The Aiken Horse June-July 2023

An Accredited Land Consultant, Suzy achieved the title of Leading Sales Agent in 2013, 2015, 2016 & 2020. Her achievements include Meybohm “Best of the Best” & President’s Club, as well as 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 & 2022 RLI APEX award for top producing land real estate agents.

Old Greentree Stables, a 10 A. equestrian property located in the heart of Aiken’s Horse District across from Aiken Training Track & near Bruce’s Field fronts 3 clay roads, (Two Notch, Grace Ave., and Mead Ave.), w/border of Magnolia trees. Featuring 21 stalls in 3 barns, 21 paddocks, grass jump fields, 2 residences & a groom’s quarter. 4BR/4BA brick ranch on Grace Ave. has hardwood floors, solid surface countertops, built-ins, wood beamed ceilings, brick fireplaces, fenced yard, & patio. Multiple grass paddocks w/live oak trees throughout the property. Rare find in Aiken’s Horse District & suitable for any equestrian discipline w/several areas perfect for dressage or jump rings. Short hack along sand clay roads to 70 miles of riding trails in the 2200 A. Hitchcock Woods and easily accessible to the shows at Bruce’s Field.

WOOD’S END LOTS

This Olde Aiken downtown cottage is the winner of the 2018 Wild-Lipes Treasured Home Award from the Aiken Historic Foundation. Kintyre, built in 1937, has 3BR/2BA, Pine & oak wood floors, transoms, wood burning fireplace, plantation shutters, GE Profile appliances, quartz countertops, pantry, sunroom, TUFF garden shed & detached one car garage. Hardiplank siding, extensive brickwork & paved driveway complement this home. A true gem!

5BR/3.5BA hardiplank home w/7.2 A. in a private gated community. Open floor plan w/custom kitchen, SS appliances, granite, & downstairs primary BR. 4 stall center aisle barn w/tack room, feed room, wash stall, storage, & laundry. Two 12x14 stalls w/1 in/out stall to a dry paddock. 3 grass paddocks, private sand riding arena & community trail system, arena, & access to picturesque ponds. The camera security system monitors the house & barn.

Priced at $275,000 and $320,000, these lots provide an exceptional opportunity to own a farm bordering the 2200-acre Hitchcock Woods offering 70 miles of riding trails open to the public year round. Lots are cleared and ready for home and barn, paved cul-de-sac, underground utilities with city services and no HOA. Possible owner financing and lots may be combined. Direct access to trails of the Woods.

Great home located near the hospital, USCA, restaurants & shopping. The well laid out floor plan has an open kitchen/great room w/gas fireplace, separate dining room w/picture frame wainscotting & laminate wood & carpet floors. Owner’s suite is located on the main level & includes a large walkin closet & dual sink vanity in the bathroom. The upstairs has two bedrooms/one bath & loft area. New water heater & all appliances convey.

Move in ready open floor plan home w/newer stainless steel kitchen appliances in a convenient Southside location. Living room w/vaulted ceilings has a gas fireplace. Primary bedroom with large walk-in closet & bathroom. 2 additional bedrooms share a hall bath. On the other side of thehome find a large sunroom with tile floors. The kitchen has 2 pantries & a breakfast bar w/granite countertops. Privacy fenced backyard with patio.

Exquisite lakefront 5 BR home on 9.8 A with over 8,612 square feet of living space on three levels with a second residence is privately situated in the gated community of Farmstead with easy access to downtown Aiken or Augusta. Separate 3 BR/2BA 1639 sq. ft. hardiplank and brick apartment built in 2018 over a 3-car garage. Fish from your own gazebo and enjoy the casual elegance of this home.

KATHRYN SIDERS Licensed Assistant MICHELE HIGGINS Assistant

OLDE AIKEN $499,000 KINGS RIDGE $869,000

BARRINGTON FARMS - GATED COMMUNITY graCeful, rolling Terrain wiTh old-age TreeS, luSh foliage & PerimeTer walking/riding TrailS for naTure enThuSiaST & equeSTrianS To enJoy barringTon farmS haS aT&T u-verSe, naTural gaS & SuPerb loCaTion Come for a viSiT and deSign your home for a lifeTime! loT

396 SORRELL RED COURT | Resort-Style Living in Kings Ridge

Nestled oN 5+ acres, 396 sorrell red court is built for eNtertaiNiNg aNd ultimate, staycatioN style liviNg. get ready to eNjoy superb iNterior spaces aNd 5-star resort-style ameNities! this stuNNiNg home offers 3-levels of casual aNd elegaNt liviNg space. step iNside from the spacious froNt porch to the Natural light from the wiNdows iN the double-height foyer aNd great room. a fabulous kitcheN has a bouNty of cabiNetry / paNtry storage; coffee bar & staiNless appliaNces, maiN floor primary suite is a private haveN with a spacious, sereNe bath aNd room-size closet with custom builtiNs. gather frieNds aNd family for ‘game Night’ iN the lower level family room with adjoiNiNg kitcheN or for ‘movie Night’ iN your persoNal home theater. outside you caN relax to the souNd of the 3-tier waterfalls by the heated saltwater pool that features impressive stoNework with steps to a water slide, jumpiNg rock, aN aggregate rock bottom, zero eNtry ‘’beach’’ eNtraNce aNd attached spa. the outdoor eNtertaiNmeNt pavilioN eNjoys a 7 seat, graNite bar area with flat screeN; built-iN refrigerators, recteq grill aNd diNiNg area as well as a covered liviNg room with fireplace. just beyoNd you will fiNd a lighted, multi-sport court perfect for your morNiNg workout! a back pasture aNd woodlaNd is ready for your raised gardeNs aNd/or the additioN of equestriaN ameNities. kiNgs ridge is a private commuNity of estate homes oN aikeN’s southside with ameNities iNcludiNg aN elegaNt laNdscaped eNtraNce with gated, keypad eNtry for guests; ridiNg trails aNd areNa + a waterfroNt eNtertaiNiNg pavilioN. this exceptioNal trophy estate will appeal to all geNeratioNs aNd iNterests – movie buffs, gourmets, wellNess eNthusiasts aNd casual & competitive athletes. come explore the possibilities for your ultimate southerN, sportiNg life property!

6 bedrooms | 4 1/2 baths | 5.17 acres | heated saltwater pool | home theater | multi-sport court offered for $1,600,000

reNovated,

Cissie Sullivan

Tracey Turner

SECTION 1 SECTION 2 SECTION 3

Section One Crestview Farm, a one-of-a-kind private estate in Aiken being marketed by an equally unique firm, Icon Global. Read our story about the Crestview and what it takes to market unique properties worldwide. Story on page 20

Section Two

Justyn Albright aboard FCS Winning Mood competing in the Training Horse division, Sporting Days Farm April Horse Trials

Photography by Gary Knoll

Section Three

That's the Spot. Knabstrupper Westfalen colt owned by Katherine Thomas. One of the "Foals of Aiken." See them in the third section.

Photography by Pam Gleason

The June-July issue is my favorite because we get to do our annual feature, the Foals of Aiken. This is our opportunity to visit local farms to photograph foals born in Aiken this year and share their pictures and stories on our pages. Aiken’s horse world is growing, including in its breeding aspect. When we put out the call for foals to profile, we get more responses each year. What is especially interesting is how diverse these babies are. Here in Aiken, we have breeders of all types: professionals, amateurs, and everyone in between. We have ponies and horses, warmbloods, Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, foals destined for Western as well as English disciplines, racehorses, polo ponies, drafts and draft mixes – pretty much any kind of horse you can think of, someone nearby is breeding and raising one.

You will find our Foals of Aiken feature in the third section – as ever, we met some pretty spectacular babies, whose futures look exceptionally bright. Our third section also has our popular Ask the Judge column with the dressage judge Amy McElroy, a story about the Aiken polo player Jason Wates, who was on the winning team of the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Florida this spring, and, of course, our indispensable calendar of events.

Our second section has profiles of two different professional horsewomen. The first is Emily Hamel, an event rider who recently moved to Aiken full time and has her own place in the Bridle Creek equestrian community. Emily and her equine partner, a grey Holsteiner officially named Corvett, but known as

Barry, finished in the top ten at the prestigious LandRover Kentucky Three Day Event this spring. Our second profile is of Michele Arana who owns and runs In Stride Equestrian in Williston. Michele, who is of Puerto Rican descent, is a dedicated teacher and trainer whose passions include fostering equity and diversity in the equestrian community. Our second section also has an article about ArenaMend, an innovative footing company that is marketing an all-natural, plastic-free alternative to synthetic equestrian footing – the concept is catching on, especially in environmentally sensitive areas. We also have one of our favorite regular columns: the Secret Lives of Horses, featuring a senior horse in our community. This issue’s subject is Sweet Pea, a barrel racing champion who was discovered in emaciated condition at a local auction and now has a forever home.

Our cover features an image of Crestview, a spectacular equestrian estate in Aiken that will be going up for sale this summer. We had a chance to talk with Bernie Uechtritz who is brokering the property to find out more about it, and also to learn about his company, Icon Global. Marketing exceptional properties is a unique undertaking and Uechtritz is the expert, having sold the largest and most expensive ranch in history. You will find that article in section one, along with News and Notes, an interview with Adam Snow and Shelley Onderdonk, DVM about their new book, and a story about a young couple who first met in the Aiken Pony Club, and will be getting married at their favorite horse show venue, Highfields, this fall.

As ever we hope you enjoy this issue. Please let us know if you have an idea for a story, or if you know something happening that we should be aware of. We want to continue to be your horse newspaper.

Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher

News & Notes

By Pam Gleason

Tamie Smith on Top

Tamie Smith and her mount Mai Baum were under pressure going into the Rolex Stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park on April 30. It was the final phase of the LandRover Kentucky Three-Day-Event, America’s oldest FEI 5*, and they were sitting in first place. This was the first time in 15 years that an American came into the stadium at the top of the leaderboard in Kentucky. The last time that happened, in 2008, two Americans were on top: Becky Holder with Courageous Comet in first, with Phillip Dutton on Bruce Duchossois’s Connaught in second. Becky had two rails; Phillip jumped clean to clinch the title. It was the last time an American won at Kentucky.

Going into stadium this year, Tamie was just 3.6 points ahead of Great Britain’s Tom McEwan on JL Dublin, who had just jumped clear. This meant she and “Lexus” did not have a rail in hand: t0 stay on top, they had to be clean and fast. America’s eventing enthusiasts watched on the edge of their seats: after such a long national drought, it was time for a local to take home the country’s most prestigious eventing title. And they did. Mai Baum, black coat glistening in the sunshine,

jumped flawlessly, bringing Tamie through the flags with time to spare. Since the Kentucky three-day is also the U.S. National Championship, they took home both the LandRover championship and the Roger Haller Trophy presented to the top American rider. Tom McEwan was second and Liz Halliday-Sharp on her spectacular new ride Miks Master C was third. This was Miks Master C’s first time to compete at the 5* level, and he proved that he is a horse to be reckoned with. (If you were at the Grand Prix Eventing Showcase this spring, you will remember him as the winner, and as the cover photo of the April-May Aiken Horse.)

Tami Smith and Mai Baum are not an Aiken horse and rider pair, but those who follow Aiken eventing can be forgiven for feeling a bit like they are. Tami and Lexus (what Mai Baum likes to be called) who come from California, have spent time in Aiken and been visible at our local events. The pair won the LiftMaster Grand Prix Eventing Showcase at the Aiken Horse Park in 2021, and trained at Stable View before going to the Pan Am Games in 2019. What’s more, Tamie was even spotted in Aiken the weekend after Kentucky at the Aiken Charity Horse Show, where she was watching her showjumping coach Scott Keach.

USC Aiken Eventing Champs

The University of South Carolina Aiken Eventing team likes to consider itself small but mighty. The other colleges and universities entered in the United States Intercollegiate Eventing Championships this May at the Tryon International Equestrian Center would probably agree. Despite being one of the smallest schools in the competition, the USCA Pacers pulled off a win over the defending champions Auburn War Eagles to take home the national intercollegiate title. The University of Kentucky Wildcats was third.

