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Longacres Riding Camp - Where else can you ride 5 hours a day? |
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Best people to answer your Longacres Riding Camp questions!!Check Here!2008 Newsletter BACK to homepage - Click hereLongacres 2008 References & Penpals |
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Ask Friends of Longacres!
Exploring our website will give you many pages of useful information about Longacres Riding Camp and our riding programs. But in the end, nothing reassures someone considering coming here for the first time more than hearing from others who have come before you.
This "References and Penpals" page is a mix of testimonials from former students and email links to some of them who have offered to answer any questions you may have and act as "penpals" and references for new families interested in Longacres. There are several nice letters from former students and parents listed at the bottom of this page.
Penpals "Just for Fun":
This "penpals" page is intended as much more than a list of references to answer questions from possible new students. Once you have chosen Longacres and signed up, we encourage you to write to the other students on this list and become friends with some of us before you get here. The people listed on this page are like you - they like horses! (a LOT!)
The following have all offered to communicate with families new to Longacres:
(click on the blue name link to e-mail)
Hannah - is 15 and is returning in 2008 for her second year. She will be a CIT and a full junior counselor for one special week. Hannah and her dad, Mike, know Longacres and our website inside out! They are good correspondents. They are from Maryland. Hannah will be at Longacres for five weeks in 2008.
Jaclyn - is 12 and lives in Orchard Park, NY, very near to Longacres. We got to know Jaclyn and her horse "Mick Jogger" (NOT Jagger!) very well at local horse shows before she became a Longacres student in 2007. She (and Mick!) are returning for 2008 for two weeks. She's a good writer, if you correspond with her!
Andrea - is 12 and also lives close to Longacres in Orchard Park, NY. Andrea's e-mail name (zingzing7777) is Tom's favorite. We still don't know how she came up with that one, but it kind of fits Andrea! Andrea's faithful old pony, "Dakota Gold", is known all over western New York from the show series. She now has a new young horse she's training and rides other peoples horses also. She had a chance to show our great jumper, "Quantum Leap". At the fair last summer and did well. She is a good correspondent and knows all the nooks and crannies of our website - ask Andrea!
Ofelia - will be returning to Longacres this summer for her third year and staying for five weeks, including mother - daughter week. She is unofficial President of the ILMFC - (I Love Merlin Fan Club). Although there are MANY who might choose to challenge her for that honored position! (GREAT pony!) Ofelia is a smart girl and a good writer if you want to correspond with her. She's one of those people who is already an "old soul" and at ease talking or writing with adults and kids of all ages. She is 13 and lives in New York City.
Alexa - Alexa is 16 and returning to Longacres for her third season this year. Alexa is a particularly good email correspondent! She is on YouTube in some of our video clips of the horses in action. Alexa will be a CIT this summer and hails from New Jersey.
Marta - Speaking of good email correspondents, this is a good place to introduce Marta, who is 13 (14 in the summer). She is from just outside New York City and attended for the second session last summer . She won the beginner Jumper Derby on Merlin! Marta is an enthusiastic emailer and likes staying in touch with several of our regular students. She enjoys correspondence and will be glad to be a "penpal" with other new Longacres students.
Michelle - Is 13 and returning to Longacres for her fourth season - longer session this year! She knows the ropes and has offered to correspond with new students. Michelle is from the Rochester area.
Laura - is 13 and returning to Longacres for her fourth year. She started at Longacres with her mom at mother - daughter week, but now they come for different sessions. Laura's email name, "animalfreek202", is Tom's second favorite of all our students, right up there next to "zingzing"! Laura has experience taking Longacres horses home for the winter in past years, though she and her mom bought their own horse this year. Laura is from New Jersey and will be at Longacres four weeks this year.
Carly - will be 16 this summer, hails from Maryland, and returns to Longacres for her third year in 2008. She has her own horse (and might bring him to Longacres this summer). Carly will be a Junior Counselor at Longacres for the final week of her 2008 stay during Lazy Days week. (As long as we're commenting on the e-mail names our students chose to represent themselves online, Carly's is the full show name of her favorite Longacres horse from her first year at Longacres, "JustInfallible"!)
