Inclement weather played a factor during the Ridgeview Riding Camp at High Ridge Stables July 21-26, 2014.
Over 15 children took part in the week-long camp where they learned the finer points of horseback riding. Norene Pinder, co-owner of High Ridge Stables and head instructor for the camp, discussed the poor weather conditions.
“I thought the camp went really well, despite the weather. We had good dressage rides and really good hunter rounds,” Pinder said.
The camp was available for riders of all levels from beginner to intermediate to advanced level riders, as there were many different disciplines the riders went through during the camp. There was one major change during this year’s camp and that was the addition of a cross-country component. Pinder discussed the new component.
“The outdoor portion of the camp allowed the kids to get a better feel for the movement of their horses in a bigger arena and at a faster pace. So balance and concentration were so much more important because the course was bigger than in the indoor arena. It was also a little more technical in the outdoor arena,” said Pinder. “The kids enjoyed the outdoor portion but we didn’t get the entire cross-country course done due to the inclement weather but what they did do outside was well worth it.”
After spending the first five days of the camp battling the elements, participants moved indoors on Saturday, July 26 to take part in the Patti-Lynne Hamilton Horse Show. The show is the final wrap-up to the camp and Pinder discussed the kids’ performance during the show.
“They were very nervous because for many of them that was their first time ever showing. Some of the kids had new horses so it was a bit of a challenge for them. As far as getting an experience for what showing is, they did very well. The kids loved the idea that there was a show at the end of the camp.”
Pinder said she was very proud of all of the kids that took part in the final show of the camp.
“I was really proud of them because as nervous as they were they really showed the improvement they made over the course of one week. Some of them could barely get their horses moving at the beginning of the week. They just didn’t understand or couldn’t make a connection with the horse,” she said. “By Saturday, seeing the kids were clearing the jumps at a canter and not at a simple trot was amazing. I was actually very impressed with how well they all did.”
Pinder explained what it was like to see the improvement of the riders after only one week.
“It makes it all worth it. It gives the kids and myself a sense of accomplishment. I felt like I actually accomplished something because the kids got better as the week progressed. It is an accomplishment for the riders and it is an accomplishment for the instructors. Some of the parents were shocked to see their children accomplishing these jumps so it was very nice to see,” she said.
The camp ended with the traditional naming of the foal contest, which is done every second year.
“Our name the foal contest was also a big part of Saturday’s activities and we usually get around 50 entries for the contest. We had 48 entries this year and some of the names were a little bit wild but it was really nice to get that many entries. Irene Widdup was the winner and she picked the name Casanova and his barn name will be Cas. Everyone was so excited to hear what the name would be you could hear a pin drop,” said Pinder.
Pinder admitted that Casanova really liked the name.
“The name really, really suits him. When he first heard the name he did a little bit of a rear-up to show that he liked the name,” she said with a laugh.
Pinder shared her overall thoughts on the ninth annual Ridgeview Riding Camp.
“Despite the fact that we had four or five riders that couldn’t compete in the show on Saturday for a variety of reasons, we had weather that made the camp that much more challenging for the riders. Overall, this was probably one of the better camps we have had over the last nine years,” concluded Pinder.
