Forrestel News & Photos

Farewell Second Session Campers

2008-07-10T15:07:00.003-05:00

Oh what fun we've had! Our farewell party is tonight and no one wants to go home. The campers and staff have had such a good time together these past few weeks.

This morning I went out to check on our overnighters and found the adventure campers looking hungry - those poor kids! Someone had accidentally switched their cooler with the horseback overnight group. So I ran into town and picked up a few dozen fresh donuts and milk - what BIG smiles they had. The adventure campers' theme for this session has been pirates. This morning they were working their way through the jungle with their treasure map. What a magical time.

Riflery continues to be a favorite. Ben Vernille is such a good instructor! Of course Dennis' fishing trips have been a big hit too. I'm so proud of the wonderful staff that we have working with our kids. It makes all the difference in the world! Dear Emma, our principal riding instructor - she is such a good teacher. And then there's John, and oh, I could go on. Moms and Dads, I just want you to know that the kids are having such fun with our staff.

I'm proud of our horses too. We spend a lot of time working with them, developing them over the course of years. I can see it when I watch the kids ride. Gentle, responsive, patient - the qualities you want in a school horse.

One more note - the Kareokee King was a lot of fun this session. The kids sang..."Living on a Prayer" by Bon Jovi..."Summmer Loving" from Grease...."YMCA"...the old stand-bys. It is so funny to see these kids giving it all they've got.

John Norris told me that a couple of kids who have been coming here for years told him that this has been their best year yet. I agree. Oh boy, do I.

Mary

First Session Wrap-up

2008-06-27T10:28:00.006-05:00

Our first session ends today and the summer couldn't have begun any better. The weather has been ideal. High of 80 degrees, sunny and clear during the day. Nice cool sleeping weather in the evening.

The staff has exceeded our expectations and our campers have been delightful. It will be terribly hard to say good-bye later today. Children have come from all over the world for this session. He have a large group from western New York, Florida, Ohio, California, New Jersey, and Washington DC. Mary also welcomed several of her cousins from London as well as a young man all the way from Singapore.

The campers were enthusiastic riders and enjoyed being the first to ride our horses who are fresh, energetic, and ready to go to work. Our stables are brimming with 57 horses, 20 of which already have wonderful homes to look forward to in the fall.

The sports program has been as exciting as ever. Our new guided fishing program has gotten off to a great start. Everyone returns to camp with fish in their bag.

Ben Vernille, our new riflery instructor, keeps things exciting and challenging. Mary's son Charlie has benefited greatly from Ben's instruction. Last year he shot a fleeing wild turkey in the head.

We are eagerly awaiting the start of session 2. Sunday can't come soon enough.

Lacota Returns, Open House Wrap Up

2008-05-27T09:14:00.019-05:00

Our Open House was a blast! The weather was perfect. There were lots of good homemade cookies on hand. Yum! Everyone enjoyed the wagon ride too - what a handsome team of horses.

We had families from Cleaveland, Cincinatti, Syracuse, Buffalo - and even Connecticut, New Jersey and Canada! What fun to meet new people and make new friends.

I've posted a few photos for you to enjoy.

Lacota’s Back! Emma Returns & More

A shiny silver trailer pulled into camp last night and you know who was inside - Lacota! I was thrilled to see him again and I could tell that he was happy to be back to camp. Many thanks to Nina and her family for taking such great care of Lacota this winter.

Emma Richards arrived earlier this week. She had a good flight over “the pond.” She’s already busy pulling manes and giving baths to make our horses look smart!

John Norris arrived the day after Emma. Ian is here as well. They're both working hard with Justin to get the tents set up for the summer.

Kat Is Back! Justin's Here.

2008-04-29T13:58:00.003-05:00

Well, I guess that pretty much tells you everything I wanted to say. We're so excited to have Kat back at Forrestel. She came in this morning. Actually, she came in last night but she was stuck at JFK (what an adventure).

She's thrilled to be back. Brandy, one of her favorite horses, greeted her with a head up over the wall as we pulled up in my truck this morning.

It's a crisp, clear, spring day. Buds are popping out everywhere. Puffs of clouds are passing by in the sky as I write. What a wonderful time of year.

