Suzy is an Accredited Land Consultant and has consistently been one of the top producing land and farm agents since 2003 in the Aiken Market. A leading sales agent multiple times, she is most proud of winning Best Customer Service agent for Aiken’s Meybohm office the past 2 out of 3 years. Kathryn is licensed in both SC and GA and has achieved Presidents Club status in the company. Together they will ensure you find the perfect property in Aiken!
Surveyed 34 A Windsor property near horse farms with mature hardwoods, longleaf pines, and trails. The property is 2 parcels, including a 50 ft wide access road. Level, well-drained land can be easily cleared with some areas already cleared. Well and septic are in place and convey as-is at old mobile home site.
FARM DÉ SOLÉ $1.15 MILLION
Trace 6 A. farm w/access to miles of riding & carriage trails! 2 BR/2 BA home has gourmet kitchen w/subzero refrigerator & upscale SS appliances, walk-in pantry, great room w/cathedral ceiling, dining room, primary bedroom w/vaulted ceiling, walk-in closet & bath w/jacuzzi tub & tile shower. Landscaped yard, gunite salt water pool w/waterfall, 4-stall center aisle barn, 3 run-ins, 3 irrigated paddocks & large area for riding. No HOA.
2BR/3BA custom newer 2,752 sq. ft. home on 85+ acres coastal mix pasture w/20 stall barn, irrigated show ring, 60’ round pen, derby field, 5 standalone foaling/layup stalls w/attached irrigated turnout, run-in shed pastures ranging in size from 2-10 acres, & 9 additional paddocks. The new hay barn has abundant storage w/power & water. Home has downstairs primary & second floor bedroom w/seating area & fabulous views &1700 ft.² floored unfinished space for expansion. Quality kitchen with center island & brick backsplash & 500 ft.² screened porch with tongue and groove wood. The attached barn has a new office & ability for 4 stalls.
Nick Tindall 2020 2 BR/2BA home w/8.28
Acres, 2 stall barn & 2 paddocks w/no climb wire & top board. Access to forested riding trails & dirt roads. Perfect for a carriage driver, fox hunter, or trail rider. 1400 sq. ft. home w/ LVT & tile flooring, granite, trey ceilings, 1.5 car garage w/workshop, stamped concrete patio & front porch.
Rare opportunity to live in the heart of Olde Aiken in a charming 1920’s cottage off So. Boundary Ave. 3/3 hardiplank 1982 sq. ft. home renovated in 2007 w/new cabinetry, plumbing, electric. Heart pine floors, plantation shutters, gas fireplace, Rinnai water heater, replacement windows, 2017 metal roof, Generac generator, & encapsulated crawlspace w/dehumidifier. Kitchen w/granite counters, skylights w/shades, & Bosch gas 5 burner stove. TREX deck & landscaped fenced backyard w/storage shed.
Turn key 2 bedroom huntbox in area of event training and polo farms with center aisle 3 stall barn, wash stall & tack room with W/D and half bath. Over 5 acres includes a large paddock with 3 board & no climb wire. Gated
Nestled on a hilltop with views of distant farms and rolling hills, you will delight in the stately elegance of the custom brick home that features quality construction, exceptional custom millwork, fine finishes and beautifully proportioned rooms. You will find hardwood floors, arched cased openings, wainscoting and built-in cabinetry throughout this stunning home. Equestrian amenities include a luxurious 4-stall, center-aisle barn with spacious heated & cooled tack room/lounge and feed rooms, half bath and laundry. A 1600 sf, 1 bedroom, 1 bath apartment with flexible loft space is ideal for a property manager, trainer or longer-term visitors. Windswept Farm is gated with perimeter, 4-board fencing and includes 5 half-acre paddocks, an irrigated regulation-dressage size arena, observation porch and a 40 ft x 56 ft. equipment / storage building. Whether you are looking for a homestead, training ground or home to share with multiple generations, we invite you to come see Windswept Farm and immerse yourself in Aiken's Southern charm, equestrian & sporting lifestyle!
4 Bedroom, 5 Full & 2 Half Baths | 6100 sf | 23.09 Acres | 4 Bay Garage & parking Court 4 Stall Center Aisle Barn | Heated & Cooled Tack Room/ Lounge & Feed Rooms 1,600 SF Barn Apt | 5 Paddocks | Irrigated Dressage Arena |Equipment Building Offered for $3,750,000
3 BRS + 3.5 Bath home | 4207 SF | .27 Acre In-Ground Pool & Gardens | 1-Car Garage Nestled on corner of Colleton & Newberry Offered for $1,395,000
&
Forest Top - 21.47 Acres Barrington Farms
dog-walking,
and enjoying
This parcel is one of the few vacant lots remaining. Come plan a visit to Barrington Farms and consider ''Forest Top'' for your home of a lifetime!
21.47+ Acres | Cul-De-Sac | Private Setting Natural Gas | Trails | Great Location! Offered for $250,000
Cissie Sullivan Tracey Turner
The best of downtown living is found in the stunning gardens and home of exquisitely renovated Jasmine Cottage. You will find Hitchcock ceilings, 9 fireplaces, a handsome wood-paneled library, gorgeous living and dining rooms & a kitchen with honed granite counters and high-end appliances, and spa baths with Europeanstyle Waterwork fixtures. Enjoy an evening swim in the heated, saltwater gunite pool, quiet conversation in the terraced Zen garden & dinner on the dining porch overlooking beautiful gardens with complete privacy within perimeter walls & fencing. Live in the comfort
luxury of delightful Jasmine Cottage.
Aiken Horse The
After a brief but intense bout with winter, February is here, bringing with it the promise of spring. We had some unusually cold weather in January, and even actual snow that stuck around for a few days. Our horse blankets got some use, as did our winter barn clothes. But the sun and our typical mild Aiken weather have returned. The first daffodils have bloomed, the spring peepers are noisy down by the horse pond, and the horses are beginning to shed. Early spring is possibly Aiken’s best season for horse people. We have cold nights and warm, sunny days with temperatures that are ideal for horse sports. Our horses are fresh and enthusiastic, and we do not, yet, have to contend with bugs or clouds of pollen. Life is good!
As ever, we have a packed winter-spring schedule here in the Aiken area, with hunt week and the high season for eventing going on right now. We have hunter/jumper shows, dressage shows, driving trials, and clinics in many different disciplines. Aiken attracts everyone from amateur equestrian enthusiasts to top professionals, making it possible to compete with and against Olympians and world champions in our own backyards. This makes Aiken a unique place for anyone who enjoys their horses and wants to learn more about them.
March brings a full calendar of spectator-friendly sports, starting with Grand Prix Eventing at the Aiken
Horse Park on February 28 and March 1. This is followed by harness racing at McGhee’s Mile on March 8, and then the three weekends of the “Aiken Triple Crown.” These are the Aiken Trials Thoroughbred races at the Aiken Training Track, then the Aiken Spring Steeplechase at the spectacular a steeplechase track on Richland Avenue, and finally the Pacers & Polo match. Pacers & Polo, which moved to historic Whitney Field last year, marks the unofficial beginning of the polo season. It coincides with the most timehonored of Aiken’s equestrian traditions, the Aiken Horse Show. This show has been held in a grassy ring in the middle of the iconic Hitchcock Woods ever since 1916. This year’s show runs from March 28-30, and is a great excuse to spend time in the Woods, the symbolic heart of the Aiken horse community.
We hope you enjoy this issue, in between doing things with horses, of course. We have articles about driving, a new Thoroughbred racing partnership at the Aiken Training Track, restoring the Hitchcock Woods after Hurricane Helene, and the Southern Belle Classic horse sale that returns to Stable View in March. That’s just a small sample of course. There are so many stories about Aiken, its horses and its horse people, we will never run out of them.
As always, if you know something we should know, or you have an idea for an article, please drop us an email. We anticipate being out and about photographing events this season, so if you see us with our cameras, stop and say hello. We want to continue to be your horse newspaper.
Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher
Patricia Grace o n Tom Tit ~ c1933
News and Notes
By Pam Gleason
Mustang Adoption in South Carolina
If you have every considered adopting a wild mustang from out West, you will have your chance on February 20-22 when the Bureau of Land Management horse adoption event comes to the South Congaree Arena in West Columbia, S.C. According to Hunter Paffrath, who is the BLM Agency Southeastern states public affairs spokesman, the adoption event will include about 110 wild horses, each of which can be adopted on a first-come, first-served basis for a fee of $125.
The horses will be coming from a herd management area in a western state, most likely in Nevada, which has the majority of the BLM horses. They will have been rounded up off the range and cared for at a holding site for long enough to make them ready for adoption. This means that they have been fed a diet that gets them to an appropriate weight, and that they have been freeze-branded, vaccinated, dewormed and had their feet trimmed. Every horse also comes with a negative Coggins test.
Don’t be fooled however: these are wild horses. They are not halter broken, and they are essentially unhandled. Some of them may have been in holding for long enough that they are accustomed to humans, and some may be friendly enough to let you give them a scratch. Otherwise, if you want to make them into riding horses or trusted partners, you will have your work cut out for you.
In order to be eligible to adopt a mustang, you have to fill out an adoption application, and you have to fulfill certain requirements. First, applicants must be at least 18 years old. Your facility needs to provide a minimum of 400 square feet of corral space per animal, with access to food, water and shelter. If you are adopting a mature horse, your corral fence must be at least 6 feet high. For a yearling, you need a 5-foot fence. Preferably, you will pick up your new horse in a stock-type trailer with swing gates and sturdy walls and floors. Two-horse trailers (with the divider removed) are acceptable on a case-by-case basis.
“At our event, we’ll have eight to 10 pens set up, with about a dozen horses in each,” explained Paffrath. Each horse is identified by a numbered collar around its neck. You pick out your horse, submit the application and fee, and then the adoption staff will sort the horse out of the pen and into a squeeze chute.
“A staff member will remove the neck collar we have on, and then if the adopter has brought a halter, we’ll put that on for them,” explained Paffrath. “Then we’ll open up the squeeze chute and put the horse in their trailer, and that’s it. It takes two or three people, but its pretty easy. We’ve got it down to a science.”
Although you can take your horse home for just $125 at the event, the BLM retains the title to the animal for the first year. During that year, representatives from the BLM have the right to come inspect your mustang to ensure it is getting proper care and can confiscate it if it is
not. At the end of one year, the BLM will send you a “Title Eligibility Letter.” You can obtain the permanent title to your horse after a visit from an authorized BLM representative, who makes sure that you have taken good care of the animal and have made an effort to gentle and domesticate it. You will then get full ownership of the horse, and may even be awarded $1,000 through the BLM’s adoption incentive program.
Adopting a wild horse is a big commitment, and it is not for everyone. Why do it? For one thing, there are thousands of wild horses in America, and many of them end up living in taxpayer-funded long term holding sites. Getting some of these horses into homes frees up money for the BLM to care for the public lands under its control, which amount to one tenth of all the land in the United States. For another thing, there is something very special about a mustang.
“Mustangs are a living symbol of the American West and our pioneer heritage,” said Paffrath. “They’re a significant part of our nation’s history. A lot of people say that the bond that they develop with a mustang compared to a domestic horse is so different, and that they really are amazing creatures.”
For more information about adopting a wild horse, visit https://www.blm. gov/whb or call 769-366-4821.
Honoring Liz Halliday
The Grand Prix Eventing showcase, which returns to the Aiken Horse Park on February 28-March 1 has become one of Aiken’s most hotly anticipated spring spectator events, rivaled only by the Aiken Steeplechase (March 22.) The event includes some of the most accomplished event riders in the world negotiating iconic and massive
cross country fences at speed on a tight course that weaves through the park, allowing spectators to get up close and personal with all the action.
Throughout the history of the event, which had its inaugural year in 2019, a handful of riders have dominated the competition, coming back year after year to challenge one another for the top prize. The most dominant of all these riders has been Liz Halliday, who won the event in three out of the six years of its existence. She often brought more than one horse to the event, and her blue and orange colors were a familiar sight as she streaked around the course, radiating a cool and steely determination. If she was not the winner, she was often second, and in 2021, when Tami Smith just edged her for the win, she finished second, third and fifth.
