Drive My Buggy Carriage Camp Summer Series June 27- 28 and July 25-26 By Lauren Pigford Kimberlin Farms, the home of Ann and Carl Kimberlin, has been full of life, fun, and cart-pulling ponies all summer long. This is the fourth year for the Drive My Buggy Carriage Camp for junior drivers and it has possibility been the most successful yet. This year Ann, clinician Joanna Wilburn of Rollingwoods Farm and the experienced camp counselors, planned a new camp schedule so the campers would just drive, drive, drive. Instead of a four-day camp with about 20 kids, Ann and Joanna planned multiple two-day camps, with about 8 kids each, throughout the summer months. At the first camp, June 27- 28, all eight spots were filled with junior drivers from previous year’s camps with a few first time drivers. The second camp, July 25-26 had seven spots filled. It was Ann and Joanna’s goal to get a whole new group for the second camp. There were 2 returning campers from the June camp, but the other five children were new campers for the 2009 Drive My Buggy Carriage Camp Series. “The children don’t have to have any driving experience. We teach them everything in a safe and controlled environment,” Ann said. The campers weren all ages, from six through age 14. Four of the 13 children had never driven before and two had never been around horses or ponies before. “All children are welcome. The only requirement is that the child has to have a spark of interest. Carriage driving is very different from riding, but it teaches the same life lessons: it builds athletic ability, confidence, and responsibility. It teaches hand-eye coordination and teaches compassion and bonding with something that is dependent on them,” Ann said. The camps started at 10 a.m. with Ann welcoming, introducing everyone and announcing the three camp rules: “Love thy neighbor as you love thyself. Do unto others as you would have done unto you; and have fun.” After a short prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance the children scrambled to their camp counselors and got their ponies. The counselors showed the campers how to groom, harness the ponies, and then hitch them to the carriages. Then it was time to drive. Joanna instructed the children on how do all types of exercises to get the feel of driving. After a break for lunch, the children would get the second group of ponies and drive again. The second part of the day included a cones course. The children used the skills Joanna taught them in the earlier part of the day, and had fun trying not to knock over the cones while going through obstacle courses. A third junior driving camp is being planned for August and September, which will focus on returning junior drivers who wish to compete in the Nashoba Carriage Classic driving show September 18-20 at the Germantown Charity Horse Show Arena. Ann and Joanna hope that the junior classes will be packed with Drive My Buggy Carriage Camp junior drivers. For more information on upcoming camps, clinics, and events visit www.kimberlinfarms.com, and for more information on carriage driving lessons visit www.rollingwoodsfarm.com.