Oh - we just posted a page with all of the horses. Go take a look.

Justin's in the office today. He's interested in reading your comments from the specialty sign up forms.

I hope you're well - it won't be much longer before we're all back together here at camp!

Mary

Posting from the Road - Mary's Going to the Beach!

2008-04-11T09:34:00.006-05:00

Hi everyone, I'm actually in the car right now! We're taking a trip to Myrtle Beach for spring break. What are you doing for break? Is anyone going anywhere interesting? Post a comment and let me know how you spend your vacation.

I can't wait to walk along the beach and swim in the ocean (if it's not to cold)! If the weather permits, we're going to try our hand at deep sea fishing. Last year we caught tuna - they were HUGE - some of them weighed a couple hundred pounds. We'll see what we catch this year.

I spoke with Vivian Rostant last night. She's coming back this summer - she will be in charge of Stable Management this summer. Have you checked out our summer camp staff page? We're trying to post everyone as their plans get firmed up. Helen Windows is coming back too.

We have purchased some new horses and we'll post photos of them when I get back from my trip. Speaking of photos, we now have a slideshow of nature photography from Dennis as well as some of our favorite photos from last summer. Click the little icon in the bottom left beneath the photos to see these new slideshows.

Open House

Saturday, May 31st
1pm-4pm

All are welcome! Bring your friends. We'll have refreshments, camp tours, see the horses, and lots of staff on hand to greet you!

That's all for today -

Mary

A Record Snowfall

2008-03-14T15:26:00.008-05:00

Hi everyone,

At long last, we've got some new photos up. Dennis stopped by the office to help me with my camera. Isn't it silly that I still need help with my camera? I took a computer class this winter...it was fun (or as much fun as a computer class can be!) but I'm still not very tech-savvy. Oh well. Horses are more fun anyhow!

I thought you'd enjoy seeing pictures of my niece Julia's foal, Fancy. Isn't she beautiful?

Remember my golden retrievers, Duke & Wendy? They say hello. You should see them romping in the snow.

Thought you'd enjoy seeing the horses munching on hay in the barnyard.

We've also added some of the best of photos from 2007 - they come up later in the slideshow.

Wish you were here,

Mary

A Letter from Mary

2008-02-10T02:08:00.003-05:00

Dear Campers,

As I look outside the window I can see the snow gently falling. The horses are happily munching on hay. The farm looks like a snowy winter wonderland.

Here are a few photos of the snow that were taken recently. I've got some more to get off my camera...I'll try to get them up next week for you.

Last week I was at the World Horse Expo in Harrisburg, PA. It was a grand event and I had a wonderful time. I saw a stunning performance with several riders...the one that really got my attention was Tommy Turvey (a.k.a. - "The Extreme Rider"). Have you ever hear of him? Here's a link to his web site.

I even saw a horse jump over fire. WOW! What a show.

I hope you're all well! I'm off to go skiing this weekend.

Your friend in camping,

Mary

Locata in the News, Mary's Travels, Odds 'n Ends, and Returning Staff

2008-02-06T13:55:00.000-05:00

Our dear friend, Lakota, was written up in the Horseman's Yankee Pedlar. You can read about it in the February issue's “A Salute to Camp Horses” or online.

Mary’s Travels

Mary just came back from a camp show in Princeton, NJ, where she saw Nina P! It was so much fun to see her.

February 21-24, Mary will be going to Harrisburg, PA, for the Pennsylvania Horse World Expo. Come out and join her!

Odd ’n Ends

Marty was just in a seminar sponsored by the Genesse Valley Equine Veterinary Clinic. She was very busy meeting lots of new families and she also met the family that keeping Wilbur for the winter - what wonderful folks!

Justin is having a great time coaching some world class skiers this winter. He has a winning team!

Wondering who's coming back on staff? Here's a quick list

Kathryn Ferry
Emma Richards
Martha Ladue
Ian Pask
John Norris
Chris Horgan
Dennis Button
Wayne Kyle
Di Di Martin
Viv Bristol
Giffin Schwed
Charlotte O'Lina
Vivian Rostant

Hannah Wilson & Helen Windows hope to return also...

