Suzy is an Accredited Land Consultant and has consistently been one of the top producing land and farm agents since 2003 in the Aiken Market. A leading sales agent multiple times, she is most proud of winning Best Customer Service agent for Aiken’s Meybohm office the past 2 out of 3 years. Kathryn is licensed in both SC and GA and has achieved Presidents Club status in the company. Together they will ensure you find the perfect property in Aiken!
LIVE OAK DRIVE $299,000
This 34 A parcel has a recent survey and is near Windsor. The land has mature hardwoods and longleaf pines with riding trails throughout the property. There is a 30’ ingress/egress easement off Live Oak Drive. Some areas have been cleared and an older mobile home removed but the well and septic remain and convey as-is. Good opportunity to set up your own horse farm or use it as a recreational tract. No deed restrictions.
2 bedroom/3 bath home on 10 A of coastal mix pasture w/4 board fenced field with 36x15 run in. The main level primary has a bath w/soaking tub, shower & walk-in closet. Second bedroom has a seating area w/fabulous view, walk-in closet, & full bath with additional 1700 ft.² unfinished space. Kitchen has a center Island, brick backsplash, double ovens, gas cooktop, & pantry. Off the dining area is a 500 ft.² screened porch with tongue & groove wood ceiling. Attached barn area has the ability for 4 stalls plus 560 ft.² of storage. Additional 12 A shed field available.
LOT 62 MEADOW CREEK $53,900
Lot in equestrian development with recent perc test and extensive trail system across from an event training farm. Watch beautiful sunsets from this level lot with pines and some hardwoods. The property lines are clearly marked. Shared community trails and dirt roads for hacking. This lot is beautiful with a low $360 HOA annual fee.
3 bedrooms/2.5 baths brick and cedar shake home on Two Notch Rd. close to Bruce’s Field & Horse District clay roads. Renovated kitchen w/stainless steel appliances and granite countertops. Floors are mostly hardwood, and the living room has a gas fireplace and built ins. Large mudroom/laundry includes washer/dryer, half bath and accesses the backyard.
Two BR/2 BA house has a 2020 addition of a gourmet kitchen, walk in pantry, great room with 16’ cathedral ceiling and formal dining room, & primary bedroom with vaulted ceiling, ensuite Marble bath w/custom tile shower and Jacuzzi, & walk-in closet. The lighted gunite 15X20 salt water pool has a patio, waterfall, landscaping and sunset views. Lovely 4-stall center aisle barn, climate-controlled tack room, feed room, storage area, fly spray system, outdoor wash stall, 3 run in sheds, 3 irrigated paddocks, & Hoover equipment shed. The main riding trail runs alongside the perimeter fenced property.
Robwood
- 99+ Acres for the Sporting Life 1792 Appleton Road in Allendale, SC
Robwood, circa 1837, a treasured local landmark, known for its architecture and rich legacy; offers an exceptionally restored & livable historic home on 99.14 acres equipped with stables, arenas & pasture for equestrian, sporting and or agricultural pursuits. Robwood is one of the few remaining antebellum structures in Allendale County, South Carolina and is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. Driving into Robwood, the low country ambiance of majestic oaks with Spanish moss and mature cedars sets the stage for this captivating historic home sited beyond them. A full renovation in 2019 retained much of the original floor plan and character while repurposing rooms and adding modern amenities for easy everyday living & entertaining. If you are looking for a homestead, a legacy property, a working ranch or equine training facility, we invite you to experience the low country ambiance and enduring charm of Robwood!
5 BR & 4.5 Bath Historic Home | 99.14 Acres | 20 Stall Center Aisle Barn | Covered Arena 10 Stall Shed Row Barn | 2 Round Pens | Paddocks & Pastures Historic Barn Renovated for multiple purposes - Office/Gym/Game Room/Workshop Offered for $2,490,000
Riding Ridge Court
Inviting home sits pretty on 6 acres, ready to welcome you and your horses! The home offers one level living with a wonderful open / split bedroom floor plan and gorgeous finishes. The screened porch with fireplace is a perfect place to unwind. For your horses and pets, you will appreciate the new 3-board fencing with noclimb wire that defines the property perimeter & 4 paddocks with custom-built run-ins. Convenient to I-20, 12 minutes to downtown Aiken, Hitchcock Woods and an easy haul to nearby Stableview!
3 BR + 2.5 Bath Home | 2215 SF | 6.03 Acres 4 Paddocks w/Runin Sheds | Perimeter Fence Offered For $785,000
119 Lam Lane - Tod’s Hill West Haven Farm
12+ Ac. Cross Country Lane Spring Meadows
Farm as a seasonally or full-time residence. 8.77 Acres | 3-Stall Barn | 3 Paddocks
2 BRs + 2.5 Baths | 1440 SF | 16 Ft Ceilings Offered for $890,000
opportunity to design your private retreat or small farm! Discover Spring Meadows, a picturesque community in the agricultural town of Trenton, equidistant to the downtowns of Aiken and Edgefield, South Carolina. Its serene surroundings offer a unique blend of comfort and convenience for every day living and for the equestrian. Residents of Spring Meadows enjoy a paved road, underground electric, access to fiberoptic internet via Carolina Connect and the amenities of a lush 13-acre field with cross country jumps + equestrian trail
12+ Acres | Cross Country Field | Trail System Offered for $139,000
Cissie Sullivan Tracey Turner
Photography by Pam Gleason
Photography by Gary Knoll
Aiken Horse
Welcometo the October-November edition of The Aiken Horse. I want to start off by apologizing because this issue is coming out over week late. We do have an excuse. The last week and weekend of September were supposed to be when we made a big push to get all our ads in, articles polished up and photoshoots completed. We certainly never expected Hurricane Helene to hit us the way it did, knocking out our power for nine days, disrupting the equestrian schedule and making it impossible for us to work on anything. It wasn’t just that the we had no electricity. We also had trees to pull off houses and fences, downed power poles in our pastures, and the daily struggle of driving to the fire station to get water for the horses.
