Session 2 East Valley Ranch 2 Week campers put their feet in the stirrups!
The beginning of session 2 here at East Valley Ranch has taken off at a gallop! After all of the girls were dropped off on Sunday we played some name games and started to get to know everyone. After dinner we had our first evening activity, which was OPENING CAMPFIRE! The girls got to make s’mores and write down what their goals were for the two week session. After that the girls were invited to share any goals or talents with the group and it turned into a big sing a long and fun time, especially when one of our staff members, Emma, brought out her guitar and played some summer favorites! One Direction and Call Me Maybe were on the top of that list!
Monday was the real start of the session as the girls woke up in time for flag raising before breakfast! Everyone ate a delicious meal and talked excitedly about what was going to come after breakfast- evaluation rides at the barn! All of the girls did wonderfully. The campers were split up into four groups, by yurt, and rotated through different stations throughout the barn. While one group was riding another group was doing barn rules, or horse introductions, grooming and tacking, and leading and tying. Â After everyone had a chance to experience all of the activities, it was time to clean up the barn and head to lunch!
After lunch there was rest hour, where the girls got to hang out in their yurts and write letters or make friendship bracelets. Once everyone was relaxed and ready to go, a big GaGa tournament started only to be interrupted by WATER BALLOONS! The girls each got a partner to play water balloon toss! Every time the balloon was caught and didn’t pop the girls had to take a step back so that the game became harder. Once the balloons were all gone it turned into a big water fight with buckets of water and lots of splashing! All of the girls were laughing and cooling off, it was so much fun! They even teamed up to get a few of their counselors soaked. Shortly after everyone finished drying off and getting changed it was time for dinner where all the girls chatted about the horses they rode and the activities that they had done. After showers it was time for another evening program which was…SUPER SECRET DANCE PARTY! All the girls ran to their yurts to come up with their craziest outfits before coming to the dining hall- which had been transformed into a big dancing area with music speakers! Singing and dancing went on into the night, and it could even be heard across camp! However that night everyone was eager to get to bed because in the morning they would find out who their horses and instructors were!
Tuesday was the first real day of lessons. The girls woke up for flag raising before breakfast which was where they would find out who their horses, instructors and lesson groups were. After that the lesson groups were split in two! So groups 1, 2, 3 and 4 went down to the barn in the morning to have their lessons while groups 5, 6, and 7 went to WATERFRONT! While the girls who went to the barn groomed and tacked their horses before their lessons the others got to take a hay ride down the farm to swim in the swimming hole! It was a nice way to cool off in the heat! After lunch the groups flip flopped, so the girls who were at the barn in the morning went to waterfront and vice versa. Â Once the girls finished their lessons at the barn they got to do stable management as well as turn the horses out to the field while the girls who got back from waterfront changed for dinner!
After dinner the girls had a nice surprise because the CAMP STORE came for a visit! Everyone was excited to buy lots of goodies from the store such as Frost Valley t-shirts, water bottles and sunglasses! Once the store left it was time for showers and then the girls surprised everyone by getting together on the lawn and practicing some EVR cheers! Everyone got into the spirit and joined in! Paper Bag skits soon followed, which is always a funny night! A bunch of random items go into bags and the girls team up into groups and must make a skit using all of the items in the bag. The girls loved it!
This morning things were a little different because the girls are now going to start wrangling in the morning! One yurt will wake up a little earlier and help bring the horses in. This morning was Yurt 1’s turn and they did a spectacular job! Once we finished bringing all the horses to the barn we all met at the flag pole for flag raising before breakfast. Half of the girls are now at the barn riding while the other half just now left for waterfront! It is hot, hot, hot but the girls are drinking lots of water and are excited to go swimming! After lunch and rest hour we will flip flop again so everyone gets their turn at the barn and at the swimming hole. Tonight’s evening activity is going to be a big camp wide game of CAPTURE THE FLAG! It’s been a busy first few days but we’re really excited for all of the fun things coming our way!
We <3 EVR!
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