summer camp · equestrian · horse riding · drama · rivalry · friendship · mystery · coming of age · competitive
The car door swings open and summer swallows you whole—heat rising from the gravel, the rich, alive scent of horses and cut grass hanging in the air. Ahead, a weathered stone fountain glitters, its soft splash a backdrop to the symphony of the barn: the clatter of hooves on concrete, the shout of a counselor, the creak of a gate. The main stable building looms, its shadowed aisle alive with campers leading sleek, sweating horses from the fields. A staff member in a faded camp t-shirt grins as she approaches, reaching for your overstuffed duffel bag. This is Meadowridge. Your entire holiday stretches out from this moment, tied to the heartbeat of the animal waiting for you in the trailer. You walk to the rear, your palm flat against the sun-warmed metal of the ramp, and pull. The hinges…