We were hit hard in Aiken – you just have to drive down Whiskey Road where trees and utility poles are still scattered to see that – but our troubles are nothing compared to those of our neighbors in North Carolina. Horse people in the mountains lost their homes, their farms and their horses to flood waters. Fortunately, governmental agencies and horse people from around the Carolinas and the country stepped up to help – we have an article about some of those efforts in our first section. Our hearts go out to all those who lost so much so quickly.
For many of us in Aiken, the storm drove home how dependent we are on technology. Without electricity our wells and refrigerators didn’t work. We could charge our phones in the car, but with cell towers down it was hard to communicate. The Internet didn’t work, making
it difficult to comprehend the devastation that the storm wrought in our area. Without the news, without (gasp) social media, we were lost. The storm was a reminder not to take the conveniences of modern life for granted. The meteorologists tell us that these kinds of severe weather events are likely to become more common in the coming years, so it makes sense to be prepared for more of this. I know that we will be making sure that our new generator (purchased after spending the night in a parking lot outside a store so as not to miss out) is carefully stored and maintained for the next emergency, and we will not be without a few gallons of drinking water in our pantry next time. As ever, this issue includes our annual hunt directory, with information and important dates for all the local hunts. You will find that in Section Two. Section Two also includes an article about Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds, the live hunt that Thomas Hitchcock started in Aiken in the 1890s. Those of us who have committed Harry Worcester Smith’s book Life and Sport in Aiken to memory (there must be a few others) will remember a brief mention of this hunt, which was “gradually given up” early in the 20th century. Although I have been writing about Aiken equestrian history for over two decades, it never occurred to me to look into this further. But last winter, I came across a fascinating book, digitized and freely available on the Library of Congress website. The Hunts of the United States and Canada and their Masters, written by A. Henry Higginson and published in 1908, includes a portrait of Mr. Hitchcock and an in depth interview with him about the relative merits of English versus American foxhounds, and why Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds used the latter in Aiken. This piqued my interest, and the results of my deeper dive can be found in my article. Some of what I found contradicts conventional wisdom, and I expect a few people will not be happy about that. However, I found it fascinating, and would be happy to share my sources with anyone who is interested. We hope you enjoy this issue. As ever, if you know something we should know, or you have an idea for an article, drop us an email. We want to be your horse newspaper.
Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher
News & Notes
By Pam Gleason, Amber Heintzberger
Hurricane in Aiken
The biggest news in the Aiken horse world this fall is still Hurricane Helene. The weather forecasters predicted several days in advance that the storm would hit our area, but few people took that seriously. Aiken is inland and we don’t get actual hurricanes: stiff breezes, sure; rain in the outer bands of storms, absolutely. But catastrophic gales and actual tornadoes? That doesn’t happen here.
This time it did. Helene made landfall in the Florida panhandle as a category 4 hurricane and then moved north, passing just west of Aiken on its way to North Carolina and Tennessee. The path of destruction was 500 miles wide and some predictions are that the total cost of damage may be as much as $200 billion, making it the most expensive storm in American history. At least 228 people were killed, including 12 in Aiken County, the highest death toll in the state.
On Thursday, September 26, heavy rains inundated the area in advance of the actual storm, which roared in overnight, bringing sustained winds of 70 mph and gusts as high as 90 mph. Several tornadoes touched down in South Carolina – none were confirmed in Aiken County. But with the ground saturated, we did not need a tornado to topple trees, and they came down everywhere, crushing cars and houses, blocking roads, smashing power poles, and shutting off power to more that 90% of Aiken County as well as to most people in the path of the storm. Night-time satellite images of the Eastern U.S. taken after Helene showed a distinct dark swath with no lights, the storm’s lasting fingerprint.
The city of Aiken and areas to the west bore the brunt of the damage in the county, with so many trees down in the Hitchcock Woods that the park had to be closed “indefinitely” while professional crews cleared trails and made it safe for visitors again. (It is expected to be open again by Thanksgiving for the annual Blessing of the Hounds at Memorial Gate.) The iconic live oaks on South Boundary avenue were practically unscathed, but many other homes and businesses bore heavy impacts.
The loss of electricity was probably Helene’s most significant impact for most horse people. It wasn’t just that the power lines were down: the substations that supplied power to them were also knocked out. This meant that before any electricity could be restored, those stations had to be repaired. Crews of linemen arrived from across the country to start rebuilding the entire system, and much of Aiken County was without power for at least a week. Roads were impassable for days, and there was a 7:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. curfew for the entire first weekend.
Horse people out in the county with wells were in immediate need of water. Some local sources became extremely popular, including Cedar Creek Natural Spring, an artesian well on Route 302 and Flowing Well Road east of town, where people were lined up to fill their jugs and
buckets by early Friday morning. Local fire stations allowed horsemen to come and get as much water as they wanted from their deep wells, and some firefighters even drove around with their trucks to fill up tanks on farms. Shipments of generators came into Aiken’s local and big box stores every few days, and were sold out within hours. Those who had generators soon discovered another problem: a shortage of gas. In fact, for the first five or six days after the storm, stations that had gas also had lines four or five hours long. Stores were sold out of bottled water almost immediately.
Within 10 days, however, pretty much everyone had power again, and life slowly started returning to normal. Horse people demonstrated their resilience as well their community spirit, not just figuring out how to navigate new challenges but immediately looking out for their neighbors and asking how they could help. Those who just lost a few trees and were out of power for a week were lucky, and they knew it.
Hurricane Fundraisers, Aiken Horse Park
Tara Bostwick, who is the CEO of the Aiken Horse Park, said that they had planned to hold a concert at the park, the Southern Strings Music Festival, on October 4-5. This was intended to be a fundraiser for the Kizner Foundation which supports the well-being of children by funding literacy, mental health and sports programs. But the concert had to be canceled due to damage from the hurricane. At the last minute, however, one of the performers, Jo Jo Herman from Widespread Panic, offered to come to Aiken and perform at no charge as a benefit for people suffering from Helene’s aftereffects. The performance was at Electric Eats in the Alley downtown and was held as a free “Hurricane Helene Relief Concert.”