New Year, New Look!

2007-12-23T21:05:00.001-05:00

You guys may have noticed that our site has a brand new look! We hope you like it as much as we do. Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

We will soon be adding some of our favorite photos from the summer, so be sure to check back often. You might just find a photo of yourself on our pages!

Well winter has definitely arrived here in WNY! We've had plenty of snow at the farm, and the horses that have stayed for the winter have grown thick woolly coats. We've been getting ready for the holiday season, and are looking forward to spending time with family and friends.

We're still busy making plans for summer 2008, and after New Year's things will really get going. Stay tuned to the Staff page to see which counselors will be back for another summer of fun!

Fall Update and Horses For Lease

2007-11-12T17:40:00.000-05:00

Hello to everyone out there! It has been awhile since our last update, but now that things are quieting down for the winter we promise to post news more regularly!

First things first-- we still have several horses available for winter lease. Below is a list of the ponies that are left:

Maggie - 7 y/o Belgian/QH mare, 14.3hh. Dollar was new this summer and came to us from a local teen who showed her extensively on the local H/J circuit. She is a fun little mare that is solid on the flat and over fences. She trail rides too! She'd be a great addition to a lesson barn or a private individual looking for something fun to ride and jump this winter.

Roxy - 7 y/o Arab mare, 15hh. Roxy is a awesome little mare who loves to jump! She'd be a fun mount for a pony clubber or 4-Her. She trail rides, has been jumped cross country, and is a sweet, willing mare who likes to have a good time.

Gracie - 19 y/o Thoroughbred mare, 15.2hh. Gracie has done it all-- lessons, 4-H, Pony Club, local H/J shows, and trail riding. She likes to work and would be awesome for someone who wanted to hack around several days a week or as a lesson horse for intermediate riders.

Bonnie - 10 y/o Thoroughbred mare, 15.3hh. Bonnie is a lovely mare who has really come along the last few years. She jumps 2'6 fences, goes cross country, trail rides, and is generally a willing and athletic partner.

Cisco - 10 y/o Appy gelding, 15.2hh. Cisco is the type of horse who loves to be in the middle of things and we swear he has a sense of humor. He trail rides very well and jumps small fences. He likes to work and is happiest when kept busy.

Brandy - 5 y/o DraftX mare, 16.2hh. Brandy is a very athletic mare with a ton of potential. She is a lovely mover and could excel in any discipline with the right rider. She is still young so a experienced rider is best for her.

Sara - 7 y/o Paint mare, 15.2hh. Sara is a very pretty paint mare who would love to have someone spend time with her this winter! She was a trail horse before coming to camp this year. This summer she was brought along slowly and made good progress, but an experienced and kind rider would be best for her.

That's the list! If anyone is interested, call or e-mail Mary for more information or to come see them.

We've been busy closing up camp for the winter, but we are also looking forward to next year. Mary and Justin have been attending camp shows and working on plans for the upcoming summer. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

Sports Counselors List

2007-05-24T15:28:00.000-05:00

What's up good peoople? I know it has been a while since my last post but I've been soooooo busy. First of all I was in Syracuse for the horse world expo. Then we had Open House at the camp. (check out the pictures)

Ok so here is the list you've been waiting for and since I only have a few minutes I'll be brief. Sports Counselors will once again be led by Justin Lloyd.

Keith Davies - who is awesome- will be returning for his 4th year!

John Norris will be back as tall as ever.

New for this year is James Heaney from England. He recently spent time traveling in Australia and work as a Jigaroo (Aussie Cowboy). Lindsey Elridge (also new) is a native of these here United States and is pumped that she gets to work as part of the best sports team ever!!!!

Ok that's your lot, go out and enjoy the sun.

The List

2007-05-03T15:43:00.000-05:00

Ok so you wanted it you got it, here is this years list of counselors. (Well most of them)

Riding Counselors first. This year the riding program will be directed by the lovely Anne Haggarty. Anne is entering her 5th year at Forrestel her 3rd as the RD. Anne is originally from Texas but grew up in Malone, NY. She now lives in the greater Buffalo area.

