Summer Camps

About Camp

Albion College's Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center is proud to host our summer camp program for young women ages 9 to 16.  Our goal is to improve campers' riding skills through personalized instruction, practice, and competition. 

The camp is designed for students who have a basic understanding of the fundamentals of riding and jumping. Students must be capable of grooming and tacking their own horses/ponies.

Students may bring their own horse/pony or may lease one from the College.

2013 Camp Dates

Session I: July 7 - 13, 2013

Application Deadline: June 23, 2013

Session I focuses on combined training, including the fundamentals of dressage and jumping. Equitation is stressed throughout.

Session II: July 14 - 20, 2013

Application Deadline: June 30, 2013

Session II is similar to Session I but places more emphasis on hunt seat equitation.

All campers ride twice per day and also attend unmounted lectures on various topics, including horse health, stable management, jump course design, and horse show preparation. They are taught by the instructors who work with our college equestrian teams and supervised by the Albion College student equestrians who serve as camp counselors.

Campers may attend one or both sessions.

Cost

The all-inclusive cost for our 2013 camp sessions covers training, as well as room and board in a college residence hall.

• 1 Session: $1,000 per horse/rider
• 2 Sessions: $1,750 per horse/rider
• Fee for lease of horse: $250 per session

A $300 deposit is required with the application. Early booking is advised.

Our Facilities

The Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center sits on 340 acres of undulating land on the Albion College campus. Two state-of-the-art stable blocks house 79 horses. Each stall is 12' x 12' and features an automatic waterer. Both stable blocks are also equipped with an automatic fly repellent system.

Three arenas currently serve the Held Equestrian Center:

• The 100' x 400' Randi C. Heathman Indoor Arena. Believed to be one of the largest indoor arenas at a U.S. college or university, the Heathman Arena is equipped with two viewing galleries.
• A 100' x 200' outdoor all-weather sand arena. Both sand arenas (indoor and outdoor) feature the latest in arena flooring technology.
• A 250' x 300' grass jumping arena. Covered in Kentucky bluegrass, this arena is unique and presents different riding challenges than jumping on sand.

Student Housing and Recreation

Campers at the Held Equestrian Center stay in the Mae Harrison Karro student village on Albion College's main campus. "The Mae," as it is referred to, features apartment-style living and each apartment is air-conditioned with wireless Internet access.

Students eat their meals in Baldwin Hall, the campus dining facility. Baldwin is also located on Albion's main campus; campers receive three meals per day.

Albion's Dow Recreation and Wellness Center provides an opportunity for campers to swim and play games after they finish at the equestrian center for the day. All after-hours activities and excursions are closely supervised by the counselors.

2013 Summer Camp Application