The Kizner Foundation quickly set up a disaster relief fund and asked for monetary donations through its website as well as donations of nonperishable food. The event raised $7,500.
“After that we continued to raise funds,” said Tara. The Aiken Horse Park partnered with the Kizner Foundation in order to raise money to support people in the Aiken area whose lives were profoundly affected by the disaster – people in North Augusta, Crossland Park and elsewhere who might have been uninsured or underinsured and whose lives have been upended. Money will be disbursed by the Community Foundation of the CSRA, which has the infrastructure to distribute grants to people in need.
“The horse park did a $10,000 matching fundraiser and so far we’ve raised $50,000 for disaster relief,” continued Tara. She says that the two October Hunter/Jumper shows at the horse park will be hurricane fundraisers, too. “We’ve always done some fun efforts to raise money,” she said. “One of them is a homecoming, where you pay to nominate someone as the homecoming king or queen, and then people pay $5 per vote. We hope that people will also round up when they pay their bill for the show, so that we can contribute that money to the fund as well.”
Tara says she feels fortunate that Bruce’s Field had mainly cosmetic damage, with trees down, but no structural damage to the barns and infrastructure. But, she said, “In the 43 years I’ve lived here this is the most damage I’ve ever seen. I got power back after about 10 days, and I was lucky. We look around downtown and see trees down, but there
are pockets around town where people’s houses were crushed, their cars were crushed – and a lot of people can’t afford to rebuild. It’s also sad that grand old homes are damaged, but a lot of people are really quite desperate, and that’s where we’re hoping to target these dollars. This fund is strictly for the Aiken area; I think as a member of this community, it’s been heartwarming for all of us in our community to see the people who have stepped up to support equestrians in need, here and in Western North Carolina. There’s never enough support, but I think our fund needs to stay focused on our community.”
Driving in November
November has been the month for exciting driving competition in Aiken for over two decades. It started with the Katydid Combined Driving Event at Katydid Farm in Windsor back in 2003, which brought the driving world to Aiken every autumn until 2019 (with a one year hiatus in 2013 while many of Aiken’s upper level competitors were in France for the FEI Driving World Championships for Combined Ponies.) After Katydid Farm was sold, the Katydid competition was moved to Tryon International in Mill Spring, North Carolina with a date in the spring. This gives Tryon two combined driving events, one in the spring and one in the fall, both run by Jennifer Matheson, who created and ran the original Katydid.
When the Katydid CDE moved to North Carolina, the Windsor Trace CDE , which had already been in operation for a few years, took over the dates. This kept a marquee driving competition on the fall calendar in Windsor and continued to provide the “carriage curious” a place to watch equestrian athletes compete in driven dressage, marathon on a cross country course with driving obstacles (hazards) and finally a cones course – yes, a combined driving event is modeled after three-day eventing.
This year’s 10th annual Windsor Trace CDE and Combined Test will be held October 31 through November 3 at 1060 Curb Chain Lane in Windsor. Thursday will be devoted to a combined test (dressage and cones) while Friday, Saturday and Sunday will be dressage, marathon and cones, respectively, for the CDE. As ever, the event will run through several different farms. Any part of the competition is interesting to watch, but the most exciting part is marathon on Saturday, in which horses and carriages navigate obstacles at speed, often whipping around corners on two wheels. Visit windsortracecde.com and follow on Facebook for more information.
And that’s not all. The following weekend, November 8-10, Stable View will hold its very first driving competition, a short-format CDE and combined test. This event is being put on by Jennifer Matheson who describes it as a sort of a “soft opening” for driving at Stable View. The competition includes USEF Beginner through Advanced divisions. Dressage will take place in the large arena between the covered arena and the pavilion – normally this arena has two dressage courts sideby-side, but driven dressage will take up all the space since it requires a much larger area (40 by 80 meters, as opposed to 20 by 60 meters for a
standard and 20 by 40 meters for short arena for ridden dressage.) The marathon will be on the cross country course and will take advantage of features that are already there, as well as portable elements for obstacles. The combined test will be on Friday, with dressage and cones for the CDE on Saturday, and Sunday reserved for the marathon.
Jennifer says she is excited about the Stable View CDE, which she hopes will become an important fixture on the fall calendar. People coming from out of town to compete at Windsor Trace are being invited to stay at Stable View between the two events with discounted stabling, which, it is hoped, will create some synergy between them and reinforce Aiken’s image as a driving destination. As ever, spectators are invited to come out, and this CDE should be quite spectator friendly, since much of it will be visible from the Stable View pavilion. Visit Stableviewfarm.com for more information.
Christmas Parade
After some back and forth between city officials and the organizers, Aiken’s equestrian Christmas parade is back on. The annual event will take place on Sunday, December 15 and will continue to benefit Equine Rescue of Aiken and the Albrecht SPCA Center for Animal Welfare.
The parade, which became a beloved tradition immediately after it started 14 years ago, attracts some 300 horses and riders along with dog walkers and various volunteer support staff – pooper scoopers dressed as elves, etc. Its growing size and popularity has caused some consternation in the Aiken Department of Public Safety, which expressed concerns about the traditional route and wanted to change it. For a few hectic days this summer, the parade was officially canceled, but now it is back on the schedule with some adjustments.
The most important change is that the Hoofbeats Parade committee, which started the tradition, is handing over the reins to Equine Rescue of Aiken and the SPCA, the original committee will help coordinate the parade this year. The exact timing of the event, as well as the route, are still being determined. Stay tuned for more information, and don’t worry. Horses, dogs and carolers will definitely be out in Aiken this December, and the parade will go on.
SCHJA Governor’s Cup Finals
Elle Boyd Jumps to the Top
By Pam Gleason
When Elle Boyd captured the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Challenge Trophy at Bruce’s Field this September, she was following a family tradition. Her mother and trainer, Liza Towell Boyd, won the cup too, back in 1992 when she was 13. Today, Liza is a highly accomplished hunter/jumper professional with too many accolades to count. The family is based in Camden, South Carolina at their Finally Farm, and Elle, along with her younger sister Adeline, has been conquering the show circuit since she was little more than a toddler. What has changed about the Governor’s Cup since the year Liza won it?