Liz Halliday, who rode in the Olympics last year aboard Cooley Nutcracker (fourth in the GPE in 2024) will not be competing this year. Last August at the United States Eventing Championships, she suffered a devastating accident in a fall with her horse, Shanroe Cooley. She sustained a traumatic brain injury that required surgery, and she is currently in rehab at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago.
The eventing community has rallied around her and everyone is pulling for her full recovery. This January, she was named the 2024 United States International Equestrian of the year by the USEF, for which she received the William Steinkraus trophy. Her top horses have gone on to other riders on a contingent basis, in the hope that she will be able to compete again in the future.
Liz will be missed this March in Aiken, where she has always been one the most dynamic and exciting riders to watch. In addition to winning the event itself three times, she has also been named the Leading Lady Rider almost every year she rode. This year the Leading Lady Rider award is being renamed the Liz Halliday award in her honor. Follow the hashtag #keepfightingliz on social media to stay up to date on her recovery.
Grey Horses
Everyone loves a dapple grey, don’t they? Unfortunately, most horses with that striking dappled grey coat will have faded to white by the time they are 10 or 11 years old. Grey horses are generally born dark, but by the time they are about a week old, they usually start showing white hairs around their eyes and muzzles. They get progressively whiter every year, and the dappled grey pattern is usually just a temporary phase that they go through between dark (as a foal) and white (as a mature horse.)
All grey horses do not lighten up at the same speed, however. Some horses turn white quite quickly, while others linger in the grey zone for much longer, and may even remain dappled grey into old age. Genetics researchers from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) and Uppsala University in Sweden set out to discover why some horses are fast greying, while others are slow greying. Last September they reported their findings in the journal Nature Communications.
It turns out that there is a distinct genetic difference between fast greying and slow greying horses. The greying gene (which is dominant) is caused by a mutated segment of DNA in a particular place in the horse’s genome. Fast greying horses have three copies of this mutation, while slow greying horses have only two. The researchers confirmed that thefvd fast greying gene, (with three mutated segments) is much more common than the slow greying one (with two mutated segments.)
There are health implications associated with these findings as well. Anyone with a grey horse knows that they are extremely prone to melanoma skin cancers. Grey horse melanomas are usually benign, but they can grow large and in inconvenient places, making them more than just a nuisance. The current study found that 80 percent of fast greying horses had melanomas by the time they reached 15. Of the slow greying horses in the study, there were none with melanomas at 15. According to an article on the Texas A & M webpage: “ The researchers hope that this new understanding of gray coat color and equine genetics will open new doors for further research about how to prevent and treat melanomas in gray horses.”
Annual Breakfast at the Gallops
Ramon Dominguez to Speak
By Mary Jane Howell
Breakfast at the Gallops at the Aiken Training Track is an event that began in 2007 to introduce locals and out-of-town visitors to the training routines of Aiken’s racing Thoroughbreds. The event is still going strong, thanks in part to guest speakers who bring their unique insights into racing as part of the morning’s program. At this year’s Breakfast at the Gallops, to be held on March 14 at the Aiken Training Track, Ramon Dominguez, a Hall of Fame Jockey, will speak about his riding career that began in Venezuela in 1994 and ended after a horrific spill at Aqueduct Racetrack in 2013.
many good horses, but I do have a special horse. His name was Flat Bold and he taught me a lot. He had tons of speed so the trainer would give me instructions to get on the lead and just stay there. That didn’t work out though and he would fade, not from being tired, more of an opinion of where he wanted to be. I thought a lot about him, and I figured out that he would probably prefer to be tucked in behind the front runners. When our next race came up, I asked the trainer to trust me and fortunately he did. When the starting gate opened I eased Flat Bold back and he was running very comfortably. When it was time to move he did – he had speed to spare – and we took the lead in the stretch and won easily!” From that race forward, Dominguez rode Flat Bold the same way, and the pair notched up several victories.
Flat Bold raced on the New York circuit for five years, from 2008 through 2012. He had 35 career starts, with eight wins, six seconds and
After two years of riding at La Rinconada Hippodrome in Caracas, Venezuela, Dominguez emigrated to the United States in 1996 at the age of 20. He competed first at Hialeah Park in Florida, then moved his tack to the Mid-Atlantic tracks of Laurel, Pimlico and Delaware Park. From 2004 through 2007, Dominguez was the leading rider at Delaware Park, capturing multiple riding titles in Maryland. He then headed to New York where he was the leading rider each year from 2009 through 2012.
Dominguez won the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey for three consecutive years (2010-2012) and had tallied 4,985 career wins and $191,620,277 in purse earnings at the time of his retirement. He won 160 graded stakes and rode such notable horses as Tapit, Bluegrass Cat, Gio Ponti and Havre de Grace. He also guided three Breeders’ Cup runners to victory – Better Talk Now, Hansen and Little Mike. Two of his top horses had ties to Aiken. These were Fox Hill Farm’s Eight Belles and Godolphin’s Alpha. Both horses had their early training at the Aiken Training Track.
“Coming to the United States was always my goal when I started my riding career,” said Dominguez. “I followed in the footsteps of many talented Latin American jockeys who really contributed so much to the sport.”
Asked if there was one race or one racehorse that stood out in his memory, Dominguez laughed. “I rode in over 20,000 races and rode
six thirds for earnings of $436,275. He was not one of Dominguez’s major stakes winners, but there is something quite revealing in the fact that this horse – a hard-working, blue-collar runner – is the one that he loves to talk about.
After his career-ending injury in 2013, Dominguez took what he had learned from racing and became a motivational speaker. “I would be asked to speak to companies that actually had nothing to do with the sport,” he recalled. “But whether the topic was overcoming obstacles, learning from your mistakes or the psychology of success, I discovered that my background had given me the perfect training to help others.”
Dominguez has also started work as a commentator for a Spanish language sports network and has been in Florida providing insight on some of the big race days at Gulfstream Park.
A project that Dominguez has been working on for years is the development of a more humane riding crop – called the 360 Gentle Touch crop (360GT). The crop is now being used by jockeys around the country and is also being marketed to riders in a variety of other disciplines.
Tickets for Breakfast at the Gallops are $20 in advance or $30 the day of the event. Coffee and light breakfast fare will be served starting at 8:00 by the Clockers Stand at the Aiken Training Track. For more information call 803-643-2121 or email halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov. To purchase tickets, visit aikentrainingtrack.com.
Winner’s circle after Alpha’s wire-to-wire victory , Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes at Saratoga (2012). With Jimmy Bell, president of Darley America,& trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.
Stable View Season Opener, January 2025
Photography by Pam Gleason
Kathy Viele riding her own Decano
Waylon Roberts riding OKE Ruby R owned by John and Michelle Almojuela Koppin
Janice Keats and Amber Lee Clark from The Vista pictured with Cynthia Keating from GGT Footing
Photos by Pam Gleason of the Aiken Horse
After Helene at the Hitchcock Woods Welcome Back
By Mary Jane Howell
The Hitchcock Woods has been an integral part of life in Aiken for well over 100 years. Its 2100 acres of trees and trails have been enjoyed in many ways, but also perhaps, taken for granted. When Hurricane Helene came barreling up from the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, making landfall in Florida and then heading to South Carolina on September 27, 2024, nobody quite understood what was in store for this area. Even now, months later, Aiken has lasting scars from Helene’s destruction. The Woods took a direct hit.
their equipment could make it into the Woods.
Equipment ranged from John Deere tractors to mulchers and countless chainsaws of every size. The safety of the workers was a top priority.
“Phase one involved clearing and making the Woods safe,” explained Mary Katherine Philipp. “We made a gigantic push to open before Christmas and we succeeded – the Woods officially opened at dawn on December 21.”
They started by clearing the main corridor to the horse show grounds and the arteries branching away from that area. The primary trails were next, followed by the secondary trails, and the lowest priority was given to the moderately used, single-track trails.
“We had to be very firm that the Woods was off-limits,” Mary
“It was a sobering sight when I first was able to get in there,” recalled Bennett Tucker, superintendent of Hitchcock Woods. “I got on the four-wheeler, and even getting to Memorial Gate was a cahallenge.” Memorial Gate, dedicated to Francis Hitchcock in 1926, is a short walk from the woods’ entrance.
A few days later, Mary Katherine Philipp, executive director of the Hitchcock Woods Foundation, along with Bennett Tucker and Eric Grande, the assistant superintendent, were able to do a more thorough tour.
“It was immediately apparent that we would have to close the Woods,” said Mary Katherine. “From the loblolly pine that had hit our shop to the destruction all around the horse show grounds and all the impassable trails – none of us had ever seen anything like it. The damage from the two ice storms paled in comparison.”
It was difficult for Bennett and Eric even to reach the areas of the worst destruction – inside the Berrie Road entrance, the land and trails to the south of the Ridge Mile Track, then further south to Barton’s Pond Bridge and Peek-a-Boo Lane. The first order of business, however, was to make a first pass at clearing so that the various contractors and
Katherine said. “To help people understand the enormity of what had happened and how much work was involved with clearing trails, we decided to give weekly progress reports on our website and show plenty of photos. That really helped the Aiken community grasp what we were dealing with on a daily basis.”
One of the side effects of having the Woods closed to everyone but the work crews was that the wildlife started to reclaim the land, trees and sky for themselves. The delicate hoof prints of deer could be seen around the Woods office and outbuildings, while hawks and other birds were much more in evidence than normal. The endangered RedCockaded Woodpeckers, whose reintroduction to the Woods has been so successful, were for the most part unharmed. Great horned owls and their tiny counterparts, the screech owls, lay claim to the night. Small mammals found new dwellings in the twisted roots and diminutive caves formed when the big hardwoods were uprooted and blown over.
“It has been interesting to see that what we assume is ‘debris’ has actually become housing for wildlife,” said Bennett Tucker with a laugh. “We have decided to leave some of it alone for exactly that purpose.”
In total there were more than 1,000 trees lost. Some outside tree
companies came in with big equipment when it became obvious that topping trees and removing aerial hazards went beyond the scope of what Bennett and Eric could handle with their equipment. Other companies will be brought in down the line to continue the many facets of restoring the Woods.
“Our focus has been on clearing. There are many pine logs that have been sawed and stacked and waiting for removal,” explained Bennett. “Other trees will be mulched.”
Although the landscape is now changed, the emotional draw of the Woods is stronger than ever.
“I have been riding and walking in the Woods since 1972,” said Linda Knox McLean. “I am 73 now, so that should tell you how long my life has been entwined with that magical place.”
Linda is a retired master of the Aiken Hounds but still hunts on a weekly basis. The day the Woods reopened, she rode her horse and then
returned later with her dogs.
“It was blissful to be back in the Woods – whether on horseback or simply walking,” she said. “The time away from the Woods was not unlike the time of COVID – I felt trapped, out of sorts. Now I am alert, joyful and my animals could not be happier!”
Gail King, along with her two English Springer Spaniels (Rory and Kizzie), is a daily walker in the Woods. “Being denied entrance to the Woods for all those months was heart-wrenching,” she recalled. “It truly is my spiritual home, and I think we all had taken it for granted. Not anymore!! The dogs and I were so happy when we were allowed back in.”
About 90 percent of the Woods is open at this point, according to Mary Katherine Philipp and Bennet Tucker. There is a long way to go, however.
“As we move forward, we are asking ourselves: how do we make this forest more resilient?” said Mary Katherine. “What can we do better? We are in the process of updating our management plan because this hurricane changed so many things. I like the saying that we used in our fall newsletter – Bent… but Not Broken. That is us. That is the Woods.”
The phrase has caught on so much that T-shirts have been designed by Ron Turner of Theory 5, a local advertising and branding agency. The shirts feature a photo that Mary Katherine
took of a stand of longleaf pines after the hurricane with the “Bent but Not Broken” phrase underneath. The shirts are for sale in the Hitchcock Woods office and all proceeds go towards the expenses incurred, and ongoing, in the Woods clean-up and restoration.
The 109th Aiken Horse Show will take place this year from March 28th through the 30th. Clearing the show grounds, rebuilding the announcer’s hut, replacing broken fence boards, and replanting the rye grass has been accomplished under the most difficult of circumstances. It did not seem possible that the show would happen in 2025, but it will. There has probably never been a year that the show – indeed the Woods itself – has been so celebrated.