Eleanore De Claudio is 20 and from England. Eleanor has owned her own horses for many years and is Pony Club Level C certified. She currently at Oxford studying Law.

Hannah Rees is 20 and lives in Wales (the little country next to England, that isn't Ireland). Hannah competes on the Cardiff Equestrian Team. She won best individual rider in her regions BUSA league. BUSA is the UK version of intercollegiate teams. Hannah is studying French and Italian at Cardiff.

Emma Richards is Studying Law and Criminology at Liverpool University. She owns two of her own horses and has numerous certificates and qualifications for instructing.

Martha La Due is returning for her 4th year as a counselor. She has spent the year studying in Rochester and is super excited to get back to camp.

Emma Quigley is our first Australian so far. She is currently working as a graphic designer as well as teaching at various pony clubs in Australia. She is also a registered judge for the Pony Club Association of Victoria for dressage.

Hannah Wilson is 20 and from Scotland (that's the country just north of England that isn't the North Pole)
She has been riding since she was 5, worked in her local barn at 10 and owed her first horse at 12. Hannah is at the Royal Veterinary College.

Helen Windows is 19 and from England. She has over 6 years of teaching experience and has qualifications in British Horse Society stage 1 and 2. Helen is studying Anatomical Science with Veterinary anatomy at the University of Bristol.

Katy Eccles is 19 from Scotland. She has owned horses all her life. She has also spent time in New Zealand working as a polo groom. Katy is at Cambridge University studying the History of Art.

Demi Northwood is 18 from England currently she is at the Lincoln College enrolled in a Equine Studies Course. Demi has worked at a riding school for 9 years as well as working with special needs children.

Kathryn Ferry is 23 from England. She has taught at Pony Club for 4 years. She has had a passion for horses from an early age. She has completed a degree in childhood studies as well as holding various other child care qualifications.

Viviane Rostant is 20 and from England. She was the captain of her University's B Equestrian Team. Viviane has lived in Switzerland, France and Finally the UK. She is at the University of Southampton studying Psychology.

Elizabeth Griffin is 20 and from England. She is also at the University of Southampton studying psychology. (It's a small world!) She has been riding for 11 years and has worked as a yard hand since she was 15.

Sarah Schering is 19 and resides in the great state of Pennsylvania she has been an assistant trainer/rider at Black River Farm. Sarah is currently at Penn State

Ok that's it for this week. It's late on Thursday afternoon; my head is fried. The Sports counselor list will be on next week I promise. I did take some very nice pictures today so check them out. Also we've added a few horse profile pictures so check those out as well.

Go Sabers!

The List is coming...

2007-04-27T11:15:00.000-05:00

Hi people,

First off I'm sorry for being a day late with the blog. It just shows you how busy we are at camp at this time of the year. The weather is getting better all the time. Last weekend we had 70F weather, which was a pleasant change to the –10F that we had not to long ago.

I hope you all like the New Horse Directory and thank you for all the comments so far. Don't forget if you rode one of the horses in the directory and you have an interesting story or a happy memory that you want to share with everyone just email it to the camp and we'll put it on the website.

Now a lot of people have been asking about the new counselors and where they are coming from. Also a lot of people have been talking about who is returning. Well watch out next week for "The List". "The List" will give you a brief overview of all the counselors we have confirmed for Summer 2007.

But for now here are a few clues about who is returning:-

A Rockstar
A Foreigner
A Giant of a Man
A Due Drop
And An An
Hope that helps :-)

We want your comments!

2007-04-20T12:07:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone.

I have big news this week! If you've not seen it already we have a brand new horse directory up and running. www.forrestel.com/horses Each horse has its own profile page. Eventually each horse will eventually get a Camper Comment. Now here is where you come in. If you see a horse you rode during the past summers I want to hear about it. Tell me how good they were, what you liked about them, good memories etc. But how do I give you this information I hear you ask. Well simple! All you have to do is email the camp summer@forrestel.com and title your email "Camper Comment For Keith" and then just include your description and maybe, just maybe I'll put it on for you. Make sure you include your first name and what session you came.