“Oh it has gotten much harder and more technical,” said Liza with a laugh. “And I was much more nervous watching Elle go than I ever was competing myself.”
The South Carolina Hunter Jumper Association Governor’s Cup is an equitation class for Junior riders shown over a 3-foot course, followed by additional testing on the flat and over fences, as determined by the judges. According to the SCHJA rulebook, all United States Equestrian Federation shows that receive SCHJA approval must offer the Governor’s Cup class. Riders earn points in these classes during the competition year, and the top 20 point-earners are invited back for the finals in the fall. There, they vie for the South Carolina Governor’s Cup Challenge Trophy, first awarded in 1979. That year, the finals were at Aiken’s Ramblewood Showgrounds.
This year, 70 riders earned points in Governor’s Cup classes, and the final included exhibitors from across the state. To start off, all the entrants negotiated a modified hunter course. Then, the top 12 finishers came back into the ring for a flat class. After that, the highest placed
four riders were called in to complete a more difficult, abbreviated jumping round that included a halt after a jump, a counter canter and a final halt and walk back to the group on a loose rein.
Although Elle rode beautifully throughout the class, in the final test she had a slight difficulty with her counter canter departure. This might have knocked her down a place or two, if it were not for the fact that she was the only one of the four finalists who had listened carefully to the judge’s instructions and followed them precisely: none of the other young women came to a halt at the end of the testing and walked back to the group on a long rein. This made Elle the clear winner.
After the class, Elle said she had fun, giving much of the credit to her horse, Illusion Imperio Egipco, an imported 16-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding with whom she has had a great deal of success in the equitation ring recently.
“He was so good,” she said. “He’s really experienced, and has done all of this before. I thought the course was nice. The bending lines rode really well; they all felt really smooth.”
The SCHJA Governor’s Cup Final is held at various different shows, at the discretion of the SCHJA Board of Directors. This year it was at the Equus Events Aiken Fall Festival as it has been for the past few years. Junior riders are already competing in Governor’s Cup qualifying classes for next year’s finals, hoping to put their name on the prestigious trophy. Past winners with Aiken connections include both Celia and Elizabeth Cram (2015 and 2016 respectively), whose parents, Rick and Cathy Cram, own and run the horse show company Progressive Showjumping and the hunter/jumper training facility, Highfields in Aiken.
2024 SCHJA Governor's Cup Finals
Photography by Pam Gleason
Hurricane Helene Hits Blue Ridge Mountains
The Horse Community Responds
By Amber Heintzberger
The mountains of Western North Carolina, far from the coast, have often been considered a safe haven from the effects of climate change. But on Thursday, September 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on the Gulf Coast of Florida and cut a swath north, flooding Atlanta, toppling trees and knocking out power around Augusta and Aiken. It continued north through South Carolina, into Greenville and the horse country of the upstate and then the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains near Tryon, North Carolina.
Once the storm blew into the western mountains, serious destruction began: streams and rivers swelled over their banks, flooding valleys, washing out roads, and causing mudslides that devastated and obliterated small towns and rural communities. The city of Asheville was hit particularly hard, as were surrounding areas – many of them mountainous places that are hard to access, especially when roads and bridges are washed out.
Horses In the Eye of the Storm
At the stables on the Biltmore Estate, located along the French Broad River in Asheville, Joan Burlingame was camping in her horse trailer when the storm hit. While the barn there was above the water line, the horse pastures were flooded and several horse trailers were submerged. She saw bumper pull trailers floating past, and after the storm, those same trailers were lodged in treetops where the water had carried them.
“Based on debris in the trees,” she said later, “The water was ten feet deep.”
Employees have since posted on the stables’ Facebook page that all equestrian trails are closed and events are canceled for the remainder of 2024. Although the Biltmore did lose some farm animals in the flood, no horses were injured.
Emily Wright, whose Tempus Renatus School of Classical Horsemanship in Black Mountain, North Carolina was located next to a small creek, described how the storm waters rose rapidly in her horse pastures, washing away the bridge that provided the only access to her 20-acre farm where she breeds Lipizzans and has Lusitanos and Kerry Bog ponies. Three of her horses were washed away in the flood waters; one was found alive, but another did not survive. The third is still missing. Wright and her 70-year-old mother cut fences to free the rest of her animals.
“It’s apocalyptic,” she said. “There are 60-foot chasms where roads used to be – some are covered in mud, and bridges are gone. We had a beautiful old railroad bridge and it’s just gone – looking downstream,
there’s no trace of it. Even the concrete embankment on one side is gone; it’s crazy how it just vanished in seconds. We live on Lower Flat Creek Road, which connects to the Broad River, and the bridge over the Broad River is gone. We’re trapped. We were putting in this beautiful new fence and all the materials are gone. All of the temporary fences are gone. No-climb fencing for goats and ponies is gone.”
With her pastures buried under a thick layer of mud and debris, Wright was desperate for feed for her horses. She had solar panels for power and a Starlink satellite for communication and was able to contact help as she tried to figure out how to evacuate more than 20 horses, including five breeding stallions, from her property. Until they were evacuated, feed was air-dropped for the horses, who were running around in two herds that the older stallions created when they divided up the mares. She had to wait several days, because all of the helicopters were in use to evacuate people in need of medical attention.
Horse Community Steps Up
With the effects of Helene reaching far across the Southeast, the equestrian community has come together to offer housing, stabling, shipping, and every kind of aid. The Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina is operating as a staging area for rescue operations including the National Guard and various search and rescue groups, as well as a donation and distribution center for both human and livestock needs. They have also provided a large space for the many displaced artists whose studios and shops were completely destroyed in the River Arts District of Asheville. While Tryon ran their series of hunter/jumper shows following the storm, they have canceled their fall three-day event due to flooding damage on the cross country course.