The intercollegiate championships are structured like a traditional three-day event, with dressage on Friday, cross country on Saturday and stadium on Sunday. Auburn’s War Eagles took an early lead on day one, and then held onto their lead through the cross-country phase. Going into stadium, USC Aiken was five points behind the defending champions. But three double clear rounds for Aiken and some costly rails for Auburn flipped the leaderboard, putting the Aiken team on top by a little less than a point. All four members of the Kentucky Wildcats jumped clear to solidify their third place, putting them a little more than a point behind Auburn.

The USCA Eventing team officially had six members this year, with five going to the championships. Auburn’s team numbered 51 riders and Kentucky’s 105. These larger schools selected between three and five teams to compete in North Carolina, so they would seem to have a major advantage. But USC Aiken’s riders had something big schools don’t: they are located here in Aiken where they can take advantage of a plethora of schooling and recognized events all year long. Additionally, they have access to myriad professionals for lessons, clinics, coaching and support. This may have been the team’s first championship title, but it probably won’t be their last.

Michelle Dunne

The United States Intercollegiate Eventing Championships were organized by the USEA in 2014. In intercollegiate eventing, riders compete on their own horses at various regional horse trials that have agreed to hold an Intercollegiate Team Challenge. The riders selfidentify to the competition organizer as members of a team, and each individual’s score is added up to arrive at a team score. The season culminates with the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championships. Past winners in addition to Auburn’s Wildcats have included the Universities of Georgia and Kentucky, Clemson and another team from Auburn, which had back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019.

Special Treats for Special Horses

Quick, what’s your horse’s favorite treat? Apple? Carrot? Peppermint? Molasses oat cookie imported from Germany? How about fenugreek? Fenugreek? Fenugreek is a clover-like herb native to the Mediterranean and Near East that tastes a bit like maple syrup with a tinge of celery. Its leaves and seeds have been used as a cooking ingredient since ancient times and today it can be found in various Indian recipes. It is also considered by many people in the alternative health world to have a whole raft of benefits, including promoting weight loss and heart health and reducing the risk of diabetes. And apparently, horses like it a lot.

A study in England that was reported in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science sought to discover what flavorings appeal to horses the most. They fed eight horses small samples of pelleted feed flavored with 15 different ingredients. Three of these flavors were rejected:

echinacea, nutmeg and coriander. Of the 12 remaining flavors, eight were preferred by all the horses. Further testing ranked the eight flavors in order of preference. Fenugreek came out on top, followed by banana, cherry, rosemary, cumin, carrot, peppermint and oregano, in that order. Various other tests of horse’s flavor preferences have revealed similarly surprising favorites. In a study conducted at Southern Illinois University in 2019, Jesse Francis, a graduate student, fed 10 horses pellets flavored with anise, apple, banana, orange, peppermint, and spearmint. These horses showed a clear preference for the anise flavored feeds, and liked the orange and banana flavors least. Another study conducted in Poland in 2018 concluded that mares are more likely to prefer sweet treats than stallions.

Of course, pelleted feed that is flavored with something, which is what was used in most of these trials, might be a poor substitute for the actual food, so it is hard to know if these results say too much about the typical likes and dislikes of the average horse. Faced with an apple or a handful of fenugreek seeds, perhaps a horse would make a different choice. In any case, one thing that these trials reveal is that horses have a wide range of things that they like to eat, and that they seem to actively seek variety in their diets. Earlier studies of horses in the wild have shown that they regularly forage on up to 50 different kinds of plants in a single day, including grasses, legumes, weeds, shrubs and tree leaves. This suggests that stabled horses fed a consistent diet of the same thing every day might be pretty bored and ready for a little variety.

So. Fenugreek anyone?

CONVERTIBLE

Winning with Horses

New Perspectives from Adam Snow and Shelley Onderdonk, DVM

By Pam Gleason

Adam Snow and Shelley Onderdonk, DVM have a new book coming out this summer called Winning with Horses. Adam and Shelley are, for lack of a better term, a power couple on the Aiken equestrian scene. He is a former 10-goal polo player, and she is an equine veterinarian and amateur eventing rider. Married and with three children, they built a life together around horses at their New Haven Farm in the 302 polo corridor east of Aiken. During a long and illustrious career, Adam played polo, and Shelley treated his horses, providing an extraordinary level of care and attention that enabled Adam to reach the pinnacle of the sport. Just as important, this partnership kept the horses happy, healthy and playing at the top of the game – and they have the accolades to prove it, including close to 50 Best Playing Pony awards in high goal tournaments. This book explains their philosophy and how they did it all.

The book is not, however, strictly a training book or a “how to” manual. Instead, it is an autobiographical exploration of difficult and interesting questions in horsemanship, such as how to balance competitive desires and horse welfare, how to know when to push a horse and when to let up, and how to structure a horse’s environment and care so that he remains a healthy, sound, willing and eager participant in his sport.

“The book is about balancing human ambitions in sports with equine needs,” said Shelley. “With the idea that it is possible to compete horses at high levels of sport while maintaining an ethical and horse-welfare-

oriented perspective. What we don’t try to do in our book is say that there’s one way to do it. We talk about our experience doing it.”

As they recount, Adam and Shelley met while both were undergraduates at Yale. Adam grew up playing polo with his family in Massachusetts. A third generation player, he recalls being initially cautious and afraid of horses until he was about 12 and began to play polo with his peers. After that, he became addicted to the game – for him, the ball came first. Shelley, for her part, was a horse crazy girl from California, who was so equine-obsessed she spent her fourth grade recesses cantering about on all fours with a friend, whinnying and pretending to be a horse.

Adam started playing polo professionally after college with the thought that he would play for a year before embarking on a traditional career. When his accidental polo career took off, it became clear that the game would not be a sideline for him: it would be his life. Shelley went on to become a veterinarian. In the early years, Adam did not have his own horses: professional polo was structured differently at the time, and high goal sponsors provided horses for their pros. In those years Shelley was less involved in the game. But when Adam started to build his own string, Shelley’s veterinary and equestrian expertise became indispensable. Working together and learning as much as they could from one another as well as from diverse horsemen they met along the way, they developed their own system and philosophy of horse care and training.

Adam and Shelley at home. Photography by Scharetgpictures.com

“Once we were owning our own horses, Shelley was really making the decisions about what we fed them, or when a horse could play, and when it needed to rest,” said Adam. “And I always knew that I could totally, totally trust her. It was to the point where, if she wasn’t there and I had a question about a horse, I would be calling her on the phone every day because I relied on her decisions. It was better for the horses, but it also helped me play better because I could trust her evaluating my competitive needs and balancing them with the longevity and ethical treatment of our horses.”

In a particularly illustrative example in the book, Adam was playing in California while Shelley was back East. His best horse, Tequila, had a suspicious bump on her leg during the Pacific Coast Open and he was not sure if the horse should play in the finals. A local veterinarian examined her and gave the go ahead, but Adam was not confident. He called Shelley, who instructed him on how to evaluate the leg, and, with her guidance, he concluded that the horse would be fine. And so he played her, but because Shelley had not assured him that there was nothing to worry about, he did worry:

. . . We entered that final chukker (seven minutes in length) leading by two, gave up three unanswered goals, and lost the game by a goal. A heartbreaker! Tequila played well. It wasn’t her fault. And the next morning at the barn I was relieved to find her leg the same, or even better, than it had been prior to the match.

But what I now know was in my head, lurking for the entire seven minutes that I played her, was doubt. I did not want Tequila to break down because I had made the wrong decision. I had thought she was okay, or else I wouldn’t have played her, but who wasn’t okay was me. I knew how badly I wanted to win that tournament. I knew—or thought I did—how important Tequila was toward this goal. And I worried that my decision-making had been skewed by my yearning to win. Ultimately, I couldn’t trust myself in making that call. And, therefore, I played concerned for my horse and about my decision, rather than free.

Tequila’s lesson was that I’m better playing all-out on a very good horse than playing concerned on my favorite. And it also impressed upon me the competitive advantage (not to mention the health benefits) that the “tough calls” I routinely expect Shelley to make have meant for me and my horses throughout my career.

The ethical treatment of horses is a topic that is getting a lot of attention these days, and how to accomplish that is a theme that is explored throughout the book. Adam and Shelley provide some general ideas and principles to ensure that horses can compete happily without compromising them in any way. Some questions to ponder include: Is it ethical to ride horses? What does a horse get out of competing in a polo match or completing an eventing competition?

“That’s a great question,” said Shelley. “The things that are important to horses aren’t the things that are important to us. Horses don’t wake up in the morning and say, oh, I want to go jumping around Badminton or play in the Argentine Open. They want to have friendship; they want to have good food, and they want to be free. But I really do believe, especially at the top levels, that you would never be able to force them to do what they do. What they do is so difficult. So there has to be a partnership there. And I do believe that it’s healthy for horses to exercise and that it’s healthy for them to be trained really well for a job that they excel at. And there’s nobody who’s going to convince me that for any mammal being really fit, and really well conditioned, doesn’t make you feel great. The problems arise when horses are pushed too much. It becomes a question of how to do it well and to do it right.”

Winning With Horses is published by Trafalgar Square Books and will be released this summer. It is the second book that Adam and Shelley have written together. The first, Polo Life, came out in 2016 to an enthusiastic reception from polo players across the country. This book, although it uses many examples from the sport, is not intended to be polo-centric and the advice the authors provide can apply to all horse sports. There are a few overriding themes. One is that horses are better off when they are kept in as natural a way as possible. Another is that it is important to strive to see things from a horse's point of view. Finally, doing the best you can for your horse will always pay dividends, that winning with horses requires promoting, rather than sacrificing their well-being and that winning should always be a “winwin” for horse and human.

“I feel like we did have some things to share,” said Shelley when asked why they wrote the book. “My explicit goal would be that I hope that people read the book and treat their horses a little bit better, maybe they just pick up one thing. I think there’s something in the book for everybody – I think professionals will read it and say, oh, I never looked at it that way before. And your average sort of amateur horse owner who hasn’t thought about these things will hopefully learn a lot.”

Photography by Snoopy

Photography by Pam Gleason

Contact Raza Kazmi, 888-4NB-POLO, info@newbridgepolo.com

Lauren Circle: $99,000

September 13-17, 2023

USPA Northrup Knox 8 Goal

September 20 - October 8, 2023

*New Bridge Women’s Challenge 10-14 Goal October 9 - 22, 2023

*USPA National President’s Cup 8 Goal® October 11-29, 2023

Bronze Trophy 8 Goal®

27 - November 5, 2023

Pond Cottage: $650,000 3 bedroom, 2 bath, newly built residence in a private and serene setting. Charming one story layout with 10 ft. ceilings, vaulted ceiling in living room, custom 8 ft doors, oversized Andersen windows and hardwood floors throughout. Mud room, kitchen with quartz countertops and stainless steel appliances. Front & rear porches (fireplace on rear porch). Oversized carport. Walking distance to the clubhouse, pool and clay tennis court.

SOLD SOLD

Lauren Circle: $560,000 14-acre lot in close proximity to polo field 4. Just inside the main gate to Phase 3, this lot has fourboard fencing along New Bridge Road with two ideal building sites for a house and barn. No clearing is needed, plenty of established grass for pastures, and mature trees on the western edge provide a natural buffer and privacy. Wonderful vistas of polo fields 4 and 5 to the south. One of the last cleared lots in Phase 3. Hurry and grab this gem!

Lauren Circle: $80,000

Lot 3B Lauren Circle is a lovely 1.2 acre parcel next to newly built homes with views of polo fields and established horse pastures in the distance. Level lot can accomodate any style home. Private and serene setting.