For more information or to donate to the cleanup and recovery efforts, visit https://hitchcockwoods.org.
The crew: Bennett Tucker, Mary Katherine Philipp, Eric Grande
Taylor Bradish Drives to Success
Annie Goodwin Scholarship Winner
by Amber Heintzberger
Taylor Bradish, who runs her business, Golden Carriage Driving, in Windsor, won this year’s Annie Goodwin scholarship from the Aiken Horse Park Foundation. An advocate for promoting her sport to a younger base, Taylor Bradish, 29, is an accomplished competitor in combined driving. She is the three-time USEF Advanced Single Horse Combined Driving National Champion, and was the highest placed United States pair at the 2022 and 2024 FEI Combined Driving Championships in France. Following her trip to the World Championship in 2024 with Jennifer Matheson’s Katydid Duchess, the mare was sold to Boyd Exell, the world’s number one combined driving competitor, who is based in the Netherlands but competes for his native Australia.
Australia.
“I haven’t met Putter,” she continued. “But it was really special to get that phone call from him rather than just an email. I’m really looking forward to meeting him at the Grand Prix Eventing Showcase in March.”
Bradish said that she is trying to be smart about how she uses the grant money. “I’m going to sit down with my husband to decide what to do with this opportunity,” she said. “It’s really hard to get recognition on social media as a driver, so I want to market myself and the sport of combined driving. I also have another single driving horse that I’m moving forward with, and Boyd Exell is also my coach. He’s coming over in March, so I’ll work with him then.”
Annie Goodwin, who was a respected member of the Aiken eventing community, died in a riding accident in 2021 when she was just 32. Today, her legacy is carried on by her horse Fedarman B (Bruno) now ridden by Boyd Martin, a world class eventing rider. In 2024 Martin rode Bruno at the Olympic Games in Paris. Although Boyd Martin grew up in Australia, he is now an American citizen and competes for the United States.
The Aiken Horse Park established the Annie Goodwin Rising Star Grant as a way of honoring Annie. The grant provides financial support for young professional equestrians and, according to their website, it is intended “to foster, support and develop Aiken’s young equestrians who embody Annie’s character and dedication in their respective sports.”
Taylor Bradish said that she learned that she had been awarded the grant through a phone call from Annie Goodwin’s father, Putter Goodwin.
“He saw that I sold my top horse, and he acknowledged that it was a tough decision and the best thing for the horse, which is why we did it. ... Annie had also considered selling Bruno for the same reason. I took Duchess to France this year and Boyd took Bruno to France, too. It’s a coincidence that both horses went to guys named Boyd who are from
She acknowledged that it’s a long shot, but the pairs championship is in Beekburgen, The Netherlands this year and she said that if she could find the extra sponsorship to lease horses in Europe, that would be an exciting goal.
“Even if that doesn’t work out, I might try to do a show or two over there just to get my feet wet and if I absolutely love it, I might try to drive a pair here too.”
Taylor Bradish said that she started working with Boyd Exell at shows about five years ago, when he was coming to the states to train Misdee Wrigley Miller, who has competed four-in-hands for the United States driving team. Before the competition in France last year, Bradish spent a couple of months at Exell’s farm in Valkenswaard in The Netherlands and trained every day.
“He drives five teams of four-inhands every day. That was even more valuable than competing in the World Championships, and I learned so much,” she said. “A few days after arriving he commented that Duchess would fit well with his indoor team. When I saw them, I had to agree, but I didn’t want to think about it before the World Championships, so we put it off until after that.”
Taylor said that Duchess was incredibly good at the competition, putting in her personal best dressage test and giving her all in marathon and cones. The day afterward, Exell suggested putting her in a four-inhand to see how she would do. “He really knew her well, and we put her right in the lead with her partner, Bundy, who she’s learning from.” The mare was so good, Boyd immediately said “I need this horse.”
According to Taylor, it’s a bit of a positive adjustment for Duchess to transition from being a single horse to being a part of a team.
“The mare is 15 and she did FEI single horse for 8 years, ” Bradish said. “In a four-in-hand the leaders don’t pull as hard – and she’s doing the indoors and all she has to do is run fast and turn, which she loves.”
Exell’s daughter Olivia also rides the mare and loves her and Bradish is convinced that she has found the best possible home for her partner, not just because of Exell’s talent as a competitor but because of the excellent care he provides his horses.
“They have about a five- to six-month season, and when they’re done, he turns them out and lets them be horses for about six months … this is a good direction for her eventual retirement,” she said.
Pictured: Amigo Bravo Wug in Adams Exclusive Color (navy/plum)
Live here.Play here.
World-class polo club and premier equestrian gated community with residences, farms, and estate lots available. Five polo fields and interscholastic/intercollegiate arena polo with turnkey polo academy. Multi-discipline, full-service stables with all-weather GGT jumping arena and mirrored dressage arena.
SPRING POLO SCHEDULE: New Bridge Spring Challenge 8 Goal (April 19-May 4), Louise Hitchcock Memorial Ladies 10-14 Goal (May 3-18), Pete Bostwick Memorial 8 Goal (May 7-25), Tommy Hitchcock Memorial 8 Goal (May 27-June 15)
For inquiries, contact 1-888-4NB-POLO New Bridge Realty - New Bridge Polo & Country Club @newbridgepolo
EQUESTRIAN COMMUNITY
From the developer of Three Runs Plantation comes another wonderful equestrian neighborhood in Aiken, South Carolina. Bridle Creek meanders across 1,000 wooded acres, featuring ve-acre lots and larger. Amenities include a dressage arena, jump arena, X-Country Schooling area and an activity center with meeting, social and tness space. All this plus miles of scenic trails. Now selling in Phase Three. Inquire today by calling 1-888-297-8881 or email info@bridlecreekaiken.com
1,000 Acres • Miles of groomed and marked trails • Jump arena • Dressage arena with mirrors • X-Country schooling area Activity/Fitness Center • Homesites from 5+ acres • From the developer of Three Runs Plantation
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Horse
Shopping at the Southern Belle
Premier Horse Sale Returns
By Pam Gleason
Agood horse can be hard to find. There are some fantastic horses out there for sale, but they tend to be scattered around the country, making them difficult to evaluate in person. One paradox of the growth of online horse marketing is that it makes it easier to find horses you might want to bring into your family, but since the horses you fall in love with might be on the other side of the country, it’s actually somewhat harder to assess them and bring them home.
That is one reason why horse shoppers in Aiken and beyond will be glad to know that the Southern Belle Classic is returning to Stable View in Aiken this March 21-22. The Southern Belle is “the South’s Elite Horse Sale,” featuring a selection of hand-picked, mostly westerntrained horses from across the country. The auction is run by the Belles in Boots company, created by Meredith Mobley and Tiffany Fuller, two South Carolina horsewomen with a passion for horses. After getting involved with a high end horse auction out West as consignors, they realized that South Carolina needed to have a similar sale. Although some people might be hesitant to buy a horse at auction, it has many advantages. Not only can you compare a selection of horses under the same circumstances, everyone has an equal chance to buy the horse they
have set their hearts on. No one will find that the horse they want to buy has been sold out from underneath them between the time they try it and the time they write their check.
This is the third year for the Southern Belle Classic at Stable View, and there are many things that will be the same as in previous years, and a few things that will be different. The horses will start to arrive at Stable
View during the week of March 17, with veterinary exams scheduled to begin on Thursday, March 20. Veterinary exams, which are open to the public, resume on Friday, March 21, and all the horses will have been examined before the actual sale begins on Saturday afternoon, March 22. These are not actual prepurchase exams, but all of the horses will arrive with recent x-rays and vettings, and buyers can arrange to have their own prepurchase exams by contacting the consignors beforehand.
In the past, the Southern Belle has offered two sales previews where the consignors show off what their horses can do. One preview takes place in the arena. The other is a trail and versatility preview on the cross country course at Stable View. This year there will be an additional preview held at Highland Corral, a farm on Springfield Church Road, next door to Stable View. This will be a cattle preview, where the horses will demonstrate their cow sense. There will be sorting, working cows and dummy roping. Buyers and spectators are invited to attend.
“These horses, a lot of them work for a living,” said Meredith Mobley.
“So this will give them a chance to show that.”
“Even the ones who are not cow horses, who don’t compete, they might be used to move cattle around,” added Tiffany Fuller. “It’s a great thing to show horses that aren’t necessarily trained on cattle are still gentle enough to go in and push some cows around.”
The trail and versatility preview will follow the cattle preview on Friday, and the arena preview will be on Saturday before the sale itself. There is also time set aside for potential buyers to meet the consignors and try horses that they are interested in. Meredith and Tiffany encourage anyone who is thinking of buying to do their homework first, and this can start now.
“They can go on the website and see pictures and descriptions of all the horses,” said Meredith. “If they see one that they want to know more about, there’s a button there to send a message to the consignor. They can also tune in to our podcast, the Belles in Boots podcast, where we interview the consignors and they talk about the horses they are bringing.” Podcast episodes start in February and continue until the sale. They can be found through the Southern Belle Classic website, as well as on Apple, Spotify and other podcast sites.
Triscuit, a 37-inch pony, is hip #1 at the 2025 auction
The 2024 high seller
As far as the horses go, this year there are 52 entered from 22 consignors that come from as far away as Texas, New Mexico, Iowa and Utah. The sale has its first South Carolina consignor, Carolina Performance Horses from Clover, S.C., which will be bringing two Friesian cross horses with English riding experience. Other horses on offer have gone out on the hunt field, a handful of them are happy in front of a carriage, and the majority have a solid western background, including some successful reining and ranch horses. Many are Quarter Horses, but there are also draft crosses, Gypsy Vanners, and a selection of ponies.
Although buying and selling horses is the main purpose of the sale, it is also a social event. Over the past two years it has gained a following
among buyers and sellers who use it as an opportunity to spend a weekend in Aiken. There are over 20 vendors coming to sell horse equipment, clothing, jewelry and western décor items. On Friday night, there is a ticketed Southern dinner in the Stable View pavilion – 200 hundred tickets have sold out every year.
“People are coming to the sale from all over,” said Meredith. “Our registration this year is really taking off and the buyers are from everywhere… We have folks that have come now for three years in a row. They bought horses the first year, and have already been in touch this year, saying, this is our favorite weekend of the year. They just come to hang out and have a good time and enjoy really nice horses.”
Can’t make it to the sale in person? No worries: the auction and the arena and trail previews will be livestreamed, and you can bid online, by telephone or through an agent. If you would like to bid, you need to register through the Southern Belle website. However, spectators, onlookers and those who would like to come out and shop with the vendors are invited to stop by any time.
Since they started their sale in 2023, Tiffany and Meredith have gained a reputation for putting together a well-run event, with excellent customer service and communication. They say they are constantly evaluating what they are doing, looking for ways to improve and make the sale successful for everyone involved.
“One thing we have learned is that there’s a need for gentle well broke horses in our area,” said Meredith. “We have a lot of folks that work really hard during the week, and they need horses that they can relax and have a good time with on the weekend. We really do try to stress that to our consigners. There will be some performance horses coming, but there’s also going to be a lot of horses that are great for the working folks, the busy moms that are running their kids around, the people that want a horse they can trust, even if they don’t ride every day. That’s the kind of horse we’re looking for.”
For more information, to register as a buyer, see the horses and to find a complete sale schedule, visit https://southernbelleclassic.com
Zipped Genuine Jack will sell this March. Hip #47
Secret Lives of Horses
Howard – Still Standing Strong
By Mary Jane Howell
Howard, a stunning Percheron-paint cross, is 25 years old. The fact that he is even here today is a testament to his own strong will and the abiding love of several of his humans. From a kill pen in Texas, to life as a carriage horse in New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, Howard faced more obstacles at an early age than most horses do in their entire lifetimes.
Howard is owned by Kami Bitting, a professional huntsman with the De La Brooke Foxhounds in Mt. Victoria, Maryland But Howard (or Howie as he is affectionately called these days) now lives in Aiken with Cathi Grove, who is a whip with the Aiken Hounds. The two women have known each other for years, so when it was time for Howie to slow down a bit, Cathi’s farm was the perfect home for him.