The Western North Carolina Livestock Center in Canton, North Carolina, west of Asheville, is the main hub for donations and supplies brought in and delivered to people with horses, cattle, and other animals in the mountains. (The Western Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher, NC is operating as a shelter for displaced people.) Because so many roads washed out, volunteers have been delivering donated feed by smaller vehicles, including ATVs, as well as by mule train and some people have had feed air-dropped to their farms. Independent organizations like the Cajun Navy and Mountain Mule Packers have made a tremendous difference: they have received donations and traversed difficult terrain to rescue people and animals and deliver supplies to remote and devastated areas.
Olympic event rider Doug Payne, who is a licensed pilot and North Carolina resident, volunteered with Operation AirDrop, making at least seven trips and spending almost six hours in the air to deliver around 6,000 pounds of supplies. “It’s hard to put into words how much help is coming and how much more is needed,” he wrote on his Facebook page. “Keep all in your thoughts, what you’ve seen on the news is just the tip of the iceberg.”
According to a brief from The White House, “Over $344 million in assistance has been provided to Hurricane Helene survivors…in North Carolina alone, FEMA has approved over $60 million in aid for more than 51,000 households. FEMA personnel and other Federal partners, including FEMA’s Surge Capacity Force, remain on the ground supporting impacted communities, with over 17.2 million meals and 13.9 million liters of water delivered and ensuring information is accessible…Over the course of the last two weeks, 1,000 Urban Search and Rescue personnel have assisted over 3,200 survivors.”
Aiken Sends Aid
With limited cell phone service, it took a few days after Hurricane Helene blew through the Aiken area for local equestrian Morgan Batton to learn about the devastation that the storm had caused in North Carolina. Batton is a professional event rider and she and her husband own The Vista Schooling and Event Center and the Hitch and Tow trailer dealership in Aiken.
“I have family near Boone, North Carolina, and I knew they were
At Tempus Renatus, floods washed away fences and horses: one died, another is still missing
trapped in their house, but I didn’t realize how bad it was,” she said. Fortunately, her own property in Aiken was safe in the storm. “One of our businesses, Good Girl Brewing, had 13 trees down and my husband Paul did a massive cleanup. We also had 13 horses to keep fed and cared for; fortunately, I have help on the farm.”
The Battons and their two young children, Lee and Luke, live about 15 minutes’ drive from their farm, but the morning after the storm hit, it took Morgan five hours to get to her horses. She had been intending to compete in the Oktoberfest horse trials at Stable View. “On Friday morning at about 4:45, I was traveling by car to my barn,” she said. “And I got stranded on Old Dibble Road. There was a tree down in front of me and then another tree fell behind me.” Batton ended up walking out to Banks Mill Road and helped clear branches off the road for several hours before she finally made it to her farm.
Up in the mountains, her grandparents had been stuck at their house and eventually made it to her parents’ house. “As I heard about what was happening it really pulled at my heart,” she said. “I announced on Facebook that I was going to buy a load of hay and drive it up to Canton; if anyone else would want to donate supplies I would be happy to drive them up there.”
The response was overwhelming.
“We ended up with two trailers that were packed full. Mine was full of hay, tarps, cat food, dog food, chicken food, diapers, baby formula, water, clothes and non-perishable food. Hannah Jungling [another Aiken eventer] joined my efforts, and people purchased horse feed and supplies at Aiken Saddlery and she drove up with a full truck too. It was a nice coordinated effort and we took a big load of stuff.”
That first trip happened on Friday, October 4. Along with their donations for storm survivors, they delivered meals for volunteers at the Canton distribution center: Pat’s Sub Shoppe in Aiken donated 50 sandwiches, which Batton said were greatly appreciated. “We had a couple extra energy drinks that I’d packed for the drive home, too, and they were so grateful to have them. It was day seven and they were looking tired.”
She said that they’ll continue to collect donations at the Hitch and Tow in Aiken and plan to drive up again soon. Donations can also be purchased at Aiken Saddlery and they will pick them up from there.
Additionally, she said, “I would recommend Samaritan’s Purse if anyone wants to donate to an organization. Their home base is Boone and they have five or six relief stations and helicopters. They’re used to helping in disasters, and this is in their own backyard.”
Getting Hay to the Horses of Western North Carolina
After the storm, Alexa Moran and her husband hosted Project Dynamo, a veteran-owned not-for-profit search and rescue operation, at their Dream Haven Farm in Columbus, North Carolina.
“They were connected to a mounted search-and-rescue organization in Florida, and they put some search and rescue efforts into Black Mountain and Chimney Rock,” she explained. “Those areas are close to me, and it’s hard to get supplies in. This organization is on the ground in areas where it’s impossible to land a helicopter due to rough terrain and
mudslides and other conditions.”
Moran and her husband relocated to North Carolina earlier this year from Sussex County, New Jersey, and she still has connections in that area to obtain good quality horse hay. They have also been collecting general supplies, and plan to provide a “community pantry” at their farm with feed, hay and other items since the storm will have long-term effects on the local area.
She explained that she and her husband are especially trying to get hay to people who don’t have the means to pick it up, or who lost everything that they had in the flood waters – including whole truckloads of hay.
“I know that large-scale distribution is also in progress, but from a personal viewpoint, I’m 25 weeks pregnant and have two toddler boys and if I was stuck in the mountains in that situation, I’d be happy to have people bring me supplies.”
A Lesson in Horsemanship
The Sandhills Pony Club of Southern Pines, North Carolina initially planned to raise $7,000-$9,000 to buy hay for horses in areas affected by the hurricane. Yvette Sparks, the District Commissioner, said that donations started pouring in and they have now sent more than 22,000 bales of good quality horse hay to Western North Carolina. Most recently, an anonymous donor contributed an entire semi-truckload of hay. The United States Pony Club has its nonprofit Disaster Fund, and donations over $250 will receive donor receipts.