Lot 2A Lauren Circle is the perfect residential lot for a single family home. Situated on 2.5 acres, this lot is is near polo fields 4 and 5. This lot offers maximum usability with a nicely wooded rear buffer for privacy. newbridgepolo.com

Selling An Aiken Icon

Crestview Farm Estate

By Pam Gleason

“The Crestview Farm Estate compound in Aiken is a ‘one of one’ property, a unique piece of real estate that has no comparison, and no peer, a best in class from Aiken to Augusta and beyond,” said Bernard Uechtritz. Uechtritz, who goes by Bernie, is the founder of Icon Global Real Estate, a Dallas-based firm.

“What makes it special is not just what was built there and how it was built and the standards to which it was built, but it’s also the actual piece of land itself: the layout, the views, the proximity not only to Aiken but to all southern destinations and most of all, its flexibility of use,” he said. “I mean,

property, about 153 acres in all, is laid out with expansive views, and it is surrounded by forests and hidden behind a tall privacy gate. Just 10 minutes from downtown Aiken, it provides privacy, security, tranquility and convenience.

The official announcement that Crestview is for sale has not come yet. As of now, the price tag has not been announced either. It may never be. This is because the kinds of buyers and sellers that Icon is accustomed to dealing with tend to be private, and private clients may not want the details of real estate transactions such as price, or even amenities, to be publicized.

while it certainly evolved as a private polo estate, the fact is that its future use can be anything, for anyone. . .a private or public facility, a training center for Grand Prix jumping, reining, carriage driving, a development of sequestered luxury homes or cabins with central amenities, even a music studio or a soundstage. It’s versatile and flexible and multiuse. We’re marketing this beyond the pigeonhole of its past as being polo-centric.”

Uechtritz’s Icon Global specializes in high end properties, especially ranches and equestrian estates. This summer, Bernie has come to Aiken to market and sell Crestview Farm, which will be available for purchase after a formal marketing launch.

Crestview was created as a private family compound and polo estate in 2009 and it includes a 24-stall stable, two homes, a carriage house and stables, executive apartments, a world class polo field with an elegant viewing pavilion, numerous pastures, paddocks, horse breeding facilities and too many additional amenities to name. Everything on the property was custom built by J.D. Cooper’s Cooper Home & Stable and at the highest possible caliber, from the light fixtures in the stable, to the beams of the stable themselves, each one carved from virgin Douglas fir. The

For these properties, there is never an open house.

“We sell around the country and in niches across the globe,” said Uechtritz. “Some of it’s very public, and very heavily marketed and advertised – that’s maybe 30% of what we do. Some 70% of what we do is off-market and very private.”

Looking at it from a different perspective, that Icon Global agreed to take on Crestview is a testament to the property’s value. Much like the estates he sells, Bernie Uechtritz is one of a kind. His high-profile, highoctane deals make national and international news, such as the recently sold $240 million Sandow Lakes Ranch, a reclaimed mine site owned by Alcoa. In 2016, he brokered the sale of the Waggoner Ranch in Vernon, Texas – 535,000 acres marketed for a cool $725 million and sold to the billionaire businessman Stan Kroenke. The largest land sale in the country, this holds the record for the most expensive ranch ever sold in America.

“Waggoner was a fantastic marketing challenge,” he said. “You know, we marketed it in 30-something languages and in 132 countries around the world. In the end, I had four very qualified finalist buyers: one from South Korea, two from Texas and one from Colorado.”

Uechtritz’s international approach grows naturally from his own upbringing. Born in Australia, he grew up in Papua New Guinea, working on a vast and remote property dedicated to cattle ranching and cocoa and coconut production. He came to the United States in 1986 at the age of 22, landing first in Lexington, Kentucky where he stayed for four years.

“I was on walkabout,” he said. “I was coming to see America and have a look. I did everything – I was a model for an Australian clothing company; I groomed horses at Keeneland and Fasig-Tipton sales; I helped renovate horse farms and built fences. I swung a weedeater and drove a tractor and batwing mower on a farm crew for $4.83 an hour. I was a DJ at a radio station. I pumped gas, trained horses and lived off baloney sandwiches and government cheese. If they paid cash, and I had enough hours left in the day or night, I did it.”

He got into real estate after moving to California, specializing in unique and difficult properties. His big break was selling the Calabasas Menendez estate, which was then famous for the murder of its owners by their sons. “I became the ‘go to’ guy to sell hard stuff, unique properties, high risk, high reward deals. I moved to Texas in 2004. I grew up ranching, riding and selling horses so selling ranches was kind of a natural extension of my sales ability.”

Icon Global’s current portfolio includes multiple estates that have price tags nearing the stratosphere: the Turkey Track Ranch, for instance,

advertised at $200 million, or the $55 million Adena Springs Farm in Kentucky. Valuing, marketing, and selling this kind of real estate can’t be done the traditional way. Uechtritz says that his success is based partly on his willingness to work hard and think innovatively, partly on his ‘black book’ and network of high-net-worth individuals around the world, and partly on his reputation of success.

“In my business, there’s no one size fits all approach,” he said. “Everything I do is unconventional and different from a regular real estate brokerage. It’s a challenge. I do get extraordinary prices for extraordinary pieces of property: that’s my job. I don’t list or sell by pulling comps from the MLS: how can you find a comparable offering or sale when there isn’t one? The value proposition and mindset is completely different for this kind of real estate than in conventional real estate sales. Crestview embodies, and is, exactly what we do: it’s a one-off. If you want conventional, I am not your guy.”

Uechtritz, who is also a polo player, has been to Aiken many times over the years to visit friends and to play polo. Coming back this year, he says he has been impressed by the exponential growth of the area. He says that Aiken is more attractive all the time, and someone looking for their own special place in the area could not do better than Crestview, with its proximity to world class golf courses and the best of both equestrian and southern lifestyles.

“I think it’s a great destination location whether you’re in the equestrian business or not,” he said. “In the end, there’s only going to be one buyer. And whoever buys it is going to be buying the Crown Jewel of Aiken.”

A South Carolina-based, Icon-affiliated brokerage as well as on-point sales individuals will be announced in the coming weeks. “In the meantime, inquiries, expressions of interest and early discussions regarding the estate are being handled in the head office via financially pre-qualified request and with confidentiality agreements,” according to Bernie. For more information about Crestview, visit www.Icon.Global and stay tuned.

From Pony Club to Wedding Bells A Highfields

Marriage

By Nancy Johnson

Like many young couples, Amarinthia Morton and her fiancé John Butler met on the popular dating app, Tinder, back in 2021. While getting acquainted, they quickly realized that they had met before, even if they really didn’t remember having done so. Amarinthia and John were both members of Aiken County Pony Club between 2012 and 2017. John is four years Amarinthia’s senior, which, for teens and preteens, is a lot. He hung around with the “big” kids and certainly didn’t notice her or the other “little” kids.

Horses are still a major part of Amarinthia’s life and in a smaller way, of John’s as well. She is assistant farm manager at the Stable on the

John still enjoys riding and hopes to get back into it once he is settled in a career. His fiancée says his horse experience often comes in handy, such when the two of them shipped horses to Camp Ton-A-Wandah in North Carolina recently. “My mom is the director of their riding program, so we took my semi-retired horse, Finnius, and my sister’s pony up for her to use this summer,” Amarinthia explains. “It’s kind of nice that they get to go to summer camp, too,” she adds.

Born into an equestrian family, Amarinthia originally rode with the renowned trainer Mary Ann Parmelee, who had also taught both of her parents. Rick Cram, who owns and runs Progressive Show Jumping at

Woods in Aiken, and spends her spare time riding and showing her own Thoroughbred jumper, Connor. John’s riding has been sidelined in recent years as he completed his education at The Citadel with two degrees, one in Intelligence & Security: General Intelligence and the second in Political Science: International Studies and Military Affairs.

Highfields Equestrian Center, is Mary Ann’s son. “I’ve always enjoyed showing my horses at Highfields, plus with my family’s connection to Mary Ann, we decided to have our wedding at Highfields in September,” Amarinthia says.

“I’m not sure if there will be horses attending the actual wedding,” Amarinthia continues “But they will definitely be part of the photos.” Her black Labrador, Cassian, will have a role in their wedding as well.

“We’re excited that Amarinthia and John chose Highfields and our pavilion as their wedding venue,” says Cathy Cram, who is married to Rick Cram and runs her own teaching and training business at Highfields. “It’s named The Mary Ann Parmelee Pavilion in memory of Rick’s mom.”

The 48 x 100-foot pavilion features a concrete floor, ceiling fans, and lighting. The customer rents the space for their special event and is responsible for providing everything else. Highfields has previously hosted several weddings and even Mead Hall’s graduation ceremony during COVID.

“There is lots of outdoor space as well,” Cathy notes. “You can even set up a slip ‘n slide and cornhole.”

For information on holding an event at Highfields, call 803-649-3505.

Emily and Barry at the LandRover Kentucky Three Day Event

Emily Hamel Eventing

A Permanent Home in Aiken

By Pam Gleason, Photography by Michelle Dunne

When Emily Hamel was about 10 years old, she took a trip to Lexington, Kentucky with her 4-H club to watch the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day-Event at the Kentucky Horse Park. She had been riding for just a couple of years and had never seen upper level eventing before. But right away she knew it was a sport she wanted to pursue. She even told her friends she would compete in Kentucky one day. In 2021, her dream came true when she completed the same event (now the LandRover Kentucky Three Day) aboard her charismatic Holsteiner gelding Corvett. That year Emily and Corvett finished just outside the top 20, and were the highest placed rookies in the competition. They returned to LandRover this spring, in 2023, coming in tenth overall and sixth among Americans. As one of only two 5-star eventing competitions in North America, LandRover Kentucky is one of the most prestigious and difficult equestrian contests in the world. A top ten finish there is a major accomplishment.

“If I had told childhood me that would happen, I don’t think I would have believed it,” Emily said.

Emily, now a lifelong professional horsewoman, has been coming to Aiken to train during the winter months since around 2006. This year, she and her partner, Dan Repko, bought a home in the Bridle Creek Equestrian community, Good Fortunes Farm, where she has established her training and teaching business, Emily Hamel Eventing. “I’ve just always felt so at home in Aiken,” she said. “The town is so charming and it’s got a good feel about it. It was actually a very easy transition for me to move here, and I also I think it’s a great place to bring up young horses – there’s a lot of opportunity to get them out to different venues and a lot of choices.”

It was a particularly happy move because Good Fortunes Farm, where Emily had ridden and trained in the past, was a dream farm of hers. It has professional dressage and stadium jumping arenas, a round pen, paddocks, pastures and several barns with enough stalls for 32 horses. It even has a cross country course designed by Eric Bull and Boyd Martin. Tranquil and private with a community feel, it’s the perfect place to run an event horse operation, and Emily feels lucky and grateful to Dan for helping making this dream farm her reality.

Emily was born and raised in Wisconsin, and her mother and stepfather were not in any way involved with horses. But when she was 8, she went to visit her father and stepmother where they lived in Manhattan. Her stepmother, who rode when she was growing up, took Emily for her first riding lessons in Central Park. That was all she needed: when she went back home, she started riding regularly. Within a little more than a year, she even had her own horse, a Spanish Barb named Louie.

“He was kind of a rescue horse,” she said. “In hindsight, he was a terrible first horse for a child. I was 10, and he had come from a bad situation and was basically feral. We had a rocky start, but I think he made me a really good rider because I had to figure out how to deal with his quirkiness. And I just remember my first couple of lessons with my trainer on this horse. She would make all the other kids go into the middle while I cantered, because she called us the suicide squad.”

Once Emily showed herself committed to horses, her mother and stepfather bought a farm, and by the time she was a teenager, she had several horses of her own as well as a business taking in boarders and horses in training in order to pay for her own horse habit. Wisconsin was not a hotbed of eventing, but she pursued the discipline rigorously.

When she was in college at the University of Wisconsin River Falls, she took a semester off to be a working student for the five-star eventer Courtney Cooper in Pennsylvania, and that winter was the first time she came to Aiken.