The charmed life Howie leads now is a far cry from his beginnings. It is a mystery how he came to be in that Texas kill pen (a place where horses are held before being sold to slaughter in Mexico), but members of the Charbonnet family from New Orleans were there looking for horses that would be suitable for their successful carriage business.
water reached the bellies of the horses. When they were able, the two men moved the horses one-by-one to a nearby park. There they still had to contend with rising water, and another threat was fighting off people who tried to steal the horses as a means of escaping the city.
Howard, Mr. Big and the rest of the horses and mules remained stranded at the park with the men until September 4 when they were rescued and taken to the expo center. Sadly, three out of the 22 horses did not survive the rescue. Mr. Big was one of those three.
Kami Bitting was living in New Hampshire at the time, and when she heard about the plight of the horses at the expo center, who needed experienced horse people to come care for them, she gathered some friends together and they all headed to Louisiana. There were 100 horses at the center, and it didn’t take long for the volunteers to get settled in and start their daily routines caring for them all.
Although she had become quite attached to Tupac, Kami eventually had to leave to head back to her life in New Hampshire. She never quite forgot about the pinto, however, and after several months she found herself in Florida on a family matter and decided to take a drive over to Louisiana to visit the friends she had made – horses and people. As fate would have it, the carriage company was looking to sell Tupac, and Kami found herself with a new horse.
Howie was known as Tupac in those days, and he was only 2 when Kim Charbonnet purchased him. He soon learned to drive, paired with an older horse, a veteran of the carriage trade named Mr. Big. The Charbonnet family had 49 horses and mules for their business, Mid-City Carriage Company, and a large stable to hold all the horses and carriages.
When Hurricane Katrina made landfall in Louisiana on August 29, 2008, the Charbonnets had already started to evacuate their horses to the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in nearby Gonzales. Their trailers had taken 27 horses on the first trip, but rising floodwaters prevented them from returning for the remaining 22. Howard and Mr. Big were among the horses left in the stable. Two employees – Lucien Mitchell and Darnell Stewart – stayed with the horses and mules, even when the
Kami had him shipped commercially to her farm. Then she gave Howard (she had changed his name once he was truly hers) the winter off, just to be a horse. When springtime came it was time for their first ride together and as she recalls: “I think he bucked me off!”
It didn’t take long for Howard to learn a new career, and before long he was going over small jumps and cantering in a nice frame. After a bit more schooling, Kami took him to his first horse trials and soon they were competing at recognized events. Three years after she had fallen in love with him in Louisiana, Kami took Howard to his first Preliminary event. They finished seventh out of 22 riders.
“I bought him as a re-sale project, but of course that never happened,” Kami laughed. “He was the kind of horse that I could give lessons on one day and then compete the next. He is so cool, and I am honored to have had him in my life this long.”
When Kami moved to Maryland for the job with De La Brooke Foxhounds, she made the decision to leave Howard with her friend Emily, who was just beginning to event. After a few years, however, Emily had advanced to a level that was beyond what Howard could really do, and that is when Kami reached out to Cathi Grove.
“I have a good herd of oldies but goodies,” said Cathi, “And Howard immediately fit right in. He is the consummate gentleman and the epitome of a lady’s mount. We do call him Howie though –it just seems to fit him at this stage of his life.”
Because of all his experience as a carriage horse in New Orleans (he was certified to be driven during Mardi Gras) there is not much that rattles Howie. Cathi has ridden him in downtown Aiken; her young sons can ride and lead him around the farm; and he currently enjoys hunting in the Hitchcock Woods with Cathi’s friend Janet Anthos.
“We go fourth flight,” said Janet. “We just enjoy the more leisurely pace, and he is so good. He loves being in the hunt field with the other horses and when we are not hunting Cathi and I try and sneak in a hack during the week. He is so very special.”
“He is one of those horses you can never replace,” explained Cathi. “He’s just so educated and so kind – he’s done so many different things and survived more than we can imagine. I am honored to have him.”
Secret Lives of Horses is sponsored by Triple Crown Nutrition: Providing nutrition beyond compare.
ULTRASOUND & SPORTS MEDICINE
Carol Gillis DVM, PhD
Diplomate American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation
Dr. Carol Gillis is one of the world’s leading veterinarians in the diagnosis and treatment of tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries.
Our practice offers in depth ultrasound examinations and individualized rehabilitation programs for both equine and canine athletes.
Dr. Gillis is also available for remote consultations, including diagnostics and rehabilitation plans for patients all over the world.
Anew Thoroughbred racing partnership is hoping to bring back some of the fun, glamor and enthusiasm for a sport that once was the most well-known equestrian discipline in Aiken. The partnership, co-founded by Warren Byrne and David Repko, has four 2-year-olds in training with Legacy Stable at the Aiken Training Track and an enthusiastic group of local partners. Byrne is in charge of the racing portion of the partnership under the name Aiken Racing Partners. Repko, a Baltimore- and Aiken-based financial advisor and Thoroughbred racing fan, runs Aiken Racing Management, which handles all the business aspects.
No stranger to Thoroughbred racing, Warren Byrne grew up on Park Stud, one of the most important breeding farms in Canada. His parents – Michael and Laurel Byrne – built their farm in Ontario from the ground up and became a force to be reckoned with in Canada and the United States. Raising well-bred Thoroughbreds that would excel at tracks throughout Europe and North America, the Byrnes also stood some of the top stallions in Canada, including Bold Ruckus, who was that country’s ten-time leading sire. Growing up, Byrne prepped sales horses and helped foal mares, all valuable experiences for a life he knew would be spent with Thoroughbreds.
Byrne purchased four yearlings from Fasig Tipton’s October Yearlings Sale and they were shipped to Legacy Stable’s barn in Aiken, to be trained by Brad Stauffer and Ron Stevens, both veteran trainers with long and successful careers. The two colts are by Honor AP and Accelerate, while the fillies are by Mendelssohn and Caravaggio.
As a young adult, Byrne worked for Ashford Stud and WinStar Farm in Kentucky and then made his way back to Canada and started Rancho Park Management, a Toronto-based bloodstock agency. Stakes-winners Homeboykris, Amen Hallelujah and Madman Diaries (a 2-year-old champion in Canada) were three of his success stories for his client Robert Teel. Other clientele had runners in some of the world’s most prestigious races – the Kentucky Derby, the Dubai World Cup and several Breeders’ Cup races.
Byrne had always known about Aiken. His father had horses with Mike Freeman and David Donk, both respected trainers who once ran their operations at the Aiken Training Track during the winter months. When Byrne started coming to Aiken for visits a few years ago, he got caught up in the history of the town, especially of the track.
“I can compare Aiken to every major horse town in Europe –Newmarket and Chantilly to name two. The history of Aiken is mind boggling. The Winter Colony and all their equestrian sports, and still to this day the polo, the drag hunts in Hitchcock Woods, the Green Boundary and the Willcox… Aiken is so special,” said Byrne. Soon, Byrne began to contemplate forming a racing partnership that would bring back the enthusiasm that Aiken once had for the training track and its horses.
It wasn’t that long ago that the late Cot Campbell, founder of Dogwood Stable, would greet hundreds of Aiken fans lined up at the rail to see the stable’s 2013 Belmont Stakes-winner Palace Malice gallop each morning when he was on his winter break. Campbell knew all about generating excitement, and Byrne sees a way to follow in those footsteps.
“I started to meet a lot of Aiken people last year, and many would ask me what it felt like to own a racehorse. I thought that maybe the time was right to start a small, affordable partnership.”
The pieces fell into place when he met and clicked with Dave Repko. Repko is also the owner of Good Fortunes Farm in Bridle Creek, where his fiancée, the five-star eventing competitor, Emily Hamel, is based.
“I love Aiken,” Repko said. “We have a lifestyle here built around horses. I have owned horses for 20 years, so when Warren took me to the track one morning I saw the possibilities. The infrastructure is here, the training track has such a wonderful history, and I thought it would be great to help him bring some of the excitement back!”
As a testament to the way Byrne has set up the partnership and to the quality of the horses, both Stauffer and Stevens have purchased shares in the offering. “I have probably trained close to 2,500 horses in my career, and only owned seven or eight of them,” explained Stevens. “I really like these horses and it’s going to be fun. There’s not a lot of pressure and everyone is so enthusiastic.”
With Aiken Racing Partners, shareholders own a percentage of each of the four horses and their buy-in includes not only the purchase, but training, upkeep, veterinary and other costs throughout the life of the partnership. The horses will be sold at the end of their 3-year-old careers, but Warren Byrne explained that there is a plan in place for aftercare: “If one of the horses needs to be retired in the midst of their racing career, we are lucky to have an outlet for them to learn a new discipline with Emily Hamel.”
Lauri Hays was one of the first people in Aiken to become a partner, a natural next step after many years of being a huge fan of racing. A longtime horsewoman, Hays has spent four years shadowing the Legacy Stable trainers in the mornings before she heads to work. The thought that she can now watch her own horses train is an “incredible feeling.”
“I loved the way Warren put the partnership together and for me, loving so much about Aiken’s history, it’s wonderful to be a part of something that is helping to create a forward motion – to get some of the track’s excitement back.”
Each Friday Byrne has a “partner morning” at the track and at the barn, allowing the new owners the opportunity to watch their horses train and to ask questions. He hopes that at least one of the horses will run in the Aiken Trials, held this year on Saturday, March 15.
When the 2-year-olds have completed their early education in Aiken, they will head to Rick Dutrow, a trainer based in New York, to start their official careers. Dutrow won the 2008 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes with Big Brown and has saddled the winners of four Breeders’ Cup races.
“We want our partners to attend the races, enjoy seeing their horses in the paddock and share the anticipation of watching the post parade,” said Byrne.
As Dogwood’s Cot Campbell always said, he was “selling the sizzle and not the steak” – Words that Byrne has taken to heart. Wins would be great, but starting a partnership in Aiken, seeing the pride that the new partners have with their ownership, having the support of the town… Byrne couldn’t be happier with how this dream has turned out.
Friday morning at the clocker’s stand with Aiken Racing Partners.
Warren Byrne on the way to the track with his two colts. Photography by Barry Bornstein
Park Place Polo II, Aiken, SC
PSJ Winter I Photography by Gary Knoll
Shaun Mandy Dressage
Great Expectations
By Pam Gleason
Shaun Mandy has loved horses for as long as he can remember. Born born and raised in South Africa, Shaun is a Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer who has recently relocated to Aiken. He has a British Dressage Level 3 Coaching Certificate, is qualified as a youth assessor for British Dressage and has just returned from a stint in Uruguay, where he coached two of the country’s team riders. He has been giving clinics in the Aiken area, is available for teaching and training, and he just got the ride on a horse with the potential to go to the pinnacle of the sport. Things are looking good for Shaun Mandy Dressage.
“I love helping other riders, really,” he said, when asked what motivates him. “My passion is to train horses and riders, and help riders develop and achieve their goals. I want to help riders increase their knowledge and their skill set, in not only their riding, but in how to deal with issues that arise in training, and how to keep the horse as the number one priority with kindness to the animal.”
Although today Shaun is devoted to dressage, he started out with eventing ambitions. He grew up in the wine region of South Africa on a fruit farm where his father was the manager. When he was about 11 years old, a neighboring farm opened up as a riding school. The owner of the stable, Hillary Pelser, took Shaun under her wing and became like a second mother to him. He spent every day at the stable, riding ponies and helping out. When he got a little older she found him his first eventing horse.
“I was really lucky to find someone like Hillary,” he said. “She really supported me on my journey.”
When Shaun was 18, the whole family relocated to England. Shaun started out teaching at a therapeutic riding center, but soon took the opportunity to work for one of his eventing heroes, Pippa Funnell, one of Great Britain’s top riders, who had just won the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing (The Kentucky 3-Day Event, the Badminton Horse Trials and the Burghley Horse Trials.) From there he took jobs with Jane Holderness-Roddam and her sister Jennie Loristan-Clarke, both British
Olympians with storied careers. He rode and trained horses for them and did some eventing himself.
He took a two-year break from horses to see the world as cabin crew for Qantas Airlines, and then eventually found himself back in England doing freelance work as a rider and trainer. During that time, a top Dutch rider offered him a talented Swedish warmblood mare that had washed out of upper level eventing. The horse was a lovely mover, but was not brave enough for cross country. Shaun had hoped that her courage would grow under his tutelage, but it soon became clear that her heart was not in jumping.