Sparks has been working with a broker from Mid-Atlantic Hay and said, “We’re getting the best of hay from New York and Pennsylvania and it’s all under $10 a bale. A lot of it is just six or seven dollars, including transportation, because people want to give. Initially he had a nice discount of $9.50 a bale for alfalfa and orchard grass, and he said it would be easier to send round bales, but I explained that we need to get hay to people by ATV. Suddenly he understood the severity of the situation, and since then has worked to get even better deals to spread everyone’s financial donations the full length. After we first spoke, it took him 24 hours to get back to me…when he finally called back he said, ‘I’m sorry it’s been so long, we had to check with the hearts of men’.”
The Pony Club’s efforts expanded to include taking meals to the volunteers at distribution centers and helping to provide high calorie food for search-and-rescue dogs. A member reached out to a local foxhunt, and now area foxhunts are getting involved, as are churches. “It’s been a whirlwind,” said Sparks. “All my volunteers were at this for 20 hours a day last week. Sunday came and it was a blessing for me to be able to just pause and breathe because so many people are helping.”
Resources
• The North Carolina Department of Agriculture, in partnership with NC Extension, is offering assistance at the locations found here: https://www.ncagr.gov/livestockdisasterhelp
• The “community pantry” at Dream Haven Farm is located at 1487 Hayes Road, Columbus, NC. Contributions can be sent by Venmo to @alexas13
• You can donate to Sandhills Pony Club by Venmo at @Sandhills_ PonyClub. If you need hay, contact Sandhills Pony Club via Facebook Messenger.
• The FEMA helpline is 1-800-621-3362
• A gofundme has been set up for the Tempus Renatus School of Classical Horsemanship and more information can be found at https://tempusrenatus.org/
• Fleet of Angels: https://Fleetofangels.org
• Multiple businesses, organizations and individuals in Aiken are reaching out to help fellow horsemen in North and South and Carolina, including Hitch and Tow, Aiken Saddlery, Aiken County Farm Supply, The Aiken Horse Park, and many others.
Bruce Jungling, Madison McEvoy, Caroline Price, Morgan Batton, Hannah Jungling, Tempi Jungling, Sandra McDonald
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Secret Lives of Horses
Gil – From Russia With Love
By Mary Jane Howell
Lee Thornton’s magnificent Trakehner, Heliotrope, is 34, but except for the distinguished gray and white hairs that are beginning to cover his face, you would easily believe he was at least a decade younger. There is no sign of a swayed back, his coat is magnificent, and he exudes good health and contentment.
Heliotrope lives in Aiken now, but he is Russian by birth, and had his early training in that country. The 1990s were a time of upheaval in the former Soviet Union, with bureaucrats, factory directors and various criminal organizations using force to take over what had been stateowned assets. These new “capitalists” welcomed foreign funds, and oftentimes cash was funneled in, and well-bred show horses that had belonged to state stud farms were transported out, finding homes in other European countries. Heliotrope may have been one such horse.
“I was living outside of Boston and training with Ron Zohar [Shining Valley Farm in Medfield, Massachusetts] and was primarily a rider who loved Thoroughbreds,” explained Lee. “Ron had gone to Holland to look at some horses and while there also rode in a few clinics. Heliotrope had recently arrived in Holland and what Ron saw was this gorgeous young horse who would jump anything that was in front of him. Of course he brought him back to Massachusetts!”
Heliotrope’s name was officially Geliotrope on his Russian papers, but his barn name quickly became “Gil.” Since “Geliotrope” was difficult to pronounce correctly, the gelding’s show name simply reverted to the English spelling.
Lee felt an immediate bond with the energetic Trakehner, although she did not own him… yet.
“He was exuberant! He was quite unorthodox in his technique but ultimately not careful enough for the higher jumps,” recalled Lee. “He would sometimes knock rails down by kicking out behind. I loved him at first sight.”
When Gil was being loaded onto a trailer to be sold, Lee found Ron and said: “You’re not selling that horse, I’ll buy him.”
Lee admits she had no plan, but she had felt such a bond with the gelding that she just couldn’t just watch him leave. She had never even sat on his back, so Ron asked if she would perhaps like to ride Gil before making that decision.
“Of course I said I would be thrilled to ride him, but I was buying him regardless,” she laughed.
Gil was 9 when Lee purchased him, and she readily admits that the next two decades were spent learning to ride him.
“He was more horse than I had ever sat on! He had no half halt, no whoa.”
With endless patience, Lee eventually taught Gil to settle down in the show ring, but he still had a habit of rushing his fences. In one particular show Gil left a stride out in a combination, with dire consequences. “I don’t remember a whole lot – just that rails were flying through the air and we both went down,” said Lee. “I had broken ribs, a dislocated jaw and a concussion. Gil was unhurt but stayed next to me until they carefully got me on the stretcher and airlifted me out.”
Eventually Lee was able to ride again, and she made a pact with Gil. “I told him that I would ride ‘up’ and he would add a stride in and we would be okay.”
Lee laughs when recounting how many different bits she tried on Gil, always searching for the perfect one that would give her enough control but still be gentle. When she found one called a Nathe bit she knew she had the perfect one. “This particular bit is rubbery and soft –as kind a bit as you could imagine and yet Gil absolutely respected it.”
With the right bit and their agreement about the jumps, Gil and Lee had many wonderful years of showing and were almost always in the ribbons.
“Gil was a careful jumper when he wasn’t being asked to jump Grand Prix heights – and add to that his natural speed and I had the perfect jumper,” Lee explained. “Life got so much easier when we had the understanding that two strides in a three-stride line was not what was wanted in spite of his enthusiasm!”
Lee had visited Aiken several times throughout the years, often at the behest of her friend and fellow New Englander Wendy Gutfarb.
“As everyone does, I fell in love with the town,” said Lee. Two years ago, she purchased a property in equestrian development Three Runs Plantation, and today she lives there with Gil, two other horses, and her dog Blue.
Gil was officially retired from showing at age 25, and now he is happily the senior resident at Lee’s farm. Lee also has a Dutch Warmblood and a Thoroughbred, both much younger than Gil and quite energetic.
“Gil has a strong sense of selfpreservation these days, and when my other two horses are rearing and galloping, he just puts himself in the barn and waits until recess is over.”