After graduating with a degree in business administration, Emily moved to Lexington, Kentucky where she rode, taught, and served as coach of the University of Kentucky dressage team. Meanwhile, she was determined to rise to the upper levels of eventing, and she had a great prospect, a Thoroughbred gelding named Ramsey owned by Katherine O’Brien. Realizing that she needed help to progress with this horse, she started riding with the Olympic gold medalist Phillip Dutton one winter in Aiken. When he invited her to come work for him in 2015, she took the opportunity, moving to Pennsylvania and serving as the head rider at his True Prospect Farm. This gave her the chance to learn from the best. Ramsey did not, in the end, take her to the five-star level on the event course, but at Dutton’s farm, she met the horse that would.

Barry, as Corvett is always known, was a promising event horse imported from Europe for another young event rider who trained with Phillip Dutton. Although he was clearly talented and could jump the moon, the pair were not a good match. So Barry was to be sold. First he was sent to Florida to be marketed as a jumper, but they could not find a buyer for him because of his quirks. For one thing, he was a phenomenal jumper, but he often jumped much higher than necessary, resulting in more than one rider being “jumped out of the tack.” He was stubborn and opinionated. He was hard to get along with. And so after a few months he came back to Pennsylvania. When he returned, Phillip told Emily he was her project: “Make him rideable,” he said.

“I think probably within a week, I was like, I really, really like this horse,” said Emily. She mentioned it to Phillip, and before long, she had bought him for herself with the help of her family. Her faith in the horse, her willingness to let him do things his way, and her ability to see past the quirks to his talent, started to pay off right away. The pair clicked, and were soon competing, moving up from Training to Preliminary to the 2-star level. By 2018, they were going Advanced, and the sky seemed to be the limit. In 2019, they were competing at the 4-star level and finally qualified to go up to the 5-star with a solid performance at the Ocala Jockey Club 3-Day International Event in November. Emily was thrilled: she was finally on her way to compete at LandRover Kentucky, scheduled for April 2020. But then COVID happened, and the event was canceled.

“It was kind of gutting because I’d worked so hard,” said Emily. “But I think it worked in our favor because we had a whole other year to just practice and really hone our skills.”

After their successful debut at LandRover in the spring of 2021, Emily and Barry competed at the 5-star in Maryland in the fall, putting in another good performance and winning the “MagnaWave Ride of the Day” award in the show jumping phase for a crowd-pleasing performance. The following spring, Emily raised the funds to fly herself and her star horse to England where they competed in the most iconic of British events, Badminton and Burghley. With these experiences on his resumé, Barry is now a confirmed 5-star horse. In Aiken, he and Emily can be found competing wherever there are upper level events: at Stableview and the Grand Prix Eventing Festival at Bruce’s Field in the spring, for instance.

Although Barry is clearly at the top of his game competitively, he is still a quirky horse, even today. “He’s very funny about being caught,” said Emily. “So you definitely have to bring him carrots – he wants an offering before he lets you catch him. And then sometimes he can be funny about getting on. It’s usually when he’s just feeling really fit and sassy – he doesn’t like to stand at the mounting block. It’s kind of a funny story. I gave him three weeks off after Kentucky this year, and I just started riding him last week, and I had to get on him in his stall. I literally couldn’t get on him any other way.”

“The best part about him is how much he loves his job,” she continued. “Especially the jumping part. On cross country he gives me his all, and I feel like he could literally jump anything – like he’s got so much scope and he’s so incredibly brave and he just wants to do the job right. You can’t make a horse compete at that level if they don’t want to. He just wants to, and you feel he’s so happy. I love the feeling that I’m not making him do anything; that he wants to do it. We’ve developed such a partnership at this point. I just trust him.”

Emily says that she and Barry will be competing at the Maryland 5-star again in the fall and that after that she hopes to be able to continue to ride him at that level for as long as she can. “As much experience as I can get with him would be fantastic. However, I want to make sure that we end on a high note,” she said, noting that he is 16 this year, still in his prime, but without too many of those years in front of him. “So it’s like finding that point where you’ve done enough, that you’re not pushing them too far. . . I think that when I decide to retire him from eventing, I might play around in the jumper ring, because he’s a fantastic jumper and he loves it so much.”

As far as her new facility goes, Emily says that business took off much faster than she expected and she already has a full contingent of horses

in training, along with Barry and some other young horses she is developing. In the future, she expects to lease some of the stables on the farm to other trainers, and perhaps hold a USEA Young Event Horse show on the property. “I enjoy being around other trainers, and I like having a community feel when I am training. Seeing other people working hard and working towards something makes me want to be better.”

Emily also runs a business called the Whole Equestrian with her friend, Tyler Held, who has a PhD in Sport and Performance Psychology. They have a blog and a podcast focused on “bridging the gap between riding and wellness,” and are committed to helping other equestrians succeed. According to Emily, that kind of helpfulness is something that pervades the entire eventing discipline.

“That is something I really love about eventing,” she said. “Yes, it’s a competitive sport, but I also feel like everybody’s cheering the other person to do well, and that it really does take a village to get to the top. It’s cool that so many people want to give their time and effort to the sport. Eventing has a special place in my heart just because the people really do care about each other and they care so much about the horses.”

Revolutionizing Footing ArenaMend’s Green Alternative

By Pam Gleason

Dan and Alex Carr hope to revolutionize the equestrian footing industry. The father and daughter pair founded their company, ArenaMend, about five years ago with the idea that horse facilities should be using natural and environmentally sustainable footing products in their arenas. Additionally, they sought to devise a type of footing that would not require frequent watering, not just because of the expense and effort that watering entails, but because water conservation is increasingly a nationwide, and worldwide, issue.

Today, ArenaMend sells two different products. One is Noviun, a natural fiber that can be added to a sand-based arena to provide structure to the soil, decrease concussion, improve traction and increase water absorption. The other is ArenaGreen, a “complete surface solution” that includes sand, Noviun fiber and an organic plant-based binding agent that eliminates dust without the need for water. These two footing solutions are different from those that have gone before them because they are all-natural and environmentally friendly.

The quest for the ideal footing for equestrian competition spaces has been a long one. Horses were designed to run on natural turf, and good grass with a nice cushion – not too soft and not too hard – is still probably the best footing for them in terms of health, soundness and performance. The main troubles with grass are that even the toughest varieties can’t hold up to heavy use; a grass field is not “all-weather” and can become slippery and dangerous when wet; not all climates can support grass year round, and finally, it is expensive and time consuming to maintain a turf course.

Various kinds of sand and sand blends offer a more durable

surface, but they too have their problems. These include dust, poor drainage, mud, a tendency to become uneven and inconsistent, or to get too hard and packed, among other things. To mitigate this, footing companies have come up with various additives designed to allow the arena surface to stay uniform and springy, to keep down the dust when it is dry and never become soggy, even after a deluge. These additives have included wood chips and rubber as well as various oils, waxes and other compounds that dampen dust. The most popular additive today for arena footing is fabric and textile fiber, which may be made from such things as carpet remnants, generally imported from Europe. These textile additives are durable and effective and have gained a wide following, especially in the Olympic sports.

Traditional textile footing, however, is created out of synthetics that are, in turn created from plastic products. The plastics in the footing break down over time, releasing microplastics which may be inhaled by both horses and their riders and may also leach into ground water. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles that persist in the environment virtually forever. In fact, according to a recent article in the International Journal of Environmental and Health Research, “ The distribution and abundance of microplastics into the world are so extensive that many scientists use them as key indicators of the recent and contemporary period defining a new historical epoch: The Plasticene.” There is not yet any clear consensus on what effects microplastics might have, but many environmental organizations are raising an alarm, particularly concerning microplastic contamination of the ocean. The UN recently approved a resolution to commit to creating a binding treaty to end

plastic pollution worldwide.

Meanwhile, Dan Carr has been building arenas and providing footing for them for decades through his company, WestWind Surfaces, based in Florida. His daughter Alex, who is not a horse person, has been attracted to environmental causes since she was very young. Initially intending to study environmental law, a few years ago she instead turned her interests to her father’s work. Dan had been searching for a new way to produce a high performance footing that would not require watering. The goal was to find an additive for sand that would effectively eliminate dust. Alex’s idea was that it should be all-natural, ecofriendly and sustainable: she came up with her original idea after doing a high school project to make biodiesel. A biproduct of biodiesel production is glycerin, which can be used for dust suppression. Although this type of glycerin was not, in the end, a solution for the dust problem in equestrian arenas, there were other natural compounds out there that might be suitable, she thought.

“We did a lot of testing,” said Alex, “And we finally came up with a plant-based polymer that was our first market-ready product.”

The Carrs formed their new company, ArenaMend, and began looking for a different kind of fiber to add to arena sand, one that would be plastic and chemical free as a complement to their natural plantbased dust suppression product. It was a long and worldwide search: they met with companies in South Africa, Sweden and Switzerland. And then Alex came across Natural Fiber Welding in Peoria, Illinois, a company dedicated to making “plastic free performance materials to remake everything.”

“They were brilliant – scientists and chemists, but everything they do is plant-based. We developed a relationship with them, and we kind of went to the races after that,” said Alex.

Noviun, created by ArenaMend in conjunction with the scientists at Natural Fiber Welding, is made from various natural fibers and is coated with a natural polymer that binds to sand so that footing stays consistent throughout an arena. Although the product has only been on the market since March 2023, it has a growing following, not just because it is ecofriendly but because it is a high performing product. There are arenas that use Noviun in Florida, California, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, Virginia and more. The product is currently

available and is being shipped to Europe and New Zealand. Noviun fibers can be purchased separately to add to a sand arena and can also be found in the waterless all-in-one footing, ArenaGreen. Today, ArenaMend has its own local Aiken rep, Sarah Dixon, who says interest in learning more about the product has been quite high. There are even already three facilities in Aiken with ArenaMend footing: a jumper training stable, a breeding operation and a private dressage facility.

The dressage facility is owned but Lucy Tidd, a veterinarian and a serious dressage competitor who divides her time between farms in Maryland and Aiken. She chose ArenaGreen footing for her covered arena in Aiken for its convenience, since she did not want to worry about irrigation on a property she was not always using. Additionally, she liked the way the product performs. “Many waterless footings are wax-based which does not allow the hoof to travel normally, increasing risk of injury. Others require expensive and continued treatments of oil or magnesium to stay dust free.

ArenaGreen does not have either of these properties and allows a normal travel pattern for the hoof,” she said. In addition to sustainability, performance is a high priority for ArenaMend.

“I think my biggest ethos for the company is I don’t care if it’s sustainable or not. If it doesn’t perform I’m

not going to use it,” said Alex Carr. “I think the most sustainable product is one that you want to use because it’s better than the other ones. And I think that’s the best way for us to evolve: develop the most high-performing products we can. Our biggest focus has to be on the horses – we can’t compromise performance by focusing just on it being a natural product.”

Although many horse people have altered their lifestyles try to lower their carbon footprint, the equestrian sector has tended to lag behind when it comes to sustainability. There is a growing awareness, however, that horse keeping should be eco-friendly and as nonpolluting as possible. This awareness is especially acute among younger people. The jury is still out on the significance of microplastic contamination, and whether it is something to worry about or not when it comes to arena footing. The overuse of plastics, however, is a significant environmental problem, and people everywhere are being encouraged to limit their use of plastic products, whether by choosing refillable water bottles and paper drinking straws or taking cloth bags to the grocery store. If reducing the use of plastics is a goal, then one place that horse people might start is in the arena. And that, according to Alex Carr, is where ArenaMend comes in.

Noviun fiber can be added to an existing sand arena

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2023 HUNTER/JUMPER CHALLENGE SERIES

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All dates are own ed by Stable View | Shows managed by Bill Yeager

MARCH 17-19 || USEF/USHJA Winter Classic

'B' Rated Hunters, Level 3 Jumpers

APRIL

14-16 || USEF/USHJA Spring Classic

'B' Rated Hunters, Level 3 Jumpers

JUNE

1-4 || USEF/USHJA Summer Classic

'A' Rated Hunters, Level 4 Jumpers

8-11 || USEF/USHJA Summer Classic I

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JULY

29 Jun-2 Jul || USEF/USHJA Summer Classic II

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5-9 || USEF/USHJA Mid-Summer Classic

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Photography by Gary Knoll

Secret Lives of Horses Sweet Pea: Rags to Riches

By Nancy Johnson

When Rebecca Sox introduces 26-year-old Sweet Pea, she laughs and adds, “We call her ‘the cow’ because she’s so round.” While the sorrel Quarter Horse mare, measuring about 14.1 hands is indeed rather chunky, that was far from the case when Rebecca and her daughter, Claudia, bought her two years ago.