Annie - is 16, lives in DC (Washington), will be returning to Longacres for her second year (five weeks in 2008) and will be a C.I.T. (counselor in training) this season. She writes LONG and interesting e-mails (novels, she calls them!). She writes to us of many interesting and adventurous rides on her beloved favorite horse, "Bremsstrahlung". Really. Ask her what she used to think the horse name came from and what she now knows it comes from. Suffice it to say that Annie adds interest to Longacres and we are really looking forward to having this fiery redhead as a part of Longacres in 2008!
Peyton - Is turning 14 this year and comes from Texas. Peyton is mentioned many places on this website, since she achieved great success as a student in 2006 and 2007. She came here in 2006 at age 12 as a complete beginner rider. She had never been on a horse. She spent the full eight weeks at Longacres and after just seven weeks of riding she competed in the 2' level of the Jumper Deby and Won! Peyton is returning for the third year in 2008.
Shelly K - This is Shelley K's email address. Shelley is 16, has her own horse, was at Longacres in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. She is returning in 2008 as a Junior Counselor. She writes "interesting" emails!!!!! Of all the students attending Longacres this year, Shelly holds the record for the most consecutive years at Longacres! She is from Columbia, Maryland and is the owner - rider of the amazing jumper, "Devil Horns" (aka Jenna).
Danita - is 19, comes from Central New York State, where she and her family run a large farming operation. (Danita drives 440 horsepower articulated tractors on the farm because her dad trusts her judgement more than some of the hired men!) When she wants to concentrate on just one horse power, she concentrates on training Majic to jump. She brought Majic to Longacres with her last summer and we really like his smarts and learning ability. We like Danita's smarts, too! She is a good writer and you'll find her a good penpal if you want a new Longacres online buddy.
Kim Schwartz from Texas, age 17, is a second generation Longacres student. Her mom, Sandi, came to Longacres "a few" years ago. Kim came for several seasons but stayed home to show last summer. Kim was at Longacres in 2006 as a junior counselor. She is from the Dallas, Texas area, and still keeps up with this website.
Below - Adults, Staff & Parents:
Mandy - Mandy Bartlett will be our head instructor for the first part of this summer. Mandy spent several years at Longacres as a student, a year as Program Director, and was head of riding here last summer. She has her own horses and majors in equine science at college. Mandy's home is in Massachusetts and she goes to college in Vermont. She'll be glad to correspond if you have questions about getting ready for Longacres.
Sharon W. - Sharon has been attending Longacres mother - daughter week with her 13 year old daughter Laura for three years. Laura has spent month long sessions at Longacres and knows all the ropes. Sharon has become good friends with Meghan and knows a lot about our philosophy of running a camp and a riding program. Sharon and Laura are good contacts for new parents who want some reassurance about Longacres before signing up. Laura and Sharon are from New Jersey.
Mike S. - is dad of Hannah, is from Maryland, rides himself, and is a C-L-O-S-E reader of the Longacres website. When we put up one of our occasional trivia Quiz's, it's almost like we're talking to Mike right from the start. He has his computer set to scan for updates to the Longacres website, so he knows within an hour if we've posted something new. Mike's an agreeable correspondent and knows a lot about Longacres. He's a good friend of the camp would be glad to correspond with parents who have questions. Daughter, Hannah, will be at Longacres for her second year and will be a Counselor in Training (CIT) this year.
Sanna R. - has been parent of a Longacres rider for the past two seasons, and is taking the step of joining us as a student herself for mother - daughter week in 2008, her third year as part of the Longacres family. Sanna is mother of Robyn - which makes her a VERY horsey mom! (Read above - Robyn and her mom take home two Longacres horses in the winter!) Sanna can answer all the usual questions about Longacres and our riding program - - - ask her about the peace and solitude of our creekside trails - and some of her adventures there - you will learn to appreciate a dry sense of humor and a good story teller. Sanna and Robyn are from Philadelphia
Martha E. - will be at Longacres in 2008 for her third year. She's a great parental reference since her daughter, Ofelia, has been coming to Longacres since she was ten. Martha attends our mother - daughter week every year so has great first hand experience here. They are from New York City.
Sandy R. - is mother to two Longacres students. Madeleine will be at Longacres for her third year in 2008, and Amanda joins us for her second season. They are from Maryland and are active riders year round. Mom, Sandy, has agreed to answer questions from new parents.
