowledge from the wonderful team of instructors, namely Cheryl Curphey, Clare Drewry, Hannah Goodby-Dudgeon, Michelle Hargreaves, Aalish Creer, Tanya Kaighin along with Amy and Alice Bannister-Bell from Cheshire.
Awards
Most Improved throughout Camp
- Ride 1 - Gold Medal – Eva Jones, Silver Medal - Blae Richardson, Bronze Medal - Isla Curphey
- Ride 2 - Gold Medal – Lauren Batty, Silver Medal – Aislinn Lace, Bronze Medal – Sammie Callister
- Ride 3 – Gold Medal – Suzie Callister, Silver Medal – Freddie Ralston, Bronze Medal – Leah Knight
- Ride 4 – Gold Medal – Doona Kirk, Silver Medal – Millie Duncan, Bronze Medal - Eryn Byrne
- Ride 5 – Gold Medal – Affrica Fairbairn, Silver Medal – Olivia Howland, Bronze Medal – Faye Qualtrough
Achievement Badges
- Isla Curphey – Understanding Training, Fitness, How to be Lunged and Lunging Equipment
- Blae Richardson – How to be lunged, Lunging Equipment
- Eva Jones – How to be lunged, Lunging Equipment
- Percy Hampton – How to be lunged, Lunging Equipment
- Amelia Hotchkiss – Understanding Training, Fitness, How to be lunged
- Freya Cowie – Building Showjumps, Bandaging, How to be lunged
- Lucy Parsons, Building Showjumps, Bandaging, How to be lunged
- Lauren Batty – Loading, Building Showjumps, How to be Lunged and Bandaging
- Sammie Callister – Building Showjumps, Bandaging, How to be Lunged
- Aislinn Lace – Loading, Building showjumps, Bandaging and How to be Lunged
- Leah Knight – D+ Test, Buidling showjumps, Feeding, How to be lunged
- Henry Hotchkiss – D+ Test, Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged
- Freddie Ralston - Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged
- Suzie Callister – D+ Test, Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged
- Lily Howland – D+ Test, Building Showjumps
- Lindsay Collister – D+ Test, Feeding, Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged, Loading
- George Hotchkiss – D+ Test, Feeding, Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged, Loading
- Faye Qualtrough – D+ Test, Feeding, Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged, Loading
- Olivia Howland – D+ Test, Feeding, Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged, Loading
- Affrica Fairbairn – D+ Test, Feeding, Building Showjumps, Feeding, How to be Lunged, Loading
- Katie Keenan - Loading, tack cleaning, bandaging & rugs
- Eryn Bryne – D+ Test Loading, tack cleaning, bandaging & rugs
- Jayden Stewart – D+ Test, Loading, tack cleaning, bandaging & rugs
- Doona Kirk – D+ Test, Loading, tack cleaning, bandaging & rugs
- Millie Duncan – D+ Test, Loading, tack cleaning, bandaging & rugs
- Isabel Ennett – Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning and How to be Lunged
- Sophie Bateson - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning and How to be Lunged
- Tayla Griffin - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning and How to be Lunged
- Isla Caine - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning and How to be Lunged
- Daniel Collister - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning and How to be Lunged
- Emma Parsons - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning and How to be Lunged
- Eve McGeown - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning
- Elizabeth Perkins - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning
- Lillee Carter - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning
- Ruby Qualtrough - Mini Camping , Tack Cleaning
- Breesha Byers – Bronze 3 Award, Mini Colours, Mini Behaviour
- Annabelle Byers – Bronze 3 Award, Mini Colours, Mini Behaviour
- Emilia Lace - Mini Colours, Mini Behaviour
- Molly Huxham – E Test, Mini Colours, Mini Behaviour
- Sienna Curphey - Mini Colours, Mini Behaviour
- Evie-Grayse Preston - Cringle - Mini Colours, Mini Behaviour
- Alice Teare – Bronze 2 Award, Mini Point of the Pony, Mini Tack
Isle of Man Pony Club wishes to thank Joanna Crookall for allowing it to hold the camp at her lovely home and also Shane, Maciek, Selina, Immy and Declan from Grenaby for their help, Hotchkiss Asociates for once again generously supporting the Club, and Frazer and Cameron of Triskelion Polo Club for their co-operation.
Also, the Woodland Trust for donating a super marquee to the club, Gordon Clague and helpers from Cronk-y-Voddy Ploughing Association for supplying and erecting the large marquee and supplying the tables and chairs, JDW for a marquee, Stella and Ballawhetstone Pony Club Centre for all the help erecting marquees and clearing away, and Martin Howland for supplying the delicious evening meals.
AmyAnne from Horse and Rider for arranging for Sarah from Saracen horse feeds to give a most informative talk, Lynda Christian for making the huge effort to bring her carriage and horse to show the children, Jo Howie for spending the afternoon painting Baxter for the children to then have to spend another hour washing it all off!
Callum Stalley from CJS Phtography for turning up in all weathers to take the super photos, farrier Jon Tydesley for being in the right place at the right time to help out, Peter Bond for bringing and staking all the cross country fences, Geraldine and Kathryn from Trec for organising such a super course for the campers, all the instructors Cheryl, Hannah, Clare, Michelle, Amy, Alice, Aalish and Tanya, for being so enthusiastic and patient throughout the week, even when the weather was horrid, plus all the mums and dads who took turns to help out.
A very big thank you to those who stayed over night in the tent, all the Pony Club members who were a great bunch and all got on so well and, last but not least, Vicky Collister and her camp committee who pulled this tremendous week together.