“We had just been competing at a rodeo and got done earlier than expected. On the spur of the moment, Claudia suggested we go to the horse auction in Modoc,” Rebecca recalls, referring to a monthly auction in Edgefield County, South Carolina. “I could just picture coming home with some poor nag, so I tried to talk her out of it. But she had grown up hearing stories of how I used to go to horse sales and buy cheap horses, re-hab them, and wind up with nice horses.”

They went along with a friend, and weren’t at the sale long before Claudia picked out a horse she liked. Rebecca refused to bid on it because the horses were bringing relatively high prices that night and she didn’t want to spend a lot of money on a horse she knew nothing about.

Bloom and Kimmie’s Cocktail supplements on some older horses with great results, so that is what we gave her, along with good feed and hay, of course.” When the equine dentist looked at Sweet Pea’s teeth, he confirmed that she was nowhere near the single digit age quoted, but more likely 25 or older.

The farrier believed the mare’s feet had not been trimmed in at least 6 months. While he got her feet looking much better immediately and she was rapidly improving physically, Rebecca worried that even after a month or so, Sweet Pea still appeared quite sore in her front feet. “My farrier suggested trying natural balance shoes on her. She was very difficult about having her feet done, even with three of us holding her, but after he got the first shoe on and she shifted her weight to that foot, she was much more comfortable and then was perfect for the rest of the shoeing.”

After a couple of months, all their work caring for the mare paid off when Claudia finally rode her. “The first time she got on her and loped through barrels, it was obvious that the mare knew what she was doing!”

Rebecca says.

By March of 2022, just four months after they brought Sweet Pea home as a bag of bones, Claudia competed with her in barrel racing. The pair went on to win a multitude of awards in 2022, including the Palmetto Speed Events Youth All-Around Championship, which included a lovely saddle as a prize. They even qualified for the prestigious National Barrel Horse Association Youth World show.

“Claudia was quite mad at me, so we were sitting in silence, when this really sad looking mare walked into the ring with two little kids riding her. She honestly looked like a walking skeleton,” Rebecca says. “When the auctioneer hollered out that she was a 6-year-old, my friend and I looked at each other and laughed. That horse was no more 6 than I am!”

Then Claudia elbowed her mother and asked her to bid on the horse. “I asked her why and she said, ‘I just have a feeling about her.’ So, I asked how high she wanted to go and she quickly answered, ‘$450 because that’s my magic number.’ So, I bid on the horse,” she recounts.

They wound up paying $425 for the mare and took her home to their farm in Wagener, hoping only that she would survive. The only information they were given about her was her hip number, 458, and a Coggins test, describing her as a Haflinger, that seemed to belong to another horse. She had no name: Claudia came up with Sweet Pea.

For the first few months they did nothing with Sweet Pea except put weight on her and get her healthy. Rebecca notes, “I had used DAC

Claudia regularly competes several horses in barrel races all over South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. In barrel competition, when horses and riders qualify for Youth Finals, they compete in the championships the following year. So, Claudia and Sweet Pea, as well as two of her other qualified horses, will be racing this July at the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry, Georgia. “This is the last year Claudia is eligible to compete at the Youth Finals, and she is determined to take Sweet Pea,” Rebecca notes. “We are keeping her legged up, but she isn’t going to any other shows this year except for Youth World, and that will be the end of her competition days for good.”

“As the competition is a whole week, we are hoping to find nearby accommodations for Sweet Pea so she can be turned out and won’t have to spend all that time in a stall,” Rebecca continued. At home, she spends most of her time outside, but always has the option to come into her own stall when she wants.

Although Sweet Pea will be officially retired after the Youth World competition, Rebecca says they will trail ride her lightly because it will be good for her to continue to get regular exercise, but no one will ask much of her. “She’s our ‘rags to riches’ story and will have a loving home with us for the rest of her life,” Rebecca says confidently.

Secret Lives of Horses is sponsored by Triple Crown Nutrition: Providing nutrition beyond compare.

Assistant trainer Tameka Claiborne with Michele Arana

Fostering Harmony and Inclusion In

Stride Equestrian

By Jessica O’Connor, Photography by Gary Knoll

Michele Arana, who owns and operates In Stride Equestrian, a training and lesson stable in Salley, South Carolina, says that a “learn by doing” approach has been a key element in the development of her program as a horse trainer.

“I’ve always had to make my own horses, and I think that’s what’s made me a good trainer,” Michele explained. “I’ve never been handed a horse that has all the buttons. A lot of my learning has been through experience and trial and error, because of where I came from.”

More specifically, her interest in the art of classical dressage was piqued after acquiring her first horse at the age of 21. Mandi, an Arabian mare with only five rides on her, progressed to being a Third Level dressage horse capable of advanced movements such as the passage and piaffe. This training journey gave Michele a deep passion for the discipline.

“I love connecting with horses. The classical principles and foundation are about lightness, harmony, and connection – about building a horse up so they can be the best version of themselves,” Michele said. “I really liked that theory and concept, and I felt it aligned with who I am.”

Armed with this practical knowledge, Michele made her way from her native New York to the Aiken area nine years ago. Here, she continued to learn and grow as a rider and trainer and started In Stride Equestrian just a few months before the pandemic hit. Like many others, Michele experienced a series of challenges while establishing her business during that time, but now her program is thriving.

Michele currently offers training and lessons, and she works with sales horses. Her ultimate goal is to help horses and their riders find their balance, communicate with harmony and fluidity, and work with a light seat and aids. Her understanding of equine behavior and psychology helps her create an environment that fosters progress and learning for all parties involved, no matter what skill level they’re currently at or which discipline they ride.

Much more than just a generic lesson program, In Stride uses aspects of equine and human anatomy and biomechanics to teach riders how to guide their partners in a way that enables them to reach peak performance. Michele also works with many riders who have physical or emotional limitations due to injury or past accidents. For these riders, she takes the time to understand impediments to their range of motion, their feelings, and the emotions they may feel in the saddle. Fun is always at the forefront of Michele’s teaching methodology, never pushing riders to try more than they’re comfortable with.

Encouraging Inclusivity

In a perfect world, the barn is a place that unites those who share a common passion. No matter who we are, it seems that there should be an inherent kinship among people who devote a large portion of their lives to loving horses. But Michele says that sometimes that’s not how the scene plays out.

Michele describes herself as a Nuyorican, a term for people of Puerto Rican descent living in the United States, especially New York. She says her first introduction to the equestrian lifestyle was at a hunter/jumper barn in Long Island where her early experiences weren’t entirely positive.

“I was the only brown kid there, and nobody wanted to be friends with me,” she said. “As a little kid you don’t understand why people don’t want to be your friend. I would try to talk to them and they would just look down at me or ignore me, so my favorite thing was to just be in the stalls with the horses. I would offer to muck stalls, and that’s how I

found peace at the barn. That was my happy place.”

That early experience would fuel Michele’s desire to advocate for inclusivity in the equine industry. Undiscouraged and determined, she forged ahead to becoming the best horsewoman she could be. Today, she hopes that her involvement in the Aiken equine community will also help motivate more people of color to participate in equestrian activities. Although she loves the area, she says she has had some negative experiences since moving here from New York.

“My desire to show dwindled when I’d go to shows here and be the only brown person there,” she said. “You’d be lucky to see one or two other people of color. It’s something that is a bit of a tough conversation to have in this industry in general, especially down South, but it was a

big eye opener for me when I first moved down here. I think when you look at it from a certain vantage point, you see things differently. I can say from my vantage point, I’ve been extremely uncomfortable in a lot of areas and situations that I didn’t ever think I’d feel the need to feel uncomfortable in.”

She continued, “I’ve been seen more as someone that is ‘help,’ rather than an educator. I’ve been spoken down to. I don’t want to frame it as a list of things that are ‘wrong,’ but rather share what someone like me or a Black equestrian faces in this world. What can we do to make it better for everybody? We all do this sport because we love the animals, and that should be the thing that ties us together. It shouldn’t be so separated.”

Michele aspires to create a space within In Stride Equestrian where no horse lover, of any age, race, or sex ever feels the way she did as a young girl who didn’t look like the others at her lesson barn. She hopes that she can continue to break down the barriers by encouraging all equestrians to be receptive and willing to listen to the concerns equestrians of color.

“I want to be able to have a space where we can feel comfortable and safe,” she concluded. “I want this space to be inviting so that people of color can find themselves in this sport, a place where people don’t have to feel like they don’t belong.”

For more information a visit www.instridequestrian.com

Ask the Judge

Questions about Dressage

With Amy McElroy

Dear Amy,

I am new to the area and planning to compete at recognized dressage shows this summer. My question is regarding fly masks on horses. I am already using one when I ride because of the gnats. I would like to know the rules for wearing one when competing: are they allowed? If so, is there a particular type or color, and are there any seasonal restrictions? I am also thinking it will be too hot to wear my show coat at most shows. Can you advise me about what kind of vest I could wear?

Summer Questions

Dear Summer,

These are very important and interesting questions about summer riding equipment and attire. I would be happy to review the rules regarding both of these items.

First, let’s take a look at your “fly mask.” A standard fly mask is actually a piece of equipment that goes over the horse’s head and covers the eyes with see-through material. This type of mask is illegal to use and is forbidden at competitions, including in the warm-up areas.

The good news is that a “fly hood” is legal and is allowed both in warm-up and in competition. So what is the difference? A fly hood covers only the horse’s ears. It will not cover or obstruct the eyes. Many competitors put hoods on their horses during the summer months due to insects; however a fly hood is permitted year-round and even indoors.

The fly hood may serve a dual purpose. Not only does it provide some protection against insects, it is also a sound deterrent. In fact, although they were once against the rules, the USEF now permits noise cancelling fly hoods, which provide an additional sound barrier for the horse. That is correct! There are no penalties for this. However, it is most important that you do not put anything inside this hood, especially ear plugs, which are still quite illegal and would entail elimination if they were discovered.

When there is tack inspection after your ride, if you have a fly hood on you will be asked to have it removed for inspection. The steward will be confirming that nothing has been placed inside the covering. The rider or the rider’s representative can remove the hood and you may dismount for the inspection. It is important that the fly hood is not attached to the noseband: this is not allowed either, according the rulebook. Surprisingly, there is an exceptional case in which earplugs are permitted. You can put plugs in your horse’s ears for prize-giving ceremonies for horses competing at any level, including high performance classes.

Of further interest in regard to eye coverings: you are allowed to use blinkers or goggles in the warmup, as long as the eye cups are clear or lightly tinted and they do not obstruct the horse’s vision. However, they are prohibited in the competition arena. You may have seen cooling caps for horses being marketed for hot weather: These are illegal in both warm-up and competition arenas.

If you decide to use a fly hood when you compete, any type will be fine as long as it is discreet in color and design. Many people choose to have fly hoods in colors that match their attire, for example their saddle pad and/or coat. A promotional or manufacturer logo is permitted,

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.

but be sure to follow the same rules as for saddle pad logos, which are different depending on whether you are an amateur or a professional. You may use breed logos as long as your horse is registered, and a national flag as long as you are a citizen. Award names, stable names and federation names and logos are all permissible. However, only a professional may have a business or sponsor name or logo and no other advertisement is allowed in show arenas.

Let’s now take a look at competing without a riding jacket. Although it can get rather warm in the summer, especially here in the South, it will be up to show management whether coats will be waived for a show or not. Check your prize list, since some shows will already state their ruling on this. Some shows will waive coats during the day as the temperature rises. Your judge will comply with show rules. In the warmup, riding jackets are never required.

