What I'm about to say is not inspirational, as my trip to Yorkshire has been very... interesting, to say the least. The area of Yorkshire is fine and very beautiful, with big farms and delicious tea, but Yorkshire Riding Centre is a place I would rather not go to again.

I was supposed to stay at YRC (Yorkshire Riding Centre) for the week, but after the first night and the first day of group lessons I was not very impressed. The second day was not any better. I didn't come halfway across the world to learn to ride like it was my first time on a horse, and to try and jump an incredibly fat pony who had only been there for two days. It didn't help when nobody in the camp spoke english (except for one italian girl, Fanny, who is now a good friend), and with the other riders not being able to follow the instruction is useless. The instructors were very good, but it was impossible for me to gain any benefit from the level of riding that we were doing.

With only two lessons a day consisting of this, the rest of my time was spent doing nothing. Walking around aimlessly, watching a lone person ride at any one time, and reading magazines in my room. The only person I could talk to was Fanny and her friend who could also speak limited english. I was suprised at the lack of the direction, especially in comparison to the previous places I had been to on this trip where so much is going on and there is always something to do. In my opinion I think YRC would benefit from using us to do the barn duty and grooming and cleaning etc because it is better than doing nothing at all! Only the smallest bit of barn duty is done in the morning and afternoon, but no more than an hour's worth. I was disappointed, as I was expecting a week of being totally absorbed in horses, but it was not so. I advise anyone who is looking at doing any type of training or camp like this, to check the average level of the attending riders (if this is possible). The website was quite misleading, and on the form you are asked what you wanted to achieve on the camp, and I said that I wanted educated horses to teach me how to ride medium/advanced movements. This was clearly not going to happen. I would have liked them to advise me that they couldn't help with that before travelling all this way and spending the money.

On a mission to fix what would become a pointless week, Mum pulled me out after the second night, and arranged with the secretary (if there was an odd chance someone was at the desk) for me to stop the summer camp, and just start with private lessons with Jane. So last night I slept at the Bed and Breakfast that Mum was staying in on a fold-out bed, and I went back this morning for my two private lessons... I won't be going back tomorrow.

After my two lessons this morning, from 12.30 till 4.30, Fanny and I did nothing but walk between arenas looking for a rider that would give us much needed inspiration, or any rider for that matter, and watched and talked about what we were seeing. The rest of the group went shopping, and I couldn't go as I wasn't in the camp anymore (and Mum couldn't pick me up till later) and Fanny wasn't aloud to go because her Mum paid for her to ride, not shop, and she wanted to have a private lesson that afternoon.

So now there is no more YRC for me, and next week on Wednesday I am going back to Pammy Hutton at Talland again for three days which will finish off my trip before heading home.