Pony Club Camp 2023 - Lamerton Hunt

Generously hosted by the Hart family at Weston Farm and with fantastic support from Charlie, Phoebe, and their team, some 30 members and their ponies enjoyed varied activities during a five-day camp, with some members camping on-site (in tents, caravans, roof tents, and horseboxes!) and others travelling in daily with their ponies.

Accommodation had to be found for up to 17 ponies at a time in the form of temporary stables expertly constructed from gates and straw bales in the cattle sheds at Weston. Members brought in their own feed and forage for their ponies, whilst everyone else was well catered for by our Quartermaster, operating from a mess tent and barbecue generously loaned by the Hunt (with back-up from the farm kitchen!) and with support from top-notch independent caterer Lorna Conaway and from the team at Lifton Strawberry Fields. We catered for over 50 members and supporters on our busiest day!

Members attending Camp ranged in age from 3 to 15 years, and firm friendships were forged over the week across all age groups, which is one of the achievements we value most highly at our relatively small branch of the Pony Club (43 members in total). We are all about having fun and making friends both in and out of the saddle!

Ponies attending Camp ranged in age from 5 to 23 years and in size from tiny miniature Shetland Bessie (belonging to Camp host, Penny Hart), to new member Thomas Petherick’s 15hh Spook, representing a wide array of colours and breeds. Ponies got on just as well with one another as their riders did, and a great week was had by all with fantastic progress in dressage, show jumping, mounted games, cross-country riding, and mounted hound exercise. Arenas were roped off in a beautiful field at the top of the farm for the mounted games, show jumping, and dressage arenas, and a bespoke cross-country schooling course was built overlooking the Ottery valley. Weston provided a fantastic environment for our instructors Gabrielle McHenry and Theo Funnell to really build members’ confidence.

Members looked after their own ponies whilst at Camp, with younger members assisted by older ones and by their parents. Each day typically started with morning stables at 8am, followed by breakfast. Members enjoyed one ridden and one non-ridden activity session each morning and afternoon (punctuated by a splendid lunch and morning/afternoon cake breaks!) followed by evening stables before supper at 6pm, with an evening activity after that. There was also lots of time for members to play and spend time together.

Wednesday’s mounted hound exercise and farm hack activities were a particular highlight, despite driving rain throughout! A field of around 30 members and parents headed out variously mounted or on foot for hound exercise with the Lamerton Hunt from Weston Farm up to the Rising Sun at Stenhill and back. Thank you to all villagers who patiently waited whilst traffic was held during our progress up and down Stenhill – this was much appreciated. After a picnic lunch held in one of the sheds (rather than out on farm as originally planned!), members headed out again for a lively hack around the farm – thanks so much again to the Hart family for generously sharing their beautiful home with us, and to Hunt staff and kind friends of the Hunt who turned out to ride as escorts to members during the afternoon’s hack.

Despite the week’s less-than-ideal weather (best politely described as ‘inclement’!) we were able to proceed with all planned mounted activities, as well as dismounted activities including vaulting practice on our custom-built steel vaulting horse; playing on the legendary Weston rope swing; a hotly contested quiz; stories around the campfire; a talk from local vet Kieran O’Brien; and lots and lots of fun badge work. Members came away with a fantastic array of hard-earned achievement badges including (but not limited to!): Correctly Fitting Tack; Yard Safety; Plaiting; Grooming; Mucking Out; Native Breeds; Points of the Pony; Farming; Countryside Access; Poisonous Plants; and Tack Cleaning!

The final day of Camp was blessed with glorious sunshine, meaning that the Combined Training competition towards which members had been working hard all week was a great spectacle for parents and supporters who came along to watch. The competition consisted of a dressage test followed by a show jumping round for each member. Members were treated to an ice cream sundae from Ice Angel Dairy’s vintage ice cream trailer whilst awaiting the prize giving – another highlight of the week. It was fantastic to celebrate members’ achievements with parents and supporters looking on – a fitting end to a truly memorable week. We can’t wait to come back next year!

Members said:

I don’t want to go home!

Ella, 3, riding Cookie

Thank you for a wonderful Camp. Lovely to see all of you and make new friends and members of the club.

Jasmine, 8, riding Rosie

I loved riding cross-country and playing with my friends – I can’t wait for next year!

Joss, 6, riding Jack