Sorry the blog is late, we had a few interweb issues yesterday but to make up for it I have included a few new camp pictures. It's a glorious day here at the camp so I've gone a bit flower picture crazy today. But don't worry there are some good pictures of the farm and of Dennis (he's the guy who cuts the grass)

So that's it for now, don't forget WE WANT YOUR COMMENTS.

Bye for now

Spring is here and so are more horses

2007-04-12T15:44:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone. Your regular Forrestel Blogger is back in the hotseat with lots to talk about. First thing first, new pictures. Yes they may look like the last lot but with less snow and more mud. However there are a few new additions. Firstly Daisy (leased to Forrestel by the Haggarty Family) can be seen with her hind end against one of the run in sheds. We've been trying to explain to her that to use the run in you need to be inside it but so far the message hasn't gotten through.

The second horse you may notice is the oh so cute Paris. Paris is a Pony of America and has been at the camp for just two weeks. She was introduced to the rest of the horses at camp and is getting a long great. She can be seen poking her head over the wall in one of the new pictures.

Big news! Sometime in the next few weeks Forrestel will be going live with a brand new section of the website. DRUM ROLL PLEASE. A full horse directory! That's right; soon you will be able to view information on all the horses that will be at Forrestel for Summer 2007. Each profile will include vital statistics, descriptions as well as plenty of pictures. You will be able to browse them at your leisure as well as see which horses are available for lease in the winter time. IMPORTANT NOTE - There will be no reserving horses for your camp session in advance based on how cute they are! :-)

Boys and Girls the countdown is on for Summer 2007. Counselors arrive at the camp in precisely 62 days 17 hours and 15 seconds (except Martha La Due who is usually always late:-p, sorry Martha I couldn't resist the opportunity).

Any way people, that's it from me this week. Please look at the pictures, please comment on the blog, please sign up for camp, please come and tell me how much you like the blog the next time you see me.

More Snow - More Horses!

2007-04-05T14:10:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

This week's update comes to you from Anne, the camp's Riding Director. For about a week it felt like spring here. The temps nearly reached into the 70s, flowers started to bloom and I even had plans to ride outside! Instead it is now 25 degrees, it is snowing so hard I can barely see the barn and the snow is piling up yet again. Oh well- at least I have some new horses to tell you about!

A lot of time has gone into searching out these new horses to compliment the wonderful group of school horses that we already have so let me give you a brief introduction. Our newest addition is an absolutely beautiful paint pony that rides and drives. We decided that she needs a fancy, princess name so we've decided on "Paris".

In addition my family has loaned the camp two horses for the summer and they have arrived: a chestnut pony mare named Daisy and a bay Appendix gelding named Dillon. Daisy will be an amazing pony for our walk trot riders and those learning to canter while Dillon will love jumping around the hunt course with our more advanced riders. Our final new addition is a beautiful bay Thoroughbred/Percheron mare named Brandy.

We have purchased others who haven't arrived at the camp yet including a 7 year old Quarter Horse/Belgian cross, two 10 year old Thoroughbred mares, a beautiful Arab mare who can jump the moon with style, and a 17 year old Thoroughbred gelding schoolmaster who will be wonderful for all level riders. When spring really does settle if for good I will work on getting some more pictures up for everyone.

2007-03-22T15:42:00.000-05:00

Hi people,

It's been a while. We've been really busy here at the camp with lots of shows etc. Next week Mary and I will be heading down to Atlantic City for a big camp conference so I'll be on the lookout for lots of fun new things to do at camp. Straight after that we're heading to the State University of New Jeresy in Rutgers for a big horse show. So if you’re going to Horses 2007 keep a look out for us.

Unfortunately that's all the time I've got today. Oh yeah, check out the details of our new target sports activity in the sports program. Open house is coming up soon and if you've not signed up for camp yet, make sure you do it soon before the programs fill up.

Bye

Who said the beginning of the end?

2007-03-01T16:17:00.000-05:00

So maybe Phil the Groundhog was wrong. It's another cold day her in good old Medina, NY. The good thing is I did manage to get some good pictures of the horses for you to look at.