From Russia, to Holland, and then to the U.S., Gil has had quite the life. Lee often says that she knew Gil was meant to be hers from the moment she saw him. It has been a remarkable partnership on both sides.
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Ask the Judge Questions about Dressage
With Amy McElroy
Dear Amy,
I am seeking some advice on how to handle an unfortunate situation that occurred while I was competing at a recognized dressage show recently. I am currently in the USDF L program and learning much about judges’ scores and their comments. In this show, I was riding for an S judge, and was so looking forward to obtaining good and correct feedback for my ride. But when I received my test sheet, I was shocked to see that it didn’t make any sense! For example, the scoring numbers and comments often did not match, nor did they relate to what I have been studying in my L program. I decided it would be appropriate to report this judge to the USEF, so I filed a negative evaluation. I have two questions. First, what happens when you file a report on a judge? And second, would there have been a better way to handle the situation? I am trying to understand how this could have happened, and if I did the right thing.
Unhappy with Results
Dear Unhappy
It is wonderful to hear you are involved with the L education program. For those who don’t know, the United States Dressage Federation developed this program “as a way to give aspiring judges a solid, established foundation in the basics of evaluating dressage performance in competition.” The “L” stands for “learner,” and the L program is an invaluable learning opportunity whether you plan to pursue a judging license or not. It sounds like you are already thinking like a judge to notice these mistakes. I can only imagine your dissatisfaction, although I am sure there is a logical explanation for your confusing test sheet.
Any competitor may file a report about a judge’s performance, whether to commend them for a great job, or to express dissatisfaction for an unsatisfactory one. The evaluation forms can be found on the United States Equestrian Federation website. Reports remain in that judge’s USEF file for life.
When USEF receives one of these forms, the judge in question is notified via email. The rider’s name is not revealed, but the USEF does share the name and date of the show and summarizes the content of the letter. When judges have good reviews, they are congratulated for upholding the judging standards, and this is definitely an honor. On the other hand, it would be certainly disappointing for a judge to receive a negative review. Judges have the chance to respond to the USEF with their side of the story within 30 days.
In your situation, I think you might have availed yourself of some different options before going ahead and contacting the USEF. The first thing I would do is examine the score sheet to see if your first impression is really correct: is it possible that you were simply disappointed in the results? Or is there really some kind of an error? Start by checking the final collective marks and comments at the end of your test, since these are a summary of your ride. These final marks and comments are usually written by the judge and not the scribe, and should be related to the body of your test. So, for instance, if you see comments in the body of your test that your horse “needs more energy,” your final comments might suggest you add impulsion and you might see a lower mark in your impulsion score. Now, look at the final collective marks and do a rough average. For example, if you had a 6.5; 6.5, 6.5,7.0, 6.5, you would expect your overall score for the test to be around 65%.
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.
Keep in mind that by the time you are an S judge you are very competent and secure in your scale and commentary. All licensed judges are well trained and put much pride in their work. They want to help and to educate all riders to be the best they can be. An S judge is a “senior” judge, the highest level of judge in the USEF, and it would be unusual for an S judge to make significant scoring errors. When you consider this, it becomes more likely that there might have been some miscommunication between the scribe and the judge. Possibly unclear handwriting, perhaps missed or misheard comments; perhaps your test sheet got mixed up with someone else’s – there are, unfortunately, many possibilities.
Even if the scribe was the one who made mistakes, the judge is ultimately responsible for the test. Judges normally will take a quick look at the test sheets before signing and submitting them, but there is almost never enough time to go back over every scoring box on a test, so it is possible for mistakes to slip by unnoticed.
In this case, I think I would have suggested talking to the technical delegate (TD) to explain your concerns as a first step. All recognized shows are required to have a TD available. You might have asked the TD to find out if the judge would be willing to meet with you, which would normally happen with the TD present as well. If there were some issues with the way your test was scored, bringing this to the attention of the judge might have helped other riders as well, because if there were mistakes on your test, you were probably not the only one. The judge also might have been able to correct comments and scores, or put them where they belonged. If there was a communication problem with the scribe, perhaps the judge might have taken care to speak more loudly and clearly in subsequent rides, or sought out a different scribe.
Please continue to compete, study the L program and keep faith in judging. I would also recommend keeping an open mind about what might have happened in this show. It is, of course, possible that the judging was significantly subpar, but it is more likely that there was some mistake or miscommunication, or even that your expectations of your performance did not entirely match its reality.
Dressage is a journey, and, like any journey, is likely to have some setbacks and disappointments. But it is a journey worth taking, so please keep going!
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Aiken Area Hunt Directory, 2024-2025
Welcome to the annual Aiken Horse Hunt Directory for 2024-2025, providing important dates, information and contact numbers for eight of our regional hunts. For those ready to follow the hounds, cubbing is already well underway and formal hunting is just around the corner. As ever, the area’s formal season starts in late October and wraps up in early March. The crisp fall and winter weather facilitates good scenting for the hounds and inspires fresh, energetic horses. Combine that with the excellent sandy footing and abundance of quarry in the South Carolina region, and this is the perfect place for hunt junkies from up north, as well as for our local enthusiasts.
Aiken Hounds
Drag Hunt
Hitchcock Woods
Hunt attire: Green coat with a chamois collar. Evening: Scarlet with green facings, chamois collar.
Master of Foxhounds: Mr. Larry Byers, Ms. Sarah Greenhill Wildasin, Mr. Karl McMillan
Huntsman: Mr. John Tabachka
Contact: Hon. Sec. Elizabeth Metzel, 678-421-4406, secretary@ theaikenhounds.com
The Aiken Hounds is the longest running hunt in South Carolina and the oldest drag hunt in the country. It has been a focal point of equestrian activity in Aiken for over a century. Established in 1914 and recognized by the MFHA in 1916, its history is intimitely associated with Thomas and Louise Hitchcock, the founders of the Aiken Winter Colony of the 1920s and 1930s. The AH hunts the 2,200 acres of the Hitchcock Woods. The Tuesday and Saturday meets are suited to riders on a fixed schedule as drag hunts only take a couple of hours. First-flight action can be fast-paced with plenty of jumping, while the hilltopper field is adapted to horses and riders who are not quite as ambitious.