If jackets are waived you have the option to wear one or not as you see fit and this will not have any repercussions on your scoring. If you choose to ride without your jacket there are several important rules you need to know.

In regard to your shirt, it must have sleeves (either short or long) and a collar. No T shirts are allowed! Your shirt must not have any bold patterns. Neck wear is prohibited unless you are wearing an integrated stand-up collar shirt with the neckwear attached.

Vests have become more popular in competition: any type is allowed, but never required. You can wear a vest any time, whether you’re in a riding jacket or not. Cooling vests, safety vests, and fashionable matching vests all work with no penalty. You might even see an orange vest on some riders, but that is only allowed in the warm-up if you have a horse that has some safety concerns. But please remember not to wear anything in a bold color or with a pattern, and since you are not wearing a jacket, you may not have neckware.

I hope this has helped you. Go ahead and use your fly hood (but never a fly mask.) Also please stay cool and feel confident to ride without a jacket when jackets are waived: this will not influence your score. Overall, be neat and dressed for success. Enjoy the shows.

Foals of Aiken

The Class of 2023

Photography by Pam Gleason & Gary Knoll

Aiken’s horse population is growing! Once again, we have gone out to meet a few of the new foals born in our area this year. We saw future polo ponies, showjumpers, dressage horses, hunters, halter horses and more. On the following pages, you will see their pictures and stories. Introducing the Aiken Foal Class of 2023.

Louie

Date of Birth: April 15, 2023 at Red Top Farm, Johnston, SC

Thoroughbred x Belgian Warmblood Colt

Sire: Diktator van de Boslandhoeve, BWP

Dam: Simply Miss Red, Thoroughbred

Career Goal: Hunter/Jumper

Owner: Suzy Haslup and Joyce Vettorino

Loiue is out of Simply Miss Red, a 7-year-old Thoroughbred race mare that Suzy Haslup purchased in 2017 at the FasigTipton Fall Yearling Sale in Lexington, Kentucky. When the yearling mare stepped off the van at Red Top Farm in Johnston, South Carolina, DiAnn Langer, the farm’s owner and a noted hunter/ jumper judge and trainer, immediately pronounced her too pretty to race.

Simply Miss Red did make it to the racetrack, where she garnered two seconds and a third, racing at Saratoga and Belmont Park before she sustained a soft tissue injury and was retired.

“I always knew I wanted to breed her some day, as she is so attractive and has a great temperament,” said her co-owner Suzy Haslup, a realtor and vice president at Meybohm in Aiken as well as a racehorse trainer. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, Suzy bred Thoroughbreds for the show ring and showed most of them in hand in the hunter breeder shows and wanted to do that again. So instead of breeding to another Thoroughbred, she crossed the mare with Diktator van de Boslandhoeve, a Belgian Warmblood stallion standing at Spycoast Farm in Lexington Kentucky. This stallion was the leading jumper sire in the United States in 2020 and 2022 as well as the fifth ranked hunter sire in the nation in 2022. Big, bold and beautiful, Louie is the second foal from this cross: he has a yearling full brother on the farm, and both colts look ready to take on the world.

That’s the Spot

Date of Birth: May 13, 2023 at Looking Glass Farm, Wagener, SC

Wesfalan x Knabstrupper Colt

Sire: Pax Asgard af Pegasus, Knabstrupper

Dam: Rue Pomme, Westfalen

Career Goal: Dressage, or whatever he likes!

Owner: Katherine Thomas

Katherine Thomas has owned her 15-year-old Westfalan mare Rue Pomme since the horse was three days old, and has been involved with her for even longer – she was even present and assisting when the mare was conceived at a farm in Georgia. “Apple” is a versatile mare who has done a bit of everything, but her main career has been in the dressage arena where she and Katherine competed successfully through the Second Level.

When Katherine decided to breed Apple, she wanted to send her to another warmblood, but she also had nostalgia for her first horse, an appaloosa. So she selected both the spotted color and the warmblood type by crossing Apple with Pax Asgard af Pegasus, a Knabstrupper stallion standing at Murder Hollow Farm in Pennsylvania. Knabstruppers are Danish warmbloods known for their spotted coats as well as their athleticism and good temperaments. Pax Asgard af Pegasus is a “homozygous few spot” which means that he is guaranteed to produce a spotted foal when bred to a sold colored mare.

That’s the Spot’s barn name is Ford “because he’s built Ford tough,” according to Katherine. He’s exceptionally brave, self-assured and selfsufficient with a beautiful long stride and an eye-catching spotted coat. He has the potential to go in many directions – his sire has competed in dressage and in harness and has just started jumping. Katherine says that he will let her know what discipline he prefers, and jokes that she goes back and forth between wanting to keep him for herself and wanting to sell him, when he acts especially “sassy.”

Twin Oaks Martini

Date of Birth: April 26, 2023 at Twin Oaks Farm, Aiken

Westfalen x Welsh/TB Colt

Sire: Selik Nikko, Westfalan

Dam: Orchard Hills Royal Star, Welsh/TB

Career Goal: A Circuit Hunter Pony

Owner: Rhett DeStefano, Twin Oaks Farm

Twin Oaks Martini, who goes by Bruno at home, has deep roots in Aiken. His dam, Orchard Hills Royal Star, is a Welsh/Thoroughbred pony mare bred by Sara McCormick at Orchard Hills Ponies in Aiken. His sire, Selik Nikko, is a 15.2 hand Westfalen owned by Susan Novotny, who also lives in Aiken, which is where the stallion stands. Bruno was born at Rhett DeStefano’s Twin Oaks Farm, which she recently relocated here from Charleston in order to be in a more horse-friendly area.

Rhett breeds ponies for the A circuit hunter shows, and she is quite successful. Bruno’s dam was the Champion Mare at Devon in 2019 and the overall Reserve Best Young Pony when she was a 2-year-old. Bruno’s 2-year-old half brother, Twin Oaks Tito, just returned from Devon where he was named the Best Young Pony. Rhett expects Bruno to mature to be a large pony hunter and plans to register him as a German Riding Pony at the Westfalen inspections this summer.

Rhett says she is excited about Bruno’s future, especially after his older half-brother’s success at the most important hunter breeding show in the country this spring.

“I know he will be nice,” she said. “He has sweeping gaits and his mom’s perfect conformation. He’s sweet, curious and docile.”

Coup de Grace

Date of Birth: May 3, 2023 at Southern Equine Service

Westfalen Filly

Sire: Con Capilot

Dam: Olympic Charm

Career Goal: Show Jumper

Owner: Sharer Dale, Greystone Farm

Coup de Grace is the second foal that Sharer Dale has bred from her Westfalen jumper mare, Olympic Charm, known as Olivia. Sharer is an Aiken-based realtor as well as a jumper rider, and she says her first foal, Upsey Daisy, now 3, is lovely but has more of a hunter-type movement and personality. Wanting to get a jumper-type foal this time, she bred to Con Capilot, an imported 5-star jumper stallion formerly ridden by the renowned U.S. team member Todd Minikus. Aside from sporting a distinguished career in the show ring himself, Con Capilot is from some of the top jumper lines in Europe, including Pilot, Capitol and Contender.

Sharer credits her friend the veterinarian Dr. Sarah Thompson with creating and foaling out both of her fillies and says she is thrilled with Coup de Grace so far. This year’s filly is not quite as sweet tempered and easy-going as her older sister, but she has personality, confidence and athleticism to spare, perfect for a baby jumper prospect.

“Precious”

American Quarter Horse

Date of Birth: March 16, 2023 at Pait Show Horses, Aiken, SC

Sire: Ententions

Dam: Can’t Touch Her Guns

Career Goal: AQHA Halter Horse

Owner: Mac and Lib Barnes, Santee, South Carolina

Although she does not have an official American Quarter Horse Association name yet, Precious has earned her barn name for some obvious reasons: that is what she is! Precious, who was born at Pait Show Horses on Aiken’s Southside was bred to be a Halter champion. Her dam, Can’t Touch Her Guns, was the AQHA World Champion and High Point Halter Mare (open) showing with her trainer, Jeffrey Pait. She was also the AQHA World Champion and High Point Halter Mare (amateur) showing with her previous owner, Ina Ginsberg. To top it off, she was the All American Quarter Horse Congress Grand Champion.

Precious’s sire, Ententions, is equally as accomplished. A two-time World Champion and Congress Champion, he is the sire of many AQHA and APHA World Champions. Mac and Lib Barnes chose him as a sire after they purchased Can’t Touch Her Guns from Ina last year. Dr. Rachel Beetz of Southern Equine Service handled the breeding by shipped semen.

“We look forward to showing this Aiken born and bred filly in fall halter futurities and shows,” said Bronwyn Pait. Bronwyn’s husband Jeffrey will show her in the open divisions while Lib Barnes will take her in the amateur classes. The Paits and the Barneses have high hopes for Precious, who has the quality and the breeding to make it to the top. “This is a beautiful filly with good conformation and temperament,” said Bronwyn.

Chernobyl

Thoroughbred/Argentine Polo Pony Colt

Date of Birth: March 12, 2023 at Hilltop Farm, Aiken

Sire: Cielito, Argentine x Thoroughbred

Dam: Dirty Face, Argentine x Thoroughbred

Career Goal: Polo Pony

Owner: Kimberley von Stade, Hilltop Farm

Kimberley von Stade of Hilltop Farm in Aiken bred Chernobyl to be a polo pony, and at a very young age he is already exhibiting the kind of fire and courage that will make him a good one. His sire, Cielito who stands at Estancia La Victoria in Wagener, is the grandson of the great Argentine stallion Pucará, one of the founding stallions of the Polo Argentino breed. His dam, Dirty Face (who got her name because of her not-quite-white roan blaze) is one of Kimberly’s best playing mares. At 14, she is not retired, and Kimberly expects to have her back out on the playing field after Chernobyl is weaned.

“She’s a working mother,” said Kimberley with a laugh. “And he is like a nuclear explosion.” Expect to see him on a polo field in Aiken in four or five year’s time – meanwhile he will be growing up at Hilltop Farm along with his slightly older half sister Quill, also a daughter of Cielito and a future polo star.

U.S. Open Victory Jamaica comes to Wellington for Jason Wates

By Sarah Eakin, Photography by David Lominska

Considering the spectators at the conclusion of the U.S. Open Polo Championship in Wellington, Florida, this spring, an outsider might have thought the national polo team from Jamaica was on the field. But some 50 of the island’s residents had come to town to support just one native Jamaican, Jason Wates, who was playing for the Park Place team. Park Place is owned by the Russian native Andrey Borodin, and Jason, an Aiken resident, joined the team recently as they pursued their first U.S. Open win. The Caribbean crowd, whose voices dominated the far sidelines, was not disappointed. Park Place won 1211 against Bob Jornayvaz’s Valiente team in a match that went down to the wire.

Mariano Gonzalez and Adolfo Cambiaso, with Agustin Nero and Rufino Merlos substituting for Lucas Criado, Jr., who was injured in the semifinals.) Rain had disrupted the finals on Sunday, April 23, halting the match at half time. The final three chukkers took place the following day, despite the rain which started up again shortly after play commenced.

The rain delay made things difficult for the spectators as well as for the players. Members of the the Jamaican cheering section had to change their plane tickets in order to stay on an extra day, and Jason both noticed and appreciated their efforts. “Jamaicans are always making themselves heard,” he said. “The energy on the sidelines - both days here in the rain - everyone still showed up.”

A Jamaican by birth, Jason has spent half his life in the United States and his position on the Park Place team came on the back of his recently acquired U.S. citizenship.

“They [Park Place] had reached out to me last year while I was in Florida and they said if you’re a citizen next year don’t take another job without calling us,” Jason said. He became a U.S. citizen on November 4, 2022 and by mid-November he was in Argentina trying out in practices with other 3-goal hopefuls. At the end of his three-week trip, the Park Place captain, 10-goal Hilario Ulloa, told Jason: “Well, you got it.”

