Boost to the island's equestrian life
At the age of 23, Camille Allard has a good head on her shoulders. Since October 1, she’s the manager of the Colombier equestrian center. "I couldn’t have done it if my father wasn’t my partner" she humbly acknowledged. Camille and her dad are partners. And in their company called Sea, Horse & Sun, the tasks seem to be equally shared. She’s responsible for the lessons and the horses and he ensures the company’s maintenance and management.
The young woman's aim is to diversify the disciplines. "A lot of riders on the French side have stopped because there were not enough different disciplines," she said before explaining that she would, therefore, like to develop dressage, horse acrobatics, foot work (with a longe), polo and especially rides. For the moment, this activity is only available on the Dutch side. Camille has already planned everything: next season - and this year if possible, she will propose horseback rides at Galleon.
But above all, she will try to attract new riders. For now, the club has about fifty riders, whose average age is 11 or 12.
She welcomed her new boarders a few days ago. Ten horses and three shetlands have just arrived at Colombier. They come from the Haute-Savoie region and their owner’s son travelled with them in order to facilitate the transition. The shetlands will be for the children, and the horses, which are Spanish thoroughbreds, are intended for adults. Her stable previously consisted of thirteen large ponies, which Mologni Roman, the equestrian center’s former owner, sold to her along with some equipment.
Despite her young age, Camille is already an old hand and knows the equestrian community in Saint-Martin. She’s been riding for fifteen years, including seven years on the island. This passion dates from her childhood while her parents were not at all involved in horses or riding: "Already at a very early age, I had to have horse dolls and rocking horses", she likes to say. She has just obtained her instructor’s diploma, the BPJEPS which she received in Haute-Savoie after two years of studies. The takeover of the club? "Roman and I have started talking about it since her first year of studies. He wanted to hand it over to someone else," she remembered. Even though he sold her the horses and the equipment, the 6000 m2 of land is leased by its owner.
Even though she has won a small number of trophies, Camille does not wish to compete any more. On the other hand, she has filed a request to be affiliated with the FFE (French Riding Federation). She can therefore not only conduct and validate tests for levels (Gallops) but also register her riders in competitions such as the Saint-Martin/St Barths Championship and inter-island competitions (particularly with Martinique and Guadeloupe and also perhaps Suriname).
On Sunday, October 2, Sea Horse & Sun held an open house. Even if taking over an equestrian center isn't easy, Camille says she's "eager to begin" in order to see the horses' and riders' evolution.