Greg and Toni Millar sent now 21 year old Alex to Longacres for quite a few years beginning when she was a young girl. Alex is now away at college, but still takes her beloved Longacres Pony "Brownie" with her to college during the off season when he is not working at Longacres. The Millars have kindly offered to answer questions about Longacres from new families. We are grateful that Alex still keeps in touch with us at Longacres and that the Millars have offered to act as Longacres references long after Alex graduated from summer camp!
Meghan Marie Kranz - "Well, YES!" I have been sitting here for two hours with wife Meghan updating this Pen Pals and References page. And I am not going to let her get away without being formally listed as a Longacres Pen Pal. She is that, believe me! I often go to sleep at night to the sound of Meghan tapping out late night answers to all of you on her trusty iBook! She loves hearing from you all and corresponding about anything Longacres. Meghan pretty much runs Longacres - or gets stuck with all the work, depending on your point of view. She will be a biased reference, of course, but all our other references will vouch for her unflinching honesty and realism about Longacres and all that we have to offer.
- Tom Kranz
2006 Parent Testimonial; the following was one of our favorite messages from a parent that came in half way through last summer:
Meghan,
I just wanted take a minute to thank you and Tom for both the attention and care that my precious baby has gotten. I hear in her voice how much she has grown and enjoyed the summer. I can see from the pictures how much she is learning and what incredible new experiences she is having with your guidance and thru the camp. These are truly days that will shape her in the future and the two of you have made them such a positive challenge.
Wishing you a good rest of the summer,
Key
A Great Letter
It's always nice to hear from former students. I'm sorry when I hear that they can't return to Longacres, but I feel all the work I do is worth while when I get letters like the following. This letter came from Shelly L. and her mom several years ago, and I reprint it here with their permission. Thank you Shelly and Julie for your very kind comments about Longacres, and best wishes to you, Shelly, for a great future riding career!!!!!!!!!!
"Dear Tom:
We got your letter and news letter and application regarding camp this
summer. Shelly will not be attending this year, however I would love to
tell you what she has been up to. I think you will be proud.
When she got home from camp last year and went back to her lessons, her
instructor could not believe how far she had come in just two weeks. Horse
back riding has just snow-balled from there. Shelly worked as a counselor
at her barn (The Ridge) for the remainder of the summer. In October we half
leased a horse for her. So she has her own horse, she is a working student
at her barn, she gets a lesson a week for working and one I pay for.
In January the instructor who is part owner of the stable, who was touring
in New Zealand came back and saw Shelly ride. Well she has kind of taken
Shelly under her wing. She says that Shelly has incredible natural talent.
They will be on the road most of the summer showing with AHSA.
Since you are the one who gave Shelly first her real taste of working with
horses and you were her first really strict instructor, I just wanted to
thank you.
I remember something you said to us last summer. You said that when other
people teach the kids after you have taught them, you want them to say Wow
who taught this kid! not Oh my god who taught this kid? You can be assured
that everyone at The Ridge and now at Rabbit Hill Farm were saying Wow who
taught this kid. And her current instructor is the same way, strict, but a
great teacher. And she believes in Shelly and really wants Shelly to go
far.
I thought you would be interested in seeing where one of your campers has
moved onto. Thank you for everything."
Julie L. (Shelly's Mom).
Below - another nice letter from a former student that came in recently (winter 2005)
Dear Tom,
My name is Tracy Adamovich, and beginning about 14 or so years ago I attended your summer camp for three summers.
I hate to admit that as I grew older I rode horses less and less. Not because I lost my love for it, but because there isn't much horseback riding on Long Island!
I have such fond memories of your camp. My favorite horse was Miranda, and I will never forget her. I thought she was the most beautiful thing. My favorite memories are of bareback riding through the creek, and of the days we would ride into town for ice cream! I recall buying lemonade from some kids on the way.
I am now an officer in the military, and am deployed in Iraq. It's been a very long year, but I am redeploying soon and cannot wait to get back to the states. I think that when I do get back I will try to go riding again. I miss it very much!
I hope all is well with you. I just found your website and I wanted to write and say hi!