Jason grew up playing under the mentorship of the former 9-goal Aiken and Florida resident Julio Arellano. Working with Julio for over a decade gave Jason valuable insight into professional polo and gave him a deep understanding of the game. He has played professionally in Aiken and elsewhere for many years, but this winter was his debut in the 22-goal USPA’s Gauntlet of Polo, featuring the CV Whitney Cup, USPA Gold Cup and U.S. Open. “A lifetime of work has gone into getting me here and winning the Open is the biggest thing you can win - it makes it all worth it,” he said.

As a result of his winter performance Jason’s handicap was raised from three to four goals, something he had anticipated. “I guess I’ve never seen a team win the Open and not had handicap changes,” he said. “So I didn’t know if it would be me . . . . someone was going to change.”

Jason’s father, Mark, also a polo player, manages the Denver Polo Club in Colorado. “And I have a polo school in Jamaica,” he said. “He [Jason] came right through our ranks, then he graduated and came here and played here with Julio Arellano for years and just has gone from strength to strength.”

“We are super happy,” Mark Wates, Jason’s father, said, standing under an umbrella as the Park Place team celebrated their victory at the team tent – the majority of the final half was played in a deluge of rain. “Every game he [Jason] gets better and better, I’ve found in this tournament. The whole island is behind him.”

Thirteen teams entered the Open, which is the most prestigious polo tournament in the country. The tournament was played at the National Polo Center in Wellington –formerly the International Polo Club Palm Beach until it was purchased and renamed last year by the United States Polo Association. The finalists were Park Place (Andrey Borodin, Juan Britos, Hilario Ulloa, Jason Wates) and Valiente (Bob Jornayvaz,

Although Jason played in Florida over the winter, he and his wife Kristina bought property in Aiken several years ago, making it a home base for them, along with their 2-year old daughter Mila and their soon-to-be born son.

The Park Place win meant that Jason, who turned 32 the day after the victory, became the first Jamaican to take home the U.S. Open title. But he says that winning the biggest polo tournament in America was most meaningful for him because of his new citizenship. “There was a lot of coverage about being the first Jamaican,” he said. “I am proud of that and of where I’ve come from and my heritage, obviously. But I’m also very proud to be a U.S. citizen, more than I expected, to be honest. I didn’t know it would mean as much to me as it has, feeling a part of where you live. It’s a nice feeling.”

Photography by Pam Gleason

Aiken Area Calendar of Events

June 2023

1-4 USEF/USHJA $50,000 A-Rated Hunter/Jumper Summer Classic. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

1-4 Palmetto Arab Sport Classic. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

2-4 New Vocations All-Thoroughbred Charity Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road,  Aiken. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

2-4 Carolinas Cutting Horse Association - NCHA. Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

3 Saturday Night Lights. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

3-4 USEF/USEA June Horse Trials. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm. com

6-11 Tryon Spring 6/TR&HC Charity I. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

8-11 USEF/USHJA A-Rated Hunter/Jumper Summer Classic I. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

9-11 Mullet Hall Classic I PSJ C-Series. Mullet Hall, John’s Island, SC. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

10 Schooling Show D & CT at Chatt Hills. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, chatthillseventing.com

10 Saturday Night Lights. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

10 Wagner Polo Final. Wagener Polo Club. 5720 Wagener Rd, Wagener. 803.566.8610, bkrpolo@aol.com, wagenerpolo.com

10 SCDCTA Sawyer Equestrian. Hopkins, SC. 978.857.8109, dani@sawyerequestrian.com, Sawyerequestrian.com

10-11 USEF/USDF Summertime Blues by Viewpoint Dressage. Pinehurst Harness Track. Pinehurst, NC. Carolinadressage.com

10-11 USEF/USDF Dressage Summer Series I&II. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com

10-11 US Mounted Games Association. Georgia Horse Park. 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway. Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com

10-11 WHES Horse Trials, CT, D. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

11 R adway Eventing Pony Club Show. 4627 Whiskey Road, Aiken. radwayeventing.com

11 Aiken Polo Club Final. Aiken Polo Club, Whitney Field, 420 Mead Ave, Aiken. 803.643.3611. aikenpoloclub@gmail.com, aikenpolo.org

11 Combined Test. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com, fullgallopfarm.com

11 New Bridge Polo Club Louise Hitchcock Women’s Tournament 8-14 Cup Final. 862 New Bridge Rd, Aiken. 803.644.7706, hbryan2485@aol.com, newbridgepolo.com

13 Tuesday Night Schooling. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

14-25 Aiken Summer Classics I & II. Aiken Horse Park Foundation, 931 Powderhouse Rd, Aiken. 803.830.7077. kate@ aikenhorsepark.org, aikenhorsepark.org

16-17 FENCE Rodeo. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@gmail. com, fence.org

16-18 Junior’s Clinic South Carolina Dressage and Combined Training. Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

16-18 Sedgefield at the Park “Spectacular” H/J Show. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

15-18 Harmon Classics Derby Mania. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

16-18    Tryon Dressage Summer 1 & 2 USEF/USDF/CPEDI/NAT. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

17 Dressage T-o-C. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com, fullgallopfarm.com

17 SCDCTA @ Dancing Horses Equestrian Center. 149 Moseley rd, Williston. Jocelyn Thomas, 207.210.7900, dancinghorses@ rocketmail.com

18 Recognized Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo. com, fullgallopfarm.com

18 New Bridge Polo Club USPA Regional President’s Cup 8 Goal Final. New Bridge Polo Club. 862 New Bridge Rd, Aiken. 803.644.7706, hbryan2485@aol.com, newbridgepolo.com

17-18 USEF/USDF Summer Solstice Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

22 Sunset Jumpers #1. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com

23 PBR Iron Peddlers Chuteout Rodeo. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

23-25 USEF/USEA Mid-Summer Horse Trials & Area 3 Championships. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

23-25 Summer Celebration. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road,  Aiken. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

23-25 Tryon Summer 2. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

24 Dressage, CT, & HTS @ Dancing Horses Equestrian Center. 149 Moseley rd, Williston. Jocelyn Thomas, 207.210.7900, dancinghorses@rocketmail.com

24 Schooling Show Summer Solstice Classic. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com

25-26 USEF/USDF Dressage Show at Chatt Hills. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, chatthillseventing.com

27 Tuesday Night Schooling. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

28-2 Tryon Summer 3. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

28-2 NCHJA Annual Horse Show. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

29-2 USEF/USHJA A-Rated Hunter/Jumper Summer Classic II. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

July 2023

1-2 Recognized Horse Trials  at Chatt Hills. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, chatthillseventing.com

4-9 Tryon Summer 4/TR&HC Charity II and Pony Spectacular. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

5-9 USEF/USHJA $50,000 National A Rated Hunters and Level 4 Rated Jumpers Mid Summer Classic. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

7 Eventing Academy XC Day. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

8 Eventing Academy Schooling Day. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

8-9 Recognized Horse Trials  at Chatt Hills. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, chatthillseventing.com

8-9 WHES Horse Trials, CT, D. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

8-9 Dressage in the Spring. USEF/USDF Dressage Show. Aiken Horse Park Foundation, 931 Powderhouse Rd, Aiken. 803.830.7077. kate@aikenhorsepark.org, aikenhorsepark.org

9 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm. com, stableviewfarm.com

11 Tuesday Night Schooling. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

11-16 Tryon Summer 5. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

14-16 Highfields July Horse Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road,  Aiken. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

14-16 Sedgefield at the Park Mid-Summer H/J. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

15 Dressage Only at FENCE. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

15-16 USDF/USEF Only In America Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm. com, stableviewfarm.com

15-16 USEF/USDF Rise n’ Shine by Viewpoint Dressage. Pinehurst Harness Track. Pinehurst, NC. Carolinadressage.com

16 Schooling Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo. com, fullgallopfarm.com

18-23 Tryon Summer 6. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

22 Combined Test and Show Jumping. The Vista. 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken. 803.262.5263 vistaschooling@gmail.com, schoolthevista.com

22-23 Hunter/Jumper Show Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com

22-23 Dressage at FENCE. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center, Tryon, NC. Sporting Services. Carolinadressage.com

25 Tuesday Night Schooling. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

25-30 Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show I. Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve, Blowing Rock, NC. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com

27 Schooling Sunset Jumpers #2. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm. com

29 Schooling Show - Freedom Classic. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm. com

29-30 USEF/USDF GHF/Massey Ferguson Dressage Show. Georgia Horse Park. 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway. Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com

29-30 Camden Summer Classic Hunter Jumper. Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

August 2023

2-6 Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show II. Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve, Blowing Rock, NC. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com

3-6 USEF/USHJA $50,000 A-Rated Hunter/Jumper Summer Classic III. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

4-6 Back to School Horse Show PSJ C-Series. Highfields, 147 Warehouse Road,  Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com

5 Schooling Show D & CT at Chatt Hills. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, chatthillseventing.com

5-6 USEF/USDF Early Morning Blues by Viewpoint Dressage. Pinehurst Harness Track. Pinehurst, NC. Carolinadressage.com

6 Schooling Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo. com, fullgallopfarm.com

8 Tuesday Night Schooling. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

11 Eventing Academy XC Day. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

11-13 Dressage Show Made in the Shade I-III. Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

11-13 Tryon Summer Finale 1. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

12 Eventing Academy Schooling Day. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

12-13 WHES Horse Trials, CT, D. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

12-13 Tryon Summer Dressage 3 & 4 USEF/USDF. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

13 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials. Stable View, LLC

117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm. com, stableviewfarm.com

16-17 USEF/USDF Too Hot To Trot Dressage I. Stable View, LLC

117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm. com, stableviewfarm.com

17-27 Aiken Summerfest I&II. Aiken Horse Park Foundation, 931 Powderhouse Rd, Aiken. 803.830.7077. kate@aikenhorsepark. org, aikenhorsepark.org

18-20 USEF/USDF Too Hot To Trot Dressage II. Eventing Academy XC Day. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

18-20 Sedgefield at the Park Late Summer H/J. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

19 Dressage T-o-C. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com, fullgallopfarm.com

19 Highfields Just for Fun Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road,  Aiken. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

20 Recognized Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo. com, fullgallopfarm.com

22 Tuesday Night Schooling. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

25-27 Mullet Hall Classic II. Mullet Hall, John’s Island, SC. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

31-3 South Carolina Quarter Horse Association. Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

September 2023

1-3 Greensboro Classic National “A” Show. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

1-3 Recognized Horse Trials  at Chatt Hills. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, chatthillseventing.com

2 Dressage & CT at FENCE. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@gmail.com, fence.org

3 XC Schooling at FENCE. Foothills Equestrian Nature Center. 3381 Hunting Country Rd, Tryon. 828.859.9021.  frcshows@ gmail.com, fence.org

2-3 USEF/USDF Cool Down Dressage by Viewpoint Dressage. Pinehurst Harness Track. Pinehurst, NC. Carolinadressage.com

6-17 Aiken Fall Festival I&II. Aiken Horse Park Foundation, 931 Powderhouse Rd, Aiken. 803.830.7077. kate@aikenhorsepark. org, aikenhorsepark.org

9 Schooling Show D & CT at Chatt Hills. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, chatthillseventing.com

9-10 Palmetto Paint Horse Club. SCEP, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

9-10 USEF/USDF Fall Dressage Series I & II. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com

9-10 Five Points Horse Trials. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075, info@carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

10 Schooling Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd,  Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo. com, fullgallopfarm.com

13 Schooling Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

13 FEH/YEH/NEH Qualifier. The Vista. 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken. 803.262.5263 vistaschooling@gmail.com, schoolthevista.com

14 USDF/USEF Fall Frenzy Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

14-25 Wagener 4 Goal. Wagener Polo Club. 5720 Wagener Rd, Wagener. 803.566.8610, bkrpolo@aol.com, wagenerpolo.com

16 Highfields Just for Fun Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road,  Aiken. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

16 Fall Classic. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com

15-17 Tryon Fall Dressage 1 & 2 USEF/USDF. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