“I was training with Jennie Loriston-Clarke, and Jennie said to me, why don’t you just do dressage?” said Shaun. “And it all just suddenly made sense to me. I remember thinking of a time when I was a kid, Hillary Pelser, saying to me, ‘You should be a dressage rider one day. You’ve got lovely hands.’ I remembered it so clearly in that moment … And I never evented again.”
Although Shaun eventually sold his mare, his devotion to dressage was wholehearted. Wanting to train on the continent, he moved to Denmark where he rode under the renowned trainer Hasse Hoffman, a transformative experience.
“I was very fortunate to have an amazing mentor in Hasse, as he is a rider and trainer that always puts the horse first and has just such an amazing feel,” Shaun said. Riding up to 10 horses a day, he learned an immense amount from Hasse. “He was usually in the arena with us, and his office overlooked the arena and he’d be watching, even if we thought he wasn’t. You would be riding around, and suddenly he would open the door and say ‘More inside leg!’ … If you were struggling a bit with a horse, he would ride it and you would learn so much from watching him. And then you would get on the horse, and you would feel what he’d done to the horse, and you would be amazed at the transformation.”
After two years in Denmark, Shaun returned to England, where he began his own dressage journey with a horse that he took to the Grand Prix level and eventually owned. He trained with the British Olympian Carl Hester, who would become another important influence in his career. Then, when he had the chance to go to Uruguay to teach and train, he took it, and spent two years there.
Although he enjoyed his life in Uruguay, he knew that if he wanted to further his own riding career, he would need to come to the States. People he had worked with had Aiken connections, and that is how he ended up in the area. Today, he is living in Williston, teaching and training at a few stables while giving clinics both locally and further afield – from Aiken’s New Bridge Polo Club to as far away as Sweden and even China. He is most excited about his new training project, a horse owned by Terry Aitken Long that has the potential for greatness.
“He has the quality,” said Shaun. “I believe I could have him at Grand Prix in two years.” Like any ambitious rider, Shaun has a goal in mind: riding at the Los Angeles Olympics as an individual under the flag of his native South Africa.
“For me, the best thing about dressage is feeling the progress the horse is making,” he said. “It’s always asking questions in the right time, and it’s that communication between the horse and rider. … When I’m training a horse, and I start to feel that horse really carry me, and I feel the horse in beautiful balance and lifting its back and moving into my outside rein and responding to me with the lightest of aids, with its ears forward and a willingness to take me forward, I feel that horse is going around with a smile on his face. That’s what I want. … I want the horse to be a happy horse.”
Follow SM Dressage on Facebook or call for more information: 803-508-1183
2025 CALENDAR DATES
View’s
3-5 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 1
8 Hunter/Jumper Institute
11 Winter Combined Test
18-19 USEF/USEA “Aiken Opener” Horse Trials (ST, BN, N, T, M, P)
29 Schooling Dressage Collection
8-9 USEF/USDF “I LOVE Dressage”
14 Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
15 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
16 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials
19 Hunter/Jumper Institute
26 Schooling Dressage Collection
1-2
USEF/USDF “Southern Comfort” Dressage
7 Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
8 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
9 Eventing Academy Horse Schooling Horse Trials
12 Hunter/Jumper Institute
14-16 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 2
21-23 Southern Belle Classic Auction
26 Schooling Dressage Collection
29 Spring Trail Race
4-6 Stable View $60,000 FEI CCI-S 2/3/4* & USEF/USEA Horse Trials (T, M, P, I, A)
16 Hunter/Jumper Institute
19-20 USEF/USDF “Spring Fever” Dressage
25-27 UKC All Breed Dog Show – Aiken Showcase Dog Show
3-4 USEF/USEA Stable View Local Charities Horse Trials and USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships
17-18 USEF/USDF “Do Dah Day” Dressage
28 Hunter/Jumper Institute
30-June 2 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 3
11 Schooling Dressage Collection
14-15 USEF/USDF “Summer Solstice” Dressage
20-22 USEF/USEA Summer Horse Trials (BN, N, T, M, P, I, A)
25 Hunter/Jumper Institute
27-29 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 4
9 Schooling Dressage Collection 12-13 USEF/USDF “Only in America” Dressage
16 Hunter/Jumper Institute
18 Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
19 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
20 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials
1-3 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 5
6 Hunter/Jumper Institute
8 Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
9 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
10 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials
13-14 USEF/USDF ‘Too Hot To Trot I” Dressage
15-17 USEF/USDF “Too Hot To Trot II” Dressage
10 Schooling Dressage Collection 12-14 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 6
17 Hunter/Jumper Institute 26-28 “Oktoberfest” $60,000 FEI CCI-S 2/3/4* & USEF/USEA Horse Trials (BN, N, T, M, P, I, A)
3-4 Southern Belle Classic Auction
Schooling Dressage Collection
Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
Eventing Academy Schooling Day
Eventing Academy Horse Trails 15 Hunter/Jumper Institute
2 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 7 8 Aiken Trailblazer 12 Schooling Dressage Collection
Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
Eventing Academy Schooling Day 16 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials 19 Hunter/Jumper Institute
Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials 17 Hunter/Jumper Institute
Around the World Made Easy
Travel with Travelera Partners
By Nancy Johnson
Would you like to go horseback riding in Kenya? Do you want to travel and see more of the world but just don’t have the time to do all the research, planning, and booking? Or maybe you are apprehensive, having heard (or perhaps even experienced) nightmare stories about trips gone terribly wrong.
Through her concierge travel advisory business, Travelera Partners, Jackie Wammock, an Aiken resident, can take all the hassles out of traveling. She has broad travel experience, comprehensive planning skills, and a network of international travel connections, enabling her to create custom itinerary design. She sums up her goal, “My focus is collaborating with you on meticulously planned vacations. I’m here to turn your travel aspirations into reality.”
When it comes to travel, Jackie doesn’t just “talk the talk.” Her personal travel experiences have taken her to 34 countries, six continents (she is traveling to the seventh and final one this year.) She has hiked in the Kingdom of Bhutan, on Italy’s Amalfi Coast, and in British Columbia. She has sailed the U.S. and British Virgin Islands, the Adriatic Sea, and the Caribbean Leeward Islands. Other memorable adventures include horseback riding safaris in Kenya, and boar hunting in France.
Jackie launched Travelera Partners in 2023, but the business was brewing long before that. “During college I spent a semester abroad, at the Sorbonne in Paris,” she begins. “I knew as soon as I got home that I wanted to be in the travel business.”
After graduation, she followed that dream by taking a job with one of the largest corporate travel companies. She explains that this was in an era when all air travel was booked through travel agencies. “I didn’t love the job itself, but I loved the perks that came with it,” she recalls. Jackie soon changed professions. “I got into commercial real estate, specifically shopping centers, which I loved for 30 years,” she says. That position financially enabled Jackie and her husband, Sam, to enjoy extensive
personal trips, which she always planned.
Jackie was still working in commercial real estate when she had her first experience with a travel advisor. “Sam was not excited about going to Bogotá, and I knew an advisor who had experience planning in Columbia. That sealed the deal with getting Sam to agree to go,” she says. The trip was fabulous and stress-free, due in great part to the assistance of the advisor. The travel advisor also planned a Moroccan excursion for the couple, which was equally fantastic.
It was on their next trip that Travelera Partners was conceived. Jackie vividly remembers the setting. “It was while drinking a cup of early morning coffee on the bow of a sailboat off the coast of Croatia. I was trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life.” Her husband was retired, she and Sam had moved to Aiken, and their two sons were grown and living elsewhere. “All of a sudden it hit me. Why couldn’t I do this?” Jackie took a year-long MBA course in travel and opened Travelera Partners in October 2023.
Having just finished her first year in business, Jackie reflects on the experience. “It’s been absolutely great! In my first year I planned trips on every continent except Australia.” Most of her business has been wordof-mouth and through social media, and especially via her weekly travel blog. Her website, travelerapartners.com, is complete and inviting. It includes a detailed description of the process of working with Travelera Partners, beginning with a tailored inquiry in which a potential client fills out a questionnaire detailing information on preferences, dates, and the number of travelers involved. Jackie then sets up a complimentary consultation.
“The more I talk to clients, the easier it is to plan their trip,” Jackie says. “I always ask them to tell me about their best trip, and what they did and didn’t like about various trips they have taken. My services manage the whole trip – from the time you get on the plane until you get back. … I specialize in planning complex trips – If someone wants to go to Orlando and do Disney, I’m not your person. For a simple trip, you don’t need my services.”
Travelera Partners is also an independent affiliate of Virtuosa Partners/ Gifted Travel Network, which gives it access to fine hotels and better rates than one can get online. In addition, membership in the
larger group of travel advisors assures in-destination partners worldwide to handle any problems that might arise. “I know what’s going on every step – if there is a problem, I know about it, usually before the client,” Jackie says. “I can make a phone call and get it fixed
“After COVID, travel is exploding. And there seems to be no end in sight,” Jackie continues. Currently, Italy is one of the hottest destinations. But she cautions, “In some parts, crowds are becoming a huge problem. For example, I won’t send anyone to Venice in the summer months because you can’t even walk down the sidewalks without being elbow-to-elbow. Same with Lisbon, Portugal in high
to Kenya. Jackie says that African safaris remain high on many people’s travel bucket list, and with good reason. While she doesn’t organize trips that focus solely on horseback riding, some of those going on the upcoming trip will be riding.
“There is nothing cooler than walking up to a giraffe on a horse! On this trip, about half of the people will ride, while the other half go out on safari with a guide. Then, we meet up in the bush for an al fresco breakfast. I’ve found that a lot of people, even regular riders, don’t want a trip that is exclusively riding seven hours every day.
season.” Fortunately, through her experience and connections, Jackie can recommend alternate destinations in popular countries, which are often more interesting.
“Cruises are on fire!” she says. “I have some clients that only want to cruise. And there are a number of amazing destinations that you can only reach by water, like Galapagos and Antarctica.”
Jackie leads one trip a year. “I’d like to do two, but it is a lot of extra work,” she explains. This year she will accompany nine clients on a trip
“I am passionate about the benefits of travel, and love advising clients on their next fantastic vacation,” Jackie says, but there are times she feels compelled to advise a client against a particular destination. “I recently had a client who wanted me to plan a trip for herself and a 24-year-old niece to Rio. I wasn’t comfortable sending them there, as I knew that the niece was going to want to take off on her own, and even reached out to contacts living there who confirmed it was not safe, especially for a young woman.” Instead, she set up a great trip to Mexico City for them where the niece enjoyed the vibe of the city and its eclectic art scene.
While Jackie plans many trips abroad, she notes that there are many extraordinary domestic destinations and experiences. “I’m just finalizing plans for two women who have wanted to do this particular trip for 50 years,” she says. The two best friends from high school will rendezvous in Portland, Oregon to begin their wine tasting trip and then fly to Sonoma to continue it. “Even if it’s a comparatively inexpensive trip, it’s someone’s time and I want it to be perfect,” Jackie says.
“How lucky am I to have found another job that I love as much as I did commercial real estate,” Jackie concludes. “My five-year plan includes growing the business. Right now, it’s just me and a remote partner. I’d like to bring in more advisors.”
“The only downside of this business is that it has cut into my riding,” she says. Jackie currently has two fox hunters and a 2-yearold Thoroughbred filly in training with Cary Frommer at the Aiken Training Track.
Contact Jackie at 404-307-8587 or visit travelerapartners.com
Ask the Judge Questions about Dressage
With Amy McElroy
Dear Amy,
Amy McElroy is an FEI competitor, and a USEF S judge. She is qualified to officiate at any USEF recognized national show at all dressage levels. She rides, trains and teaches at Fair Lane Farm in Aiken and judges between 15 and 20 dressage and eventing shows each year. In her popular Ask the Judge column, she answers readers’ questions about dressage.
Do you have a question for Amy? Send her an email at McElroyDRM@aol.com, or visit her website: www.amymcelroy.com.