The camp show in Solon, OH was a big hit. Thanks to Jessie Beck and her Mom for coming out to see us. As ever the spots for camp are filling up fast with the Horsemanship Program in the All Girls sessions nearly completely full.

This week I want to talk about Camp Gatherings. Camp Gatherings are great little events designed to introduce new people to Forrestel. Basically what happens is a representative from Forrestel (me) comes to your house to do a short presentation about the camp. All you have to do is invite a few of your friends over who you think would be interested in coming to the camp… and that's it.

If someone does come to the gathering and they sign up for camp we'll even give you a discount. How cool is that? If you think you or your family may be interested in hosting a gathering, just let me know. Email or phone call and you can have me come to your house for a special Forrestel night!

OK people that's it, enjoy the pictures.

The Beginning of the End

2007-02-22T11:46:00.000-05:00

The snow has started to melt. Woohoo! But it only melted for two days and then the temperature dropped to below freezing again. This does mean however that spring is on its way. I am not the only person to think that. My prediction has been backed up by Punxsutawney Phil who also thinks that there will be an early spring.

What does an early spring mean for the camp? Well it does mean that the horses will start shedding their winter coats soon. Which means lots of sweeping up! It also means that riding outside will become a regular thing again. Which is good for all those campers getting ready for camp.

During spring we will also be holding our Open House. On Saturday May 19th between 1pm and 4pm you will be able to come to the camp and take a tour of our facilities. There will be lots of staff on hand to answer any questions you have.

Forrestel will aslo be at another camp fair this weekend. So if any readers are from the Cleveland area, Forrestel will be at the Solon Community Center. Come and visit our stall on Saturday 23rd Feb between 10am and 2:30pm.

Thats it for today folks.

Snow, Cats, and Horses

2007-02-15T14:55:00.000-05:00

Happy Belated Valentines Day. Today I thought you guys would like to see a few more pictures of the Camp during the storm we just had, as well as a few new additions to the camp.

First off the pictures! We have three stars in this set of pictures -

- Dennis, the camps friendly but lovable maintenance guy. He ploughs the driveway everyday, sometimes twice a day depending on how heavy it is snowing.

- Blaze, a horse standing in the snow.

- The Barn Kittens, a set of kittens who live in the barn, not a country music band!

For a few weeks now we have been looking after a few kittens that have made a home in the barn. They currently live in one of the box stalls and spend there day hunting for mice, playing with the horses and sleeping. There are three kittens in the litter. Their mother passed away shortly after they were born. They love to hang out with the horses. Speakig of horses they are all enjoying the snow, including Blaze.

The last thing I wanted to chat about today is OPEN HOUSE. The Open House has been set for Saturday May 19th 2007 1pm - 4pm. The Open House is for anyone who wants to come and look around the camp. There will be counselors, directors and owners on hand for tours, questions and pictures.

Thats it for today. Spring is coming!

Camp Fairs and Equine Affairs

2007-02-08T15:44:00.000-05:00

As many of you may have noticed, there was no post last Thursday. My bad! The reason for this shoddy drop in service was that I had to go on a short trip to the beautiful keystone state of Pennsylvania and the well equally beautiful yet slighlty confusing state of Delaware for a few camp fairs.

The camp fairs were a big success and with any luck there will be lots of new campers signing up. One thing I noticed whilst I was at the camp fairs was the huge amount of day camps. So it got me thinking, what is so good about overnight camps compared to day camps? Is it the community feeling or is just being able to be away from your parents for long periods of time? Maybe you like the fact that you can squeeze so much into each day and don't have to worry about the fun ending at home time!

Let me know what you think!

I also went to the Genesee Valley Equine Clinic hoping to sign people up for a fun filled summer and luckily there were plenty of people who were interested in the camp which does mean more and more of our spaces will start to fill up. So get your name down soon!

One more thing, ever wondered what happens to counselors when they retire? Well watch this space and you may find out!

The new horses

2007-01-25T11:08:00.000-05:00

As promised here is a quick introduction to some of the new horses here at Forrestel. They are all wonderful horses and are sure to become favorites this summer.

The first horse, Cisco, is an 8 year old Appaloosa gelding. Like most Appaloosas he never likes to work too hard but he is guaranteed to become a favorite for all level riders.