16-17 USEF/USDF Harvest Moon Dressage. NCDCTA. Sporting Services, Raeford, NC. Carolinadressage.com

17 R adway Eventing Pony Club Show. 4627 Whiskey Road, Aiken. radwayeventing.com

21-24 USEF/USHJA $50,000 A-Rated Hunter/Jumper Fall Classic. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

22-24 Aiken Fall Festival. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road,  Aiken. 803.649.3505,  psjshows.com

22-24 Sedgefield at the Park Derby Classic. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075,info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

22-24 Tryon Fall 1. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@ tryon.com, tryon.com

23 Derby Cross and Show Jumping. The Vista. 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken. 803.262.5263 vistaschooling@gmail.com, schoolthevista.com

23-24 South Carolina Equestrian Special Olympics. Aiken Horse Park Foundation, 931 Powderhouse Rd, Aiken. 803.830.7077. kate@aikenhorsepark.org, aikenhorsepark.org

23-24 SCISA Western Team Competition and YEDA Team Competition. Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

25 Wagner Polo Final. Wagener Polo Club. 5720 Wagener Rd, Wagener. 803.566.8610, bkrpolo@aol.com, wagenerpolo.com

27-1 Tryon Fall 2. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@ tryon.com, tryon.com

27-29 Tryon Fall Dressage 3 USEF/USDF. TIEC. Mill Spring, NC. 828.863.1011, sarpke@tryon.com, tryon.com

28-9 USPA Constitutional Cup 6 Goal. Wagener Polo Club. 5720 Wagener Rd, Wagener. 803.566.8610, bkrpolo@aol.com, wagenerpolo.com

29-1 Oktoberfest $60,000 FEI CCI-S 1/2/3/4* Horse Trials. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive,  Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@ stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

29-1 Timberland Classic CDE & CT. Carolina Horse Park. 2814 Montrose rd, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2075,info@ carolinahorsepark.com, carolinahorsepark.com

30-1 Palmetto Paint Horse Club. SCEP, 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com

Top 5 benefits of MagnaWave PEMF (Pulsed Electro Magnetic Field Therapy)

Help

Helps

Pacheco HHP, CSM goldwowieequine@gmail.com https://goldwowie.com/magnawave-pemf/

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.

Extra large stalls available with daily turnout. Convenient south side location. Chime Ridge Stables 803-508-3760

FARM

SERVICES

Southern Ridge Excavation. Drainage, grading, small clearing, pad prep, utility ditching, pond mowing. Third generation family operated; Licensed & insured. Call Alex Koegel. 803-522-5752. southernridgex@gmail.com.

G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 54 years. Specializing in hauling, grading, clearing, property

For Rent

Beautiful 4-5 stall horse barn with glorious attached apartment and all horsey accoutrements. In the middle of 5,000 riding acres in Columbia County, New York. 201-410-6028

Classifieds

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

HAY

Hoss Luva Hay. Exceptional quality local Coastal Bermuda Hay, Alfalfa mix and Canadian Timothy. Competitively priced. Will deliver state-wide. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Jim McClain: 803.247.4803

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 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.

HORSES & PETS

Competitive Third Level Dutch Warmblood for sale. 9 years old, amateur friendly, quiet in the show ring and on trails. Push-button ride. www.haffeydressage.com for video. Text: 607-743-1309. Two former polo mares looking to step down to easier career. Both sound and have plenty of life even though in upper teens. Nice on trails, easy w-t-c, but not dead heads or for total beginners. Not spooky, good alone or with other horses. 803-295-8687

Trinity Farms Terriers: Irish Russell Terriers. Old World, Healthy 100 year old. Bloodlines w/ proven calmer dispositions. Health & dispositions guaranteed. Preservation breeders for 48 years. trinityfarmskennel.com; easyjacks. com. Donna Fitzpatrick 803-6483137.

RENTALS/HOME SHARES

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. 803-6482804.

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 Office Space To Rent. High Speed Fiber WiFi. 5 min walk to downtown. 2-3 offices available with shared meeting room and coffee station. All inclusive $500600/m for individual offices or rent entire space. Gary: 707-9759761. UrbanandRuralRoost.com

Directory of Services

BOARDING/TURNOUT/TRAINING/SALES

Chime Ridge Stables. Stalls available. 803-508-3760

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

Southern Ridge Excavation. Drainage, grading, small clearing, pad prep, utility ditching, pond mowing. Third generation family operated; Licensed & insured. Call Alex Koegel. 803-522-5752. southernridgex@gmail.com.

FINANCE/MORTGAGE

Tessa Thompson: Loan officer for New American Funding, local to the CSRA. I am licensed in GA, FL, SC, TN, and AL. I love to help others achieve homeownership and I answer any questions throughout the process. My direct number is 678.665.7916 and my email is Tessa.thompson@nafinc.com. Call me today to get preapproved!

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

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.

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 803.640-4207. 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

PHOTOGRAPHY

Allison Wilkins Photography, 843-327-7667, allisonwilkins.photo@ gmail.com. Specializes in Event Photography. Equine Events, Branding, and More. Package pricing tailored to meet your specific needs!

REAL ESTATE/ RENTALS

Aiken Fine Homes and Land. Specializing in selling or renting homes, farms, land & barns for short or long term leases. 29 years experience in helping people find the property of their dreams, even if it takes building it! Call Barbara Lawrence, 803-439-0778 for honest & realistic answers to your real estate questions.

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. 803-2154734.

TACK & TACK CLEANING/REPAIR

The Saddle Doctor. Saddlery and harness repair. 544 Two Notch Rd. HollyMacSpencer@aol.com. 803.642.5166.

Advertising in The Aiken Horse

CLASSIFIED ADS are $30 for the first 30 words & 40 cents for every word thereafter. Add $5 for blind classified.

PHOTO CLASSIFIEDS for horses: $40; Limit 30 words & one picture

PHOTO CLASSIFIEDS for real estate, etc. $50; Limit 60 words & one picture.

BOXED CLASSIFIEDS: add $5 to your total

DIRECTORY LISTING ADS: $30 per issue or $100 for the year (6 issues.)

BUSINESS CARDS: $75 per issue or $300 for the year (6 issues.)

DISPLAY ADS are available in a range of sizes. For a detailed rate sheet and publication schedule, visit our website: TheAikenHorse.com

MAILING ADDRESS: The Aiken Horse, P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 EMAIL: theAikenHorse@gmail.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 August-September issue! Deadline July 21, 2023

Subscribe: $36 per year. Check out on our website or send your check to Subscriptions, 705 Flowing Well Road. Wagener, SC 29164

Winter

Estate “Live Oak”

Situated on just under 3 acres on Aiken's famed Easy Street, this completely renovated property was expanded and restored in 2003. Originally 3 separate buildings, the center is believed to be a 1840s home. Around 1910, the structures were combined including new construction of the living room which joins them today. The pool and pool house. were built in the 1920s and restored in 2000. The live oak in the rear of the house is approximately 300 years old and gives the house its name. The final addition to the estate was the current 2-car garage and apartment. The main house features 4 large bedrooms with sitting rooms, baths and closets. Custom kitchen with laundry room and pantry flow into a breakfast room. Large dining room opens to expansive living room with intricate mill work. There are 2 sitting rooms off the main living room, a game room, office, wet bar and half bath. There are extensive decks and patios throughout the property overlooking the gardens. The estate includes magnificent gardens, 2-car garage with gardener's bath & apartment, grand pool house, 9 stall barn with 3 paddocks and room for apartment above. Adjacent to the barn is a 3 car garage with a 2 bedroom apartment above. This property is truly a one of a kind and is just steps from Hitchcock Woods.

Three Runs Plantation

TOM MURRAY 626.644.3008 | $1,400,000

An architectural original in Three Runs Plantation! This house was created in the Carpenter Gothic Style. Custom built with the most unique architectural artifacts, this home is like living in an actual work of art. There are windows from a 1930's bank, antique glass, historic doors and knobs, ironwork, etc. The 2-stall barn has an 1100 square foot apartment above, featuring a more relaxed yet sophisticated style, often rented on Airbnb. The home is set around a tranquil courtyard and is surrounded by verdant landscaping and immaculately kept pastures. It is located near the main dressage and jumping arenas at Three Runs and minutes from 30 miles of groomed trails. This is truly one of a kind for the sophisticated buyer who appreciates architecture, design and the equestrian lifestyle.

Bridle Creek Hunt Box

Bridle Creek

JACK ROTH 803.341.8787 | $22,500 per acre

From the developer of Three Runs Plantation, Bridle Creek meanders across 600 wooded acres of Aiken’s horse country, featuring equestrian homesites of 5 acres or more. Community amenities include dressage and jump arenas, cross-country schooling, and NEW activity center with fitness equipment and kitchen. Developer financing available!

Mile Bridge Tract

MIKE HOSANG 803 270 6358 | $7,000 per acre

JACK ROTH 803.341.8787 | $879,000

LIKE NEW Hunt Box on 5.4 acres with 1,932 heated/cooled square feet. Main home has 2 bedrooms and 2 baths with 1 bedroom/1 bath apartment. Features include 2 on-demand water heaters, high ceilings, screened porch, marble counter tops, gas logs in fireplace, custom kitchen with gas stove. Horse amenities include 3 stalls (12x12 size), automatic fly spray system, heated/cooled tack room, separate hay shed, private riding ring with silica footing, 2 run-in sheds, all 5.4 acres completely fenced. Amenities include miles of trails, dressage ring with mirrors, jumping ring, cross country course, club house/fitness center and picturesque surroundings.

Solstice Meadow

RANDY WOLCOTT 803.507.1142 | $85,000 EACH

Lovely residential building lots available in this quiet little equestrian neighborhood just south of town. Enjoy miles of riding and walking trails, including the 62-acre Freeman preserve. ONLY FOUR LOTS AVAILABLE, ranging from 5 acres to 5.42 acres, offered at $85,000 each lot.

The Paddocks

MIKE HOSANG 803 270 6358 | $245,000

Expansive 362-acre tract available in Johnston area on the border of Aiken and Edgefield counties. Endless possibilities for this lovely land, with part of the acreage cleared, part wooded, and several gorgeous homesites. Approximately 137 acres cleared, and about 225 acres wooded with a mix of hardwoods and pines. Possible uses include hunting, horses, recreational, timber, farm, or residential development. Seller will consider subdividing.

LAND

East Side Horse Country

MIKE HOSANG 803.270.6358 | $900,000

Conveniently located in the heart of the eastside equestrian corridor, this multi-use 80+ acre parcel offers an opportunity to create a lifestyle of your dreams. Equestrians, farmers, hunters, and developers — consider the possibilities!

Build your horse property in a desirable equestrian development with convenient south side location. Owners enjoy community riding trails and training arena. Lot 9A has 12.58 acres ready for your horse farm!

Ulmer Heritage Lots

JANE PAGE THOMPSON 803.215.8232

Multiple parcels offered in Williston – Barnwell County at Highway 39 and Shad Road, Ash Lane, Oyster Trail, and Bluebonnett Valley. Paved county roads and private dirt roads provide access to beautiful land with a multitude of uses! Lots range from 0.59 acres to as much as 22.91 acres. BRING ALL OFFERS!

Pricing starts at $13,500

Equestrian Corridor

MIKE HOSANG 803 270 6358 | $616,220

A rare opportunity in the heart of Aiken’s east side equestrian corridor offering approximately 29 acres of fully established lush pasture, plus over 3 wooded acres for a wonderful home and barn site with a breathtaking lake view. NEW gated entrance

Storm Branch Acreage

COURTNEY CONGER 803.645.3308 $420,000

Great opportunity to own nearly 42 wooded acres located off Storm Branch Road, convenient to both Aiken and Augusta. This property is close into town but has wonderful privacy, with horse farms and waterfront residential properties nearby.

Established Pasture

RANDY WOLCOTT 803.507.1142

ONLY $18,500 per acre

Lovely 12-acre parcel on Moore Road in east side horse country! Also offered as two 6-acre lots. Cleared with established grass waiting for your improvements.