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BBC Radio 4 - 92 to 94 FM and 198 Long Wave

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OPEN COUNTRY

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	PROGRAMME INFO

	Saturday 6.10-6.35am Repeated Thursday 1.30-2.00pm


	From Shetland to the Scilly Isles, Open Country travels the UK in search of the stories, the people and the wildlife that make our countryside such a vibrant place. Each week we visit a new area to hear how local people are growing the crops, protecting the environment, maintaining the traditions and cooking the food that makes their corner of rural Britain unique. Email: [email protected] Postal address: Open Country, BBC Radio 4, Birmingham, B5 7QQ.


	LISTEN AGAIN


	Listen to Open Country for 30 July 2005


	PRESENTERS

	HELEN MARK and RICHARD URIDGE



	More about Helen Mark




	More about Richard Uridge


	PROGRAMME DETAILS

	Saturday 30 July 2005
This week Helen explores the thrills and spills of Pony Club camp. More and more children are taking up riding and the long summer holidays are a chance to get out into the countryside and spend hours with a pony. Summer camp is the highlight of the year for members of the Pony Club, which has over 40,000 members. Founded in 1929, The Pony Club has been the starting ground for most of the country's top Olympic riders including William Fox Pitt and Pippa Funnell - but you don't have to be a own a pony to be a member. Pony Club Helen Mark joins 30 youngsters from East Lothian for their camp at Tyninghame near Dunbar. Over 2-3 days the children have a go at show jumping, pony games, cross country and even an exhilarating beach ride. Behind the scenes are parents doing plenty of work: grooming ponies, transporting them and of course paying for all the costs. So why do it? Most agree that riding makes their children more responsible, boosts their confidence and gives them independence as well as hours of fun. To find out why children love riding so much Helen experiences some of the thrills of a canter across a beach with Carol Boswell who runs Sea Cliff stables near North Berwick. Unlike the local pony club, most of the pupil riders don't have their own ponies. Many of the children come from Edinburgh and nearby towns with no space to keep animals. Carol describes the changes she sees in children as they conquer their fears, meet new people and gain self esteem. For those that want to make a career out of riding once they turn 16 there is a new Scottish Racing Academy a few miles away near Dunbar. Tony and Jackie Dicken run the academy alongside their Racing Stables. Tony is a jockey and runs the racing yard, whilst Jackie runs the three month course which is a partnership between The Northern Racing School, East Lothian Council and Oatridge College. Helen chats to the students who are aged 16-18; some have never have sat on a horse before. They work a full day a get about £45 a week, plus board and lodging. The course is currently paid for by the state and prepares students for work with racehorses. Email Open Country: [email protected] The BBC is not responsible for external web sites

	RELATED LINKS BBC Holiday Category BBC Country file