I am very excited that my friend has offered me the ride on her lovely dressage horse and given me her blessing to compete at recognized USDF shows this season. I am newer to dressage competition and have a few questions I am hoping you can help me with. Keep in mind I am an older adult amateur looking at Training and First Level.
To start: I am worried with the winter weather being so cold, is it mandatory to wear a show jacket? Or can you wear something warmer on a frigid day? Second: At home I ride with a back and wrist brace. Will I need to remove them for showing? I also have these great reins I use when schooling that have a hand loop grip that helps with my arthritis. Can I use these reins in a show? Finally, when I braid my horse’s mane, does it matter if I use rubber bands? I find them easier than yarn. Are there any rules about what color to use? Thank you for your guidance.
- Better Late than Never!
Dear Better Late,
How wonderful that you are interested in dressage and have an opportunity to ride your friend’s horse. You bring up some very interesting questions that I would be happy to address.
To start off, I would like to remind you that in order to be eligible to compete at recognized competitions, both you and your friend (the owner) must be members in good standing of the USEF. To be a member, you must pay your dues, and complete and pass an online Safe Sport course every year. The only exception to this is that you may enter opportunity classes, which are open to non-members, if they are offered at the show.
In 2025, the USEF added a rule regarding dress in cold weather. The rule now states that windbreakers or parkas may be worn, with or without a show jacket, in extreme temperatures. The show management will make the call about whether to allow winter gear, just as they make a ruling during extreme heat about waiving jackets. A show may announce that winter coats are permitted on their prize lists, or any time during the show. Most shows are competitor-friendly and will accommodate riders in extreme hot or cold conditions, so you are likely to have options.
I totally understand the need to wear back and wrist braces for support. These are more common than you might think, and the USEF does have rulings regarding their use. The 2025 rulebook now clearly states that it is legal to wear back braces, wrist bands or wrap, both under or outside your clothes when they are used for therapeutic or protective purposes. They are legal whether you are mounted or not, and in both the schooling and the competition ring. However, body bands, kinesiology tape, straps, positional devices, and any other devices to aid a rider’s position are not permitted. So, yes, you may continue to use your therapeutic braces and attain the support and comfort you need to ride your best.
When it comes to your reins, they fall into the category of equipment.
Unfortunately, reins with loops are considered a gadget, and are illegal in both the warm-up and the competition. However, if you are at a show, you might see some competitors using reins with loops or other adaptive devices – you will very likely see them in para dressage classes. They can be legal if you have a special dispensation/classification certificate obtained through the Adaptive Sports Committee of the USEF. Your dispensation letter is attached to your entry, giving you permission to use your specific adaptive aid throughout the competition, whether you enter an open division or are riding in a para division. The dispensation certificate application, which requires accompanying medical documentation, is available on the USEF website.
For braiding the mane, there are many options. I am not recommending that you skip braiding, but you should know that it is not mandatory: it is permitted to braid both the mane and the tail, but it is not required. Even roached manes are allowed (again, I am not recommending it!) Most dressage riders do braid their horse’s mane to look neat and respectful and to allow the judge to see the development of their horse’s neck. As far as yarn or rubber bands, neither is preferred and a 2025 ruling has clarified that there is no prohibition against any color, as long as it is discreet and tasteful – for instance, red, white and blue.
Be mindful, however, that you cannot add any extraneous items to the mane: no ribbons, flowers, charms, glitter or anything else. Glitter is not allowed on any part of the horse’s body including the hooves. You can be eliminated for violating this rule! If you don’t feel up to braiding your horse’s mane, remember that many shows offer braiding services, through a third party, for a fee. You can often find this information in the prize list I hope this answers all your questions. Good luck in your riding and competitions!
Horses of Great Oak
Ricky Bobby: A Sensitive Soul
By Pam Gleason
Ricky Bobby is a sensitive soul. A Quarter Horse gelding in his early teens, he stands about 15.2 hands tall and he has a soft, sleek chestnut coat. He lives at Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs in a paddock that he shares with his best friend Lee Lee, another chestnut Quarter Horse gelding. He has a kind and gentle nature, and he loves people and attention.
“Ricky Bobby is one that will always nicker to you when he sees you,” said Grace Flanders, a PATH instructor and the manager of volunteer services at Great Oak. “If you come out with the hay cart, or even if you come out with nothing at all, if you walk up to the gate, he’ll come right over to say hello. He’s just that kind of friendly guy.”
Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs, located on Edgefield Highway in Aiken, provides equestrian activities to promote the emotional, physical and spiritual health of individuals with disabilities. The horses in the program interact with students on the ground and under saddle, providing a wealth of positive experiences. Ricky Bobby, who gives about seven ridden lessons a week, works especially well with children with Down Syndrome.
“They are happy and calm, and they tend to have good posture in the saddle,” said Deborah McWhirter, the manager of equine services at Great Oak. “He picks up on their energy, and he is happy and chill with them. He has some other regular riders, but the kids with Down Syndrome are definitely his best match.”
Ricky Bobby came to Great Oak about three years ago from the Arellano family, who split their time between homes in Aiken and in Florida. The Arellanos are professional polo players. Julio Arellano, a former 9-goal player, was one of the best (if not the very best) players in the country for many years. His wife Meghan played for decades, and their three children, Augustin, Lucas and Hope, are up-and-coming professionals with bright careers in the sport. Hope, the youngest at 22, is rated 10 goals in women’s polo, making her the top female player in America. She was the first woman ever to represent the United States in the prestigious Federation Internationale de Polo Cup, and has won innumerable tournaments and most valuable player awards in both mixed and women’s polo.
Meghan Arellano said that she and Hope purchased Ricky Bobby
at the Billings Livestock Horse Sale in Billings, Montana almost a decade ago. At the time, the family spent their summers in Wyoming. They had been to the Billings sale before, where they had bought some exceptional horses with high goal potential. This time, however, they were not in the market for a professional horse. Lucas, who was in his teens at the time, was eager to have a green horse that he could train to be a polo pony. With professional polo aspirations already, he knew that making his own horses was a skill he would need to learn. When Meghan and Hope saw Ricky Bobby, they thought that they had found exactly the horse he needed. The horse was about 4 years old and he had nice conformation and a sweet expression.
“I think I bought him because I felt sorry for him, to be honest with you,” said Meghan. “He was such a sweetheart, and you could tell he was so kind. The cowboy who was showing him in the ring was sitting on him cracking a bullwhip again and again, and he just never moved. I think I felt a little bad for him.”
Although the horse might have been registered, Meghan said she did not think they ever got his papers and she does not remember what his original name might have been. When Lucas took possession of him, he immediately dubbed him Ricky Bobby, after the character played by Will Ferrell in the 2006 film Talladega Nights, the Ballad of Ricky Bobby.
“Lucas loved that movie,” said Meghan. “I think he watched it a million times.”
Ricky Bobby took to polo right away. The only thing he was a little unsure of was neckshots, when the player hits the ball at an angle under the horse’s neck. For about two weeks, one of the professionals who worked for the Arellanos took him out and practiced neckshots until the horse realized that there was nothing to be afraid of. From that point on, he was a reliable polo pony. Lucas played him for a few years in youth polo. Then, when he started playing tournaments, he handed him down to Hope, who also played him for a few years. The Arellanos love their horses and Ricky Bobby was not just a polo pony. He was also a pet and a part of the family. The kids rode him bareback and climbed all over him, and he thrived with the attention.
Pretty soon, however, Hope’s polo career began to take off, and she needed tougher, faster horses. Although Meghan said that the family usually keeps their horses forever, she did not feel that it would be right just to put Ricky Bobby out to pasture. He was still so young and had more to give, and he needed love and attention. She had heard of Great Oak, but it was a chance encounter that sparked the decision to donate the horse to the organization. She was at the grocery store buying a big bag of carrots for the family’s horses, and she met a woman buying the same size bag. That woman was a volunteer at Great Oak. The two got to talking, and Meghan learned Great Oak was looking for horses, and everything fell into place.
“It sounded like the most amazing home for him,” said Meghan. “I told them of course if they ever didn’t want him he could come home to us.”
“I’m always amazed when a horse comes here from a fast sport like polo, and is so good for us,” said Deborah McWhirter. “We do have to be a little careful of who we put on Ricky Bobby because he is so sensitive and well-trained. He doesn’t do as well with riders that are nervous, because he picks up on that, and he does move along a little more than our other horses. But he loves to work. He’s not a horse that gets sour or wants a break. He loves his job.”
Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs is a 501c3 charitable institution. Sponsor Ricky Bobby or another horse, donate or volunteer: www.greatoakeap.org; Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Greatoakeap
Breakfast at the Gallops to benefit the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum
Special Guest Speaker Ramon Dominguez
Retired jockey with 4,985 wins.
Member of the National Racing Hall of Fame.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will support the Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame and Museum.
Friday, March 14, 2025
Aiken Training Track
$20 in advance; $30 at the gate
Gates open at 7:30 a.m.
Breakfast served at 8:00 a.m.
Come and enjoy a light breakfast at the Aiken Training Track, meet the trainers and watch Aiken’s future racing stars work out!
Sponsored by:
Aiken Training Track Aiken Saddlery tbSales The Aiken Horse Suzy Haslup - Meybohm Realtors
Aiken County Farm Supply The Hottensen Family
For more information contact 803-642-7631 or halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov.
Tickets can be purchased at the H. Odell Weeks Center (1700 Whiskey Road) Meybohm Real Estate (142 Laurens Street NW)
Aiken Training Track Office (538 Two Notch Road SE)
Aiken Visitors Center & Train Museum (406 Park Avenue SE) Pitter Patter & Caroline’s Boutiques (131 Laurens St SW)
Driving in Aiken Opportunities Abound
By Amber Heintzberger
Photography by Pam Gleason & Gary Knoll
With its pastoral countryside and quiet atmosphere, Aiken has long been a desirable place for equestrians who enjoy carriage driving. These days most of the driving community is based east of Aiken in the Windsor area, where there are still many horse-friendly dirt roads. Windsor is also the home of the annual Windsor Trace Combined Driving Event, established in 2018, along with a host of other competitions and events. Aiken’s driving community includes world class competitors, as well as novice enthusiasts and people with no ambitions beyond taking a Sunday drive down the road behind a favorite horse.
“I would say the club is really diverse – what we’re missing is the young people. And that’s not just our club, that’s nationally. It’s an issue for driving in general.”
Dils has been in for Aiken 18 years after moving south from Vermont, where she raised Morgans and got involved in driving. She has diverse expertise with horses, and owned a Morgan that went to the world championships three times with a professional whip. She said the Aiken Driving Club has a variety of activities and competitions. The most formal type of competition is a combined driving event, a CDE, which is patterned on a traditional ridden three day event. Drivers compete first in dressage, and then head out to a cross country marathon, which includes a number of timed obstacles that must be negotiated. The final phase is cones, modeled after a showjumping course, in which competitors must drive through a pattern of paired cones, each of which has a ball balanced in its top. Similar to a showjumping course, a cones course is timed, and competitors incur penalties for knocking balls off the cones, just as showjumping riders are penalized for knocking down rails.
The Aiken Driving Club
With close to 200 members, the Aiken Driving Club is thriving. Peggy Dils, the club president, said that the weather and the footing attract both year-round and seasonal residents who participate in the sport.
“We have some members from Canada who come down for the winter, also from New England and the Eastern Seaboard,” she said. “One of the nice things about Aiken is the sandy footing – the winter colony, eventing and driving community come here for that. It might be chilly in the morning but it’s 50 by noon.”
Peggy Dils said that probably a quarter to a third of the club’s members are serious drivers, who compete, take lessons and do clinics. Then there are pleasure drivers who might go in an occasional show or join organized pleasure drives. The remainder are social members who had horses at some point in their lives and are in Aiken for the weather, horses, golf, music and other cultural things.
“Along with the historical part of the area there’s lots to do,” said Dils.
There are two farms in the Windsor area that offer full CDEs. The Windsor Trace CDE, held each November, is the largest, with a marathon course that encompasses several local farms. There are also combined driving tests, which include just dressage and cones, and driving derbies that omit the dressage phase and combine marathon and cones into one fast-paced event. Less competitive driving enthusiasts can join organized pleasure drives at various places around Aiken, or participate in occasional parades and carriage parades. There are also other activities such as “continuous drives,” which are like pleasure drives but also incorporate some cones and obstacles. Some of these happenings are Aiken Driving Club events, while others might be independent.