Clark is a 10 year old black Quarter Horse gelding. He has had lots of experience in the hunter ring and is an absolute sweetheart. In fact we have named him after Clark Kent because he is guaranteed to be our Superman this summer!

Mercedes, a bay pony, is the baby of the group. She is only 5 years old but thinks of herself as the queen of the pasture. I am certain our advanced riders will have lots of fun teaching her the ways of camp this summer.

Sara is a 7 year old Paint mare who is as sweet as can be. She is willing to do anything you ask and loves going on trail rides.

Spinner is a gorgeous 11 year old Appendix gelding. His white black and four tall stockings make him very flashy but his personality is what you will remember! He is guaranteed to make us laugh and will be a gorgeous site working on our hunt course this summer.

Ok guys and girls thats your lot for today. I'd like to thank Anne Haggarty our awesome Riding Director for putting together todays blog. Im sure most of you can tell that it wasnt me writing about the horses. Who was your favourite horse this summer and why?

Is it snowing where you are?

2007-01-18T15:31:00.000-05:00

Over the past few days camp has been covered in a fine layer of snow. The snow is about 6 inches thick and it has blanketed everything. It is really pretty. But it's also pretty cold here at the moment with the temperature not set to go above freezing for the next few days either.

The big camp news of the week is that we have started hiring this summers counselors. As the numbers grow I'll introduce them to you all. But just so you know there will be a big mix of Americans, Brits and Australians, all around college age and all excited to get started with Camp 2007.

Back for 2007

2007-01-11T10:50:00.000-05:00

And we're back.

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope the holiday season brought you lots of good memories. Forrestel is hitting the ground running in the New Year with lots of camp shows on the cards and new members of staff coming on board.

For those of you who aren't familiar with camp shows they are basically a collection of many different camps in the same place. Parents and children can come and browse the different camps and hopefully pick one they like.

Forrestel will be attending the

- Mainline Camp Fair at Constonova High School in Berwyn, PA on the 31st January

- Tower Hill School Camp Fair in Wilmington Delaware on the 1st February

- We are also planning to be at the prestigious Horses 2007 being held in Brunswick New Jersey at the end of March.

Staff Update

Counselors for 2007 are slowly starting to come on board from all over the world. As ever we will have a mixture of US counselors and international counselors. If you could have a choice where would you like to see a counselor come from, NY, Texas, or maybe Spain, Australia or Wales?

Horse Update

Forrestel has a few new additions to our slowly growing herd of horses. They have all come from the Western New York area and have been selected by the keen and critical eye of our Riding Director Anne Haggarty. If you have information about a horse that you think would be great for camp please let us know.

Canoe Update

The canoes are still enjoying their vacation time. A group of them have just got back from a short road trip to Niagara Falls. Whilst they were there they made the local news in their mass attempt to go over the falls. Unfortunately there will be no new additions to our fleet this year since they were saved just before the edge by the Niagara River Police.

Counselors, where do they come from?

2006-11-30T13:56:00.000-05:00

The mystical creature called “Counselor” is a curious creature. They can usually be found during the winter time in College campuses. Usually in the hibernation position for 15 hours of the day during the winter, the Counselor has a totally different habitat during the summer.

During the summer months the counselor develops into a multi skilled highly trained machine. Experts in everything from tent securing to camp fire making, from soccer star to big brother, big sister to riding instructor. The list is endless.

But how does a counselor become a counselor? For the foreign counselors like me it’s a long process. Lets say a guy called Fred wants to come and work on a summer camp. His first stop is a company called BUNAC (British Universities North America Club). Fred will have a short interview with BUNAC to asses Fred’s skills and area of expertise. The next step is to get accepted by a camp. BUNAC will send Fred’s details to camps they think will be suitable. Forrestel gets Freds details in the mail and instantly hire him. Then Fred has to have a criminal background check done and then go and visit the United States Embassy in London to ask nicely for a Visa.

The Visa arrives in the post and Fred is on his way to camp.

So you can see it takes a lot of dedication to become a counselor way before coming into contact with a camper.