Sincerely,
CPT Tracy Adamovich
US Army
Below: Great letter from long time Longacres mom, Debbie N.
Tom (and of course Meghan),
First I hope you are having a good winter. Ours has had ups and downs with snow and ice. The girls have been hoping for a snow day (no school) or at least a delay. Unfortunately, neither has happened.
I want to extend my e-mail address to parents who would like to know more about Longacres. As you well know I can attest to what it is like to be a camper and the parent of a camper(s).
As a camper during Mother/Daughter/Alumni Week I had the opportunity to experience LA first had. The camp cottages, bunk beds, Perfume Lagoon, shower house, etc. There was also a cabin party given by Meghan late one night. Real food as my girls put it, not a lot of quick fix stuff, for meals. The camaraderie among the campers and staff in all aspects of LA - cleaning stalls, riding, doing laundry, shopping, etc. Of course the best part of LA is the riding. Being at LA a week early gave us a sense of accomplishment as the horses arrived. We trimmed manes, brushed and jumped several for the first time in months. The instruction was wonderful with a demanding instructor. The videos (the first I have even had done) were very educational. During this time the campers were given a lot of latitude (trust by Meghan and you) and expected to complete tasks with minimal guidance. A real education and training experience for some. Though I was quite a bit older than the other campers, everyone made me feel at home, not "the mom" on site.
As the parent of two campers, it has been a wonderful experience. As you know Beth (16 at the time) attended LA for two weeks the first year based on the encouragement of Emilee. Beth loved the camp and did not want to leave. She begged me to let her stay longer. She said it was the best instruction she had ever received. She raved about the meals, time at the mall, dinners out and the opportunity to compete in some very demanding jumper shows. The second year she stayed for a month and brought her horse Baxter (a.k.a. Polka Dot Soxs). Again she had a great time and Baxter learned some new skills. She returned home excited and ready to enter several jumper shows in the fall. Beth wanted to return to LA for the Jumper Derby in August however, we were not able to do so. This year the demands of preparing to attend Wilson College in Sept will preclude her from attending LA. If possible, she would like to enter Baxter in the Jumper Derby this Aug.
Michelle (now age 13), a.k. a. "Da Child", could not be happier at LA. Her riding skills were such that she had outgrown the riding camp she had attended for 3 years. At the urging of Beth she went to LA last summer for 4 weeks. She really enjoyed everything about the camp. She especially liked riding in all the jumper shows she could (a real treat over the number of shows I let her ride in during the regular year). We all know how she fell in love with Jenna. Jenna is now a very happy part of our family thanks to your help. Michelle loved LA so much she asked to return this summer as soon as the registration information was available. Besides the regular camp she really wanted to return for Mother/Daughter Week, which we are doing. She thought it was great painting, making jumps, training incoming horses, hammering, planting flowers and all the other activities she did to help open the camp for the official season. She will bring Jenna this summer. We know she and her horse will be in good hands during their time at LA.
Meghan and you could not be better suited for this enterprise. Both of you are very caring, placing the welfare of the campers first. When there were some homesickness concerns last summer, both of you were very supportive of the issue. The concerns were addressed immediately and I received several follow-ups.
Also I want parents to know this camp is not just for the advanced rider. Some of the campers attending LA are a bit on the novice side (myself included). You were extremely patience with us, teaching some basics before launching into more advanced lessons. Every rider (skill wise) has a place at LA and every camper supports the accomplishments of the various individuals.
Guess I've rambled on long enough. Looking forward to seeing Meghan and you in June.
Debbie
- What can we say? Meghan and I can only hope that if you are reading Debbie's letter above as a possible new student or parents of such, we will be able to give you the kind of successful summer horse experiences that we have given to Debbie and her children! - Tom Kranz, owner Longacres Riding Camp
AND one more letter that came to us in January 2005:
(introduction from Tom) - If I told you that I just got a letter from "Karina Busch", it might not immediately ring a bell. But if I told you that I just got a letter from the former Longacres student who is shown jumping "Tip-off" 5'3" in the old promotional video, and also riding "Tip-off" at Erie County Fair, probably everyone who has been to Longacres in the past fifteen years will know who I mean. Letters like this are what make this job worthwhile:
"
Dear Tom,