Education is very important to the club, which organizes regular clinics with renowned horsemen from around the country and the world.
“We try to get a European instructor over once a year,” said Dils. The club also holds an educational series with sessions once a month in the winter. “We try to provide some horse knowledge and care – care of the carriage, your trailer .. we find a way to educate people in general.” She adds that members who don’t have horses or carriages are an integral part of the club. “We have a huge volunteer base. Without them, we couldn’t do any of the things that we do.”
Ashton Maye, with his father Paul Maye, at the 2024 Windsor Trace CDE. Ashton was named the 2024 USEF Under 25 Driver of the Year in the under 12 division. Encouraging youth participation is vital to the future of the sport.
Driving Derbies
Tracey Turner, who is the vice president of the Aiken Driving Club, came down for the winter for several seasons before purchasing her Far Side Farm in Windsor two years ago. Now she has relocated from New Hampshire full time, and is immersed in Aiken’s driving world. She has been running a series of enjoyable, American Driving Society recognized, driving derbies at various farms, including two at Greenfields Farm in Windsor in January and February, and one at The Vista in Aiken on March 9.
“It’s a favorite for the competitors because it involves two aspects of combined driving in a one-day format,” Turned explained. “There are two marathon hazards and a cones course, and no dressage.”
This is Tracey Turner’s second year organizing the derbies; she’s driven in them in the past, but she said it’s difficult to organize and drive in the same event.
“The Vista is a new venue for the derbies,” she said. “As the organizer I wanted to spread them around a bit – last year they were all at Greenfields, which is nice if you live in Windsor, because you can just drive to the farm.” Part of the reason for finding different venues was to attract new spectators and interest in driving.
She explained that a derby is very much a speed event – the drivers are trying to go as fast as possible through the course. “You do five sets of cones, then the first obstacle, then the next set of five cones, then another obstacle and then more cones. It’s very popular in Europe and the best drivers in the world do this with their four-in-hands. I think there’s a misconception that driving is a sedate sort of sport.”
Previously Turner was a rider and competed in dressage and a bit of jumping. She recalls that in her younger years, she was once in the feed store and an older woman came in looking for a buggy whip. “I thought, I might be looking for a buggy whip, too, when I’m older. But I was a sprinter in high school and college, and I like to go fast!
“This is what I was meant to do,” she continued. “I started out with a Fjord, and now I have a German riding pony, Chardonnay, that is my competition horse.”
Turner, who trains with Janelle Marshall, a local FEI competitor, has recently moved from the preliminary to the intermediate level in the CDE, and has won a number of competitions in Tryon and Aiken. Like many driving enthusiasts, she says she feels at home in the Windsor community.
“This has become kind of a Mecca for driving in this area. The footing is great: it’s sandy footing, not great for growing grass but it’s great footing. We’re lucky in that, and that we have so many really experienced and professional carriage drivers, many who have competed at the world championships.”
Katydid and Beyond
Jennifer Matheson, who had an outstanding career as a pony driver, is a strong influence in the local driving community. Matheson represented her native Canada at the 2005 FEI Driving World Championships in the single pony division before becoming a U.S. citizen and focusing on pony pairs. She was the United States Equestrian Federation combined driving national champion in the pony pairs division in 2010, 2011, and 2013, and she twice represented the U.S. at the FEI Driving World Championships for Ponies, where she was a member of the bronze medal team in 2011.
Today, Matheson is a licensed official who serves on various committees of the USEF. Since retiring from competition in 2018, she has been focusing on organizing driving competitions. She is manager of the Katydid CDE, which she started at Katydid Farm in Windsor back in 2003. After Katydid Farm was sold several years ago, the event moved to Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina. Matheson has two new CDEs in her portfolio: one at Stable View in Aiken and another at TerraNova in Florida.
Taylor Bradish at the inaugural Stable View CDE, November 2024
Vicki Dickson with Mel and Leo at the Landmark Farm Driving Trial
“Last year was the first year at Stable View; in 2024 we did a short format and in 2025 we’re going to do a full CDE,” she said. “It’s a big undertaking to do it all at once, so we’re going in stages.”
Matheson owns “Little Katydid,” part of the original, renowned Katydid Farm that was owned and developed by her former mother-inlaw Katrina Matheson and sold after her passing. Taylor Bradish, 29, a three-time USEF national champion who has represented the U.S. at
the world championships has her own business at the farm.
Matheson and Bradish are both enthusiastic about the new CDE at Stable View, which, they hope, will promote Aiken’s image in the national and international driving world and bring in new fans and participants. Matheson has a vision for the future of driving in Aiken, “With the introduction of Stable View, we will be able to bring the USEF Advanced level back to the community and attract people from a wider area. .. that’s the goal.”
“I think Stable View is great because you get more people watching who don’t know about driving already,” added Bradish, comparing Stable View to Tryon International. “Tryon has been great because of that – people were there for a hunter show and watched the driving and
then started driving a Welsh pony. The multi-discipline facilities get us more recognition.”
Who is Tracey Turner?
Did you know that there are at least three people in Aiken named Tracey Turner? The Tracey Turner in driving is originally from New Jersey, where she grew up riding and eventually driving – she says horses have been a lifelong passion for her. She started coming down to Aiken from her home in New Hampshire about eight years ago, and two years ago she and her husband Paul bought and developed their Far Side Farm in Windsor.
Paul Turner, who was not a horse person, is now involved in driving as a navigator (the person on the back of the carriage in the marathon and who rides along in dressage and cones). He navigates for another driver – Joe Roosa – not for his wife. Why?
“To preserve our marriage,” said Tracey with a laugh.
Then there is Tracey Kenworthy Turner, a partner in the Sullivan Turner Team at Meybohm Real Estate, where she is a vice president. Tracey Turner the realtor is a longtime Aiken resident who is deeply involved in the Aiken equestrian community, with decades of extensive experience in the equestrian real estate market. She and the Sullivan Turner Team also give back to the horse community in many ways and are frequent sponsors at equestrian events both large and small.
Finally, the third Tracey Turner is a real estate developer, and he is a man! Tracey D. Turner is the principal CEO of Turner Development, LLC, based in Washington D.C. This Tracey Turner has some development projects in Aiken and has been in the local news because he submitted a bid to renovate and repurpose the historic Aiken Hospital on Richland Avenue in 2023.
Matheson agrees: the best way to attract people to driving is to get it in front of other equestrians. “When we get into multi discipline facilities we pick up people from other sports – people might be aging out of eventing and like the idea that you can sit in a carriage and can drive with a friend,” she said “Aiken is an equestrian community and there’s been a presence of driving since the beginning. There are fabulous photos of people lined up in their old Whitney carriages to watch polo, and the Hitchcock Woods have always lent themselves to going out for a drive. It’s nice that you can go out with your friends.
“Combined driving in Aiken started in the 90s, before I was even involved in the sport,” she continued. “They used Winthrop Field and Hitchcock Woods, then it stopped. When I got interested, my motherin-law Katrina Becker bought more acreage so we could build a cross country course that was competitor and spectator friendly, and that kind of got the ball rolling. Katydid grew to one of the largest events in the country.”
Taylor Bradish and Rebecca Gutierrez, a local FEI 2* driver and USEF official, will be doing a driving demo at the Grand Prix Eventing Showcase at the Aiken Horse Park on March 1. This will get the sport in front of an even more broad audience. Part of the demonstration will involve having two of the top eventing riders in the competition try their hands driving the carriages through some obstacles.
Matheson said that she is encouraged that some younger people are starting to be interested in driving.
“Our USEF U25 [Under 25] program, which also includes juniors, has seen an uptick. I’m seeing some really talented juniors in the U.S. … I think the entire driving community worldwide is working on ways to attract younger people and give them opportunities.”
There are various ways for younger people to get into driving, but one of the most common ways is through an older friend or relative.
“Younger people tend to go work for someone and then go out on their own,” said Matheson. “My mother-in-law asked me to navigate for her and I got hooked – it’s a lot of fun! I think that’s how a lot of people, especially younger people get into it. Next thing you know, the older person hands over the reins, and it snowballs.”
For more information visit https://www.aikendrivingclub.org
Janelle Marshall, an FEI driver based in Windsor, who competes internationally for her native Australia. Landmark Farms Driving Trial
Remembering Muffy Seaton
A Carriage Driving Legend
By Pam Gleason
This winter, the equestrian community in Aiken and beyond lost one of its most beloved and respected members. Muffy Seaton, one of the country’s foremost carriage driving experts, passed away on January 5 after suffering complications from surgery. She leaves her husband of 47 years, Doug Seaton III, her son Jesse McKenzie Seaton (Jenny) and her grandson Tanner McKenzie Seaton. She is survived by her sister Sydney Phillip and half-sisters Ellen Ryan and Tory Payne. Muffy was 75.
Muffy Seaton grew up in the Northeast, attending the Chapin School in New York City and then going on to Bennett College in Millbrook, New York. A lifelong horsewoman and lover of animals, her early riding career started on Long Island where she trained at Piping Rock Stables with Michael McDermott, a renowned trainer of hunters and Thoroughbred racehorses. She then spent time in California where she rode with the legendary hunter-jumper trainer Jimmy Williams before returning to the East Coast
Muffy first discovered carriage driving on a trip to Holland in the 1980s. The United States four-in-hand combined driving team was competing in the World Championships, and Muffy attended along with a friend. She was captivated by the sport, and when she returned home she began teaching her Welsh ponies to drive. It was not long before she began competing herself. Relying on a deep and trusting connection with her animals, she became a formidable competitor, eventually winning the national championship four times. In 1997, she was invited to represent the United States at the Royal Windsor Horse Show in England, where she placed third. In 2005, she trained Cefnoakpark Bouncer, the pony that won the gold medal at the World Pony Championships in England with Suzy Stafford.
As a competitor, Muffy was most famous for her four-in-hand of Dartmoor ponies that she affectionately called “The Fleas.” She won every major combined driving event on the East Coast with this team, and when they retired, they were feted at a special ceremony. Muffy loved Dartmoor ponies, bred them herself, and popularized the breed in carriage driving circles.
Muffy was a USEF judge, an instructor and clinician, one of only a handful of people in the United States who was certified to do Carriage Association of America proficiency tests, and one of just 10 Americans to hold the British Driving Society Light Harness Horse Instructor certificate. She made instructional videos and books, and was always highly sought after as a teacher. Her style was calm, friendly, informative, and always kind.
Muffy, with her husband Doug Seaton, lived at their Shepherd’s Purse Farm in Williston where they had an assortment of horses, ponies and Tunis sheep. Muffy continued driving competitively in all of Aiken’s carriage events, as well as in Florida. Most recently, she had been competing her horse Julius (“Juice”), a black Dutch Warmblood gelding. She was a mainstay of the Aiken driving world, who touched many lives and whose loss leaves a noticeable void.
“Muffy Seaton was really loved by the entire community of carriage drivers in the United States,” said Dan Rosenthal, the past president of the American Driving Society. Dan, who drives a four-in-hand of Dartmoor ponies himself, was inspired indirectly by Muffy’s Fleas. “As a teacher and a clinician, Muffy’s focus was always on the grassroots drivers. She was really loved, loved and respected and admired across the entire community as a teacher, a trainer and a driver.”
A celebration of life is being planned for the spring.
Classifieds
“Gotta Hug”
Coming 4 year old 15.3 hand TB that has a really quiet temperament & loads of potential. He is currently jumping 2-ft verticles, practicing bending lines and gymnastics, and can comfortably canter out on the trail. Would make a fabulous event horse, first teen horse, or lesson horse for the right hunter jumper program. Unraced; comes with papers.
Located in Troutman, NC. $8500. Text 607-743-1309
Lovely Friesian X Mare.
10 yrs old, 16.2 hands, wonderful ground manners, easy all around, loves to work. Great on trails and has started hunting. Not for a true beginner as she is quite forward. Ideal home would be hunting or trail riding.
Phone: 978-808-9966 alison@eeint.com
BOARDING/TURNOUT/ TRAINING
Dry stalls and full care available at Sporting Days Farm 150 acres with practice areas. Great for green horses. 803-226-2024 text preferred.
