Junior Camp - Ashford Valley

Welcome to Junior Camp Folks!

Camp dates: Monday 10th to Wednesday 12th August 2026 (3 full days)

Venue: Judd Wood Farm, Upper Haysden Lane, Tonbridge, TN11 8AB

Get ready to saddle up for the most rootin’ tootin’ adventure of the summer at Ashford Valley Junior Camp! This year we’re riding straight into the Wild West, where cowboys, cowgirls and pony pals can enjoy three jam‑packed days of excitement at the amazing Judd Wood Ranch! Campers will be grouped with pony pals of a similar ability and dive into riding lessons to include polework, jumping, cross‑country, hacking through woodland and farmland, mounted games, dressage to music, pony care badges and so much more! With friends by their side, brilliant Pony Club instructors and a big Wild West party at the Ranch Club House, it’s the perfect place to build confidence, make memories, and have a blast! So dust off their boots, grab their hats and join us for a Wild West adventure your young rider will never forget — Junior Camp is calling!

✨ It’s lively, it’s confidence‑boosting, and it’s seriously good fun — camp is always a rootin’ tootin’ highlight of the year!

Grown Ups scroll down for the finer details:

You’ll be pleased to hear we’ve got a fabulous camp venue with indoor stabling for the ponies comfort and to avoid daily travel stress, the children will enjoy two riding lessons a day, daily stable management, demonstrations and entertainment plus amazing prizes at our presentation day and a camp t-shirt all for £195 per child! With costs rising we are fund raising to make camp extra special and encourage you to help us really bring the Wild West to life! We appreciate Tonbridge is a little further to travel and so we are offering a camp supper and social on Monday and Tuesday and with many ponies staying over night this will mean your child will leave happy and fed and you just need to pop throuhg the sheep dip and to bed once you get home!

How to book: This is a special camp and stable spaces are limited so book early to avoid disappointment.

You have two options:

1) Pay the full amount and save on EM booking fee’s.

2) Pay a non refundable deposit of £95 and the final payment of £100 will be due by 1st July.

CLICK TO BOOK HERE from Saturday 16th May 8pm.

Organisers: Sarah O’Neill our Assistant DC is your point of contact this year and on the camp committee we have cow girls Elisha, Tara, Suzy and MaryJo. Please feel free to contact Sarah with any questions on smuir67@hotmail.co.uk or 07742864316.

Ponies need to be VACCINATED as per pony club rules, click here.

More Camp Details Below…

The Judd Wood Ranch…

We’re incredibly lucky to have exclusive use of the amazing Juddwood venue for all three days of camp. It’s a true adventure playground for pony‑mad children, packed with brilliant facilities to explore. Riders can enjoy farm and woodland hacking, a fantastic cross‑country course with water, steps and even a fun mini jumping track for our younger riders with every level of rider being catered for.

There will be grass arenas, a small indoor school, plenty of show jumps, and our very own Wild West Clubhouse complete with a working kitchen for our pizza and sausage sizzle suppers! On site you’ll also find toilets, a brand‑new tack room, hay and straw available to buy, water on tap and a huge all‑weather parking and drop‑off zone to make arrival smooth and easy.

Ranch Services:

We are fund raising for camp and are offering to set your stable up for you prior to arrival at just £5 per stable, we can arrange for your bedding to be at the venue with straw or shavings options. Prices TBC and will be circulated. Alternatively you can set your stable up on arrival on Monday morning but it will be very busy with check in’s and children and ponies getting settled.

> Ponies, Trailers, lorries, hay, feed, tack can remain on site at your own risk. Ponies are on a DIY livery basis however liase with your team leader daily as children will muck out their stables where appropriate.

Morning and Late night hay/feed: We will give breakfast hay/feed and a late night hay and water check is offered by our stable manager at £2 a day, all proceeds go to camp. Ponies will have your details attached to their door, any problems you will be called.

Further Info:

> Hay, Straw and Shavings will be at the venue to purchase – details will follow on this in the coming weeks.

Ponies going home each day will still be issued a stable and require bedding.

Parents and Carers Ranch Info:

Please send your child each day with:

1) Lunch and snacks

2) Drinks bottle

3) Cake – Our famous cake table will be running as usual!

4) Spare clothes

5) Water proofs trousers and riding coat

6) Sun cream and sun hat

A comprehensive kit list will be issued in the coming weeks.

Drop off/collection arrangements:

Each group will have an adult Team Leader who will guide them through their camp day and be your point of contact. Please report to the Ranch Club House for Registration at 9am and dismissal at 4pm each day.

The camp day runs as follows but is subject to change:

MONDAY:

Dress Code, Camp T-Shirts will be issued at check in to wear, cream/dark jodphurs, pony club jumper if needed, hairnet and band for long hair, hat, gloves and body protectors for XC and Arena Eventing.

CHECK-IN: Parents we will be ready to check your horses in from 8.30am, please visit the check in desk by the stables for your passport/vaccination/hat check. Your ponies name will be on their stable door with your contact information. (Stables can be set up by us ready for your arrival which we recommend to save time and mess on check-in day – book on EntryMaster when booking camp) Or you can set your stable up immediately on arrival while your pony remains on the trailer, no ponies to be left tied to trailers unattended please. Before leaving please register and hand over your child to their dedicated adult team leader and leave by 10am for camp fun to begin! On collection at 4pm we will be running our ranch supper and social at the club house, again please book your spaces, supper is fun and ensures you take your child home happy and fed, parents and siblings are welcome to participate. Supper is £4.50 a head – All campers to leave by 6pm so that the children and ponies can rest.

TUESDAY:

Dress Code: Fancy Dress in the theme of the Wild West and needs to be safe to be able to ride in and wear all day bearing in mind their body protectors must be worn for certain activities. No capes for safety, no items that may spook other ponies please.

WEDNESDAY:

Dress Code: Smart Show Dress – Hacking and Show Jackets, shirt and tie, cream/dark jodphurs, hairnets, gloves. Ponies can be plaited today so please supply plaiting bands. Today is our Big Pony Club Camp Photo and we aim to look really smart! The final day of camp is presentation afternoon with parents and carers returning for our 1pm presentation and award ceremony. We will be selling burgers and hotdogs so please bring cash, all funds go to the club. Friends and Family are welcome to attend. All parents/carers to help with packing up camp. Camp is run by a team of volunteers who will really appreciate your help to tidy up after 3 long days of entertaining your western ranch riders!

RANCH SERVICES:

We have kept camp prices the same to help make it more affordable but we need to raise some much needed funds…

We are offering to prepare your stable ready for your arrival for just £5 per stable.

We are offering to do late night hay/feed/water and morning hay/feed for just £4 for camp.

We are asking for an optional donation when you checkout on Entry Master of £5.

All proceeds go to camp!

We know there will be lots of questions and so please feel free to drop Sarah O’Neill a line: smuir67@hotmail.co.uk or 07742864316