Chime Ridge Stables: Two 12x24 partial selfcare stalls with daytime turnout available. Convenient south side location. 803-508-3760
FARM SERVICES
G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 54 years. Hauling, grading, clearing, property maintenance, excavation. Roll-off containers & manure
Thoroughbred Mare
15.2 hands, very sound. Started for polo but not her game! Nice on flat goes in light frame. Good on trails , not spooky. Call for more info & working on videos. Asking $3500 Wagener SC 803-295-8687
2 Yr old Drum Filly
Beautiful Blood Bay F1 filly, will mature 16.2 to 17 hands, excellent temperament with 3 lovely ground covering gaits. Does all she should at this age and more. Ready for a wonderful new owner.
Phone: 978-808-9966
alison@eeint.com
removal 803- 663-3715. DBE. WOSB. www.glwdtrucking.com HAY
LB Performance Hay. From Farm to Stable. Local and imported hay; large or small quantities. Hay delivery and unloading. Lou Berizzi: 803-640-5484.
Round and Square Bales. Oakwood Farms: 3593 Silver Bluff Road, Aiken. Will deliver for a small fee. 803-645-8960.
GOV Broodmare
Bergamon x Rampal, 16.3 hands, sound, super mother and easy breeder. Offered in foal to the stallion of your choice with all repro service Fees covered. May 2025 foal by Dracula D Avalon also available or 2 for 1 package option as well. Priced to sell
Phone: 978-808-9966
alison@eeint.com
15 yr old Spotted Draft Mare
17 hands, has evented and now hunting. Loves being a hunt horse, jumps great, intermediate rider or advanced beginner with trainer will thrive with her. Sound and sane. Offered as lease, lease to own or purchase.
Phone: 978-808-9966 alison@eeint.com
LAND FOR SALE
Aiken Land For Sale: Just Off 302 Corridor. Close to Polo, Hunting, Eventing. 20 direct minutes into town LOTS UP TO 40 acres. 410924-1790 thewhisperfarm.com. Brokers protected
RENTALS/HOME SHARES
Aiken Luxury Rentals. Fully furnished cottages; walk to downtown. High speed internet. Antique finishes & modern convenience. 803-648-2804. info@aikenluxuryrentals.com. aikenluxuryrentals.com.
homes. Downtown, Pet Friendly, Fast WiFi. info@ aikenvacationrentals.com Call/Text (803) 216-5414 AirBnB Superhost. Camper for Rent for the season. 302 corridor near eventing, foxhunting venues. $650/mo. electric included. 803-295-8687. Whisper Farm: Lodging for riders and their horses. Every bedroom comes with a stall & paddock! Close to foxhunting, eventing & polo in the 302 Equestrian corridor 410-924-1790. thewhisperfarm.com.
are available in a range of sizes. For a detailed rate sheet and publication schedule, visit our website: TheAikenHorse.com
We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express. Pay for classifieds and business cards online: TheAikenHorse.com Pay a Bill or call us: 803.643.9960
Advertise in the April-May issue! Contact us for more details.
Subscribe: $36 per year. Check out on our website or send your check to Subscriptions, 705 Flowing Well Road. Wagener, SC 29164
Landmark Farms CT Photography by Gary Knoll
Horse
Aiken Area Calendar of Events
February
1 Just For Fun Series. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com
1-2 NC/SC High School Rodeo. FENCE. 3381 Hunting Country Rd. Tryon, NC. 828-859-9021. fence.org
1-2 Sporting Days Farm USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Sporting Days Farm,3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken 29801. Sportingdaysfarm.com; Text Joannah Hall Glass: 803-226-2024.
4 Tuesdays in the Park: Jumper schooling. Bruce’s Field in the Aiken Horse Park. 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. aikenhorsepark.org; 803-830-7077.
5 February Schooling HT, CT, Dressage. Full Gallop Farm. 3828 Wagener, Rd., Aiken, 29805. fullgallopfarm.com. Lara Anderson, fullgallopfarm@gmail.com. 803-215-6590.
20-21 Jumping Apple 2 & 3 Phases. Apple Tree Far, & Jumping Branch Farm. 1492 Oak Ridge Club Rd , Windsor SC. 603-345-0382; appletreefarm.org
20-22 BLM Wild Horse Adoption. South Congaree Arena, West Columbia, SC 29172. blm.gov/whb. Call 769-366-4821.
21-23 PSJ Winter II. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com.
22 Country Springs Horse Show at Red Bank Arena. 1159 Nazareth Road, Lexington, SC. Dawn Poole. 803-466-7134. sc-cec.com
22 Interscholastic Equestrian Association Region 4 Finals. South Carolina Equine Park. 443 Cleveland School Rd, Camden, SC 29020.scequinepark.com
21-23 Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials. Pine Top Farm, 1432 Augusta Highway, Thomson, GA. pinetopeventing@gmail.com. pinetopfarm.com.
23 Spring Audubon Drive. Silver Bluff Audubon Sanctuary. 4542 Silver Bluff Road, Jackson, SC. aikendrivingclub.org. Drive starts at 10:30; potluck lunch starts at noon.
25 Late February Dressage Tests of Choice. Full Gallop Farm. 3828 Wagener, Rd., Aiken, 29805. fullgallopfarm.com. Lara Anderson, fullgallopfarm@gmail.com. 803-215-6590.
27 Apple Tree Farm 2-Phase. 1492 Oak Ridge Club Rd , Windsor SC. 603-345-0382; appletreefarm.org
28 Breeze Days at the Aiken Training Track. 724 Two Notch Rd., SE Aiken. Watch horses train at the track. 7:30 am.
28-March 1 Grand Prix Eventing. Eventing Showcase. Tickets sold online. Aiken Horse Park. 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. aikenhorsepark.org; 803-830-7077.
28-Mar 2 USEF March Madness. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com
28-Mar 2 South Carolina Quarter Horse Association Show. South Carolina Equine Park. 443 Cleveland School Rd, Camden, SC 29020 scequinepark.com
12 March Schooling Horse Trial. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803.215.6590, fullgallopfarm@ yahoo.com
14 Breakfast at the Gallops. Aiken Training Track. 538 Two Notch Rd SE, Aiken. aikenracinghalloffame.com. l 803-643-2121 or email halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov.
Katie Erpel Dressage offers training of young horses to FEI, boarding, sales, and lessons with USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist Katie Erpel at her quaint, boutique style facility conveniently located off of Charleston Highway on the Windsor/Williston line. Haul-in lessons are welcome to her newly renovated GGT arena or travel to your farm is available as well. www.katieerpeldressage.com (305) 778 5336
Dry Stalls, Barn Rental and Self-Care Pasture Rental w/ shelter. Short term or long term. RV hookups available on-premises. Route 302 Equestrian Corridor. Call or Text 703-203-0180
Sporting Days Farm. 3549 Charleston Hwy, Aiken, SC 29801. 5.5 miles from Aiken byoass. Offers year round, seasonal or short term board as well as dry stalls. 150 acres with trails and practice areas. USEF/USEA Horse Trials in the winter, schooling shows. Visit our website to see all we offer in 2023. www.sportingdaysfarm.com
The Stable On The Woods: Elite boarding & training facility and home to trainers Darrell and Melissa Vaughn. With access to Hitchcock Woods, our barn sits on 70 acres and boasts a full size dressage arena with mirrors, show jumping arena and highquality grass pastures making this the ideal place for you and your horse. Training program to meet your needs, whether your discipline is Dressage, Eventing, Hunters, Jumpers or Foxhunting. thestableonthewoods.com 603.785.0435
Vaughn Equestrian: offering training, sales, and boarding. Professionalism is the guiding principle of owners Darrell and Melissa Vaughn in shaping every component of Vaughn Equestrian. Dressage, Jumpers, Eventing & Young Horses. training and sales. vaughnequestrian.com (603) 785-0435
COMPANION ANIMALS
Trinity Farms Terriers: Irish Russell Terriers. Old World, Healthy 100 year old Bloodlines with proven calmer dispositions. Health & Dispositions guaranteed. Preservation breeders for 48 years. Donna Fitzpatrick 803-648-3137 easyjacks.com, trinityfarmskennel.com
CONSTRUCTION & GRADING & FARM SERVICES
G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 54 years. Specializing in hauling, grading, clearing, property maintenance, and excavation. We provide everything from several types of fill dirt, top soil, compost, mortar sands, crushed asphalt/concrete, to screenings and a variety of rocks. Roll-off containers and manure removal available. (803) 663-3715. Certified DBE. WOSB. www. glwdtrucking.com
EQUINE MASSAGE & FARRIER SERVICES
2 Hearts Equine Massage. Emily Engelhardt is a certified equine massage therapist who tailors each session to your horse’s needs using a combination of myofascial release, triggerpoint, sports massage, and core exercises/stretching techniques to help them feel fantastic and give you their best performance. MAGNAWAVE PEMF therapy and rentals also available. Contact 727-851-7107 to schedule your horse’s next bodywork session. www.2heartsequinemassage.net
HAY
Round and Square Bales. Oakwood Farms: 3593 Silver Bluff Road, Aiken SC 29803. $60 per bale round hay bales. $70 per bale round bales kept inside. Square bales at $7.00 per bale. Will deliver for a small fee. Please call 803-645-8960
LB Performance Hay. From Farm to Stable. Local and imported hay; large or small quantities. Hay delivery and unloading. Lou Berizzi: 803-640-5484.
Hoss Luva Hay. Exceptional quality local Coastal Bermuda, Alfalfa mix & Canadian Timothy. Competitively priced. Will deliver state-wide. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Jim McClain: 803.247.4803
INSURANCE
Betsy Minton, Sterling Thompson Equine, 803-617-8353. Now writing homeowners insurance for private residences. No horses required but certainly welcomed. Access to top-notch underwriters offering customized, affordable coverage. Still delivering excellent competitive insurance options for your horses and farms. betsyminton@sterlingthompson.com. Sterling Thompson Equine: 800 942 4258
INSTRUCTION/LESSONS
Amy McElroy. USDF Gold Medalist and USEF S judge. Instruction and training at all levels. Visit amymcelroy.com or call 803.6404207.
Aiken Horsemanship Academy. Your naturally inspired adult learning resource! Offering Clinics, Courses, Starting young horses, Evaluations, and Lessons. JulieRobins.com 803-220-1768.
Jodi Hemry Eventing. Three-Star Eventer offering professional training, sales, boarding, instruction, horse shows, located in the heart of Aiken. 803-640-6691 JodiHemryEventing@gmail.com JodiHemryEventing.com
REAL ESTATE/ RENTALS
Aiken Luxury Rentals. Fully furnished cottages; walk to downtown. Perfect for temporary assignments, or housing while you build. Work-from-home ready; high speed internet. Antique finishes & modern convenience. info@aikenluxuryrentals.com. aikenluxuryrentals.com. 803-648-2804.
Aiken Vacation Rentals. Comfortable, clean furnished homes. Downtown, Pet Friendly, Fast WiFi. info@aikenvacationrentals. com Call/Text (803) 216-5414 Locally owned small business. AirBnB Superhost.
Carolina Real Estate Company. Fine homes, estates and horse properties in Aiken, South Carolina. Let us welcome you home to AIKEN, Home of Horses, History & Hospitality! carolinahorseproperties.com. (803) 648-8660
Sharer Dale, Keller Williams Realty Aiken Partners. “Where town meets country.” sharerdale@gmail.com. 803.522.3648
Suzy Haslup, Meybohm. “Your Aiken Horse Real Estate Specialist.” Buying or selling in the most celebrated equine community in the South. ww.aikenhorserealty.com; 803-215-0153
Sullivan-Turner Team, Meybohm. Specializing in marketing & selling Aiken’s horse country properties. southernhorsefarms.com. 803-215-4734.
Whisper Farm: Lodging for riders & horses. Every bedroom has stall & paddock! Close to foxhunting, eventing & polo in the 302 equestrian corridor east of Aiken. 410-924-1790. thewhisperfarm. com.
SADDLES/SADDLE FITTING
Melodie McGowan Saddle Fitting. Servicing all makes and models of English saddles. New and used saddles also available. 585-6135000; melodie@mysaddle.com.