The Aiken Hounds Opening Meet and Blessing of the Hounds is traditionally held at Memorial Gate in the Hitchcock Woods on Thanksgiving morning, drawing over 100 riders and many spectators who enjoy the pageantry of the event and the walk in the woods as a prelude to their Thanksgiving festivities. Opening meet traditionally was held around noon but has been moved to earlier in the morning, making it possible for followers of the hunt to spend more of the day with their families.
For information about events, visit www.theaikenhounds.com, and stay tuned to the Aiken Hounds Facebook page. Prospective guests and caps are requested to please contact the hunt secretary. Cancellations and changes are posted on the hotline within two hours of the event.
Above: Hunting at Belle Meade, Thomson, Georgia
Belle Meade Hunt
Live Hunt
Thomson and McDuffie Counties, GA.
Hunt attire: Scarlet coat with a Confederate cavalry yellow collar. Master of Foxhounds: Mr. Ed Maxwell, Dr. Gary Wilkes, Mr. Edgar S. (Epp) Wilson
Caps are invited to contact the hunt secretary; all riders must have a current Georgia hunting license.
The Belle Meade Hunt was established in 1966 and recognized by the MFHA in 1970. Belle Meade is a large, fast-moving hunt that takes riders through the hills, fields and woodlands of northwestern Georgia. The hunts often have fields of 50 to 75, which are divided into four flights including two jumping and two non-jumping flights. Belle Meade is a Georgia tradition that boasts a well-attended opening meet with over 100 riders and 500 spectators. The hunt keeps English and Crossbred foxhounds.
Camden Hunt
Live Hunt
Kershaw County, SC
Hunt attire: Black Melton or Oxford gray coat with gold collar and charcoal piping. Evening: Scarlet with gold lapels.
Master of Foxhounds: Ms. Sue Sensor, Ms. Cindy Wood and Ms Martha Laroche
Huntsman: Ms. Melissa Rice
Contact: Hon. Sec. Ms Cindy Wood 410-726-8926 therealcamdenhunt@gmail.com, camdenhunt.com
Season: October through mid-March
Opening Meet: Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024
Hunt days: Wednesdays and Saturdays
Opening Cub Hunt (JNAFHC Qualifying Hunt): October 12, 2024
Horse & Hound Expo: October 18-20, 2024
TCH Hunter Trials: November 3, 2024
Boxing Day Hunt: December 26, 2024
TCH Hunt Ball: January 18, 2025
Closing Hunt: March 15, 2024
TCH Horse Show: March 23. 2025
The Camden Hunt is the second oldest hunt in South Carolina and was recognized by the Master of Foxhounds Association in 1926. The hunt maintains a professional huntsman, a kennel, and between 20 to 25 couple of Crossbred hounds. The terrain in hunt country is a mix of lush swamps, hardwood forests and mature pine woods. Hunt country is well paneled with coops, Aikens and Camdens. The footing is mostly sandy and very horse friendly. There are three fields: the first, which jumps; the second, which goes at a slower pace and can avoid jumping; and the third field which does not jump. Game consists of red and gray foxes as well as coyote.
Genesee Valley Hunt
Live Hunt
Salley, SC
Master of Foxhounds: Ms. Marion Thorne, Ms. Martha D. Wadsworth and Mr. W. Austin Wadsworth
Huntsman: MFH, Ms. Marion Thorne and Mr. Sean Cully For membership, capping and fixture information, contact Maryann Cully: mkcully@yahoo.com; mthornegvh@gmail.com. Visit Genesee Valley Hunt for fixture card, online waivers and payment or find us on FB: Genesee Valley in Salley. Season in Salley: January–March
Hunt Days: Monday, Wednesday & Saturday
Riders must have a South Carolina hunting license
Attire: Casual attire except for joint meets, otherwise be neat and tidy. Formal attire for joint meets will include black coats/ tan breeches.
Genesee Valley Hunt is based in western New York and spends time hunting in Salley, South Carolina from January to mid-March. The hunt territory is the former Rose Tree-Blue Mountain Hunt/Saxonburg Hunt fixtures. For the past four seasons, Rose Tree-Blue Mountain Hunt hunted the fixtures with the help of Marion Thorne, Huntsman and MFH of the Genesee Valley Hunt. At the end of the 2023-24 season, RTBMH turned over the hunting rights to GVH upon Sean Cully, MFH stepping down as Huntsman of RT-BMH to begin a new chapter with the Genesee Valley Hunt.
The territory consists of fixtures in and around Salley and Wagener. There are usually two fields; a third field is available occasionally.
Lowcountry Hunt
Live Hunt
Beaufort, Charleston, Colleton, Bamberg, and Jasper counties, SC
Hunt attire: Black coat with gold piped indigo collar Master of Foxhounds: Dr. Casey Bartman, Mrs. Nina S. Burke, Mrs. Melinda F. Shambley, Dr. Mark O. Shambley
Lowcountry Plantation Hunt Weekend: January 16-19, 2025
Season: October through March
Hunt days: Tuesdays, Thursday, Saturdays
The Lowcountry Hunt was founded in 2006. Hunt country includes some of the oldest and most beautiful estates in the ACE Basin with terrain ranging from freshwater marshes and tidal creeks to ancient live oak groves and hardwood forests. Fox and coyote are hunted with frequent sightings of alligators, bald eagles, and many types of waterfowl. The Lowcountry Hunt keeps American and Crossbred foxhounds.
Shakerag Hounds
Live Hunt
Elbert, Madison, Franklin, and Wilkes counties, GA.
Hunt attire: Black coat with Dove Gray collar with gold piping Master of Foxhounds: Mr. Daryl Buffenstein, Mr. Wayne Thrush & Dr. Jessica Cardot
Huntsman: Mr. David Raley
Contact: Honorary Secretary, Dr. Tara Stricko, 770.312.3438, huntsecretary@shakeraghounds.com. www.shakeraghounds.com
Season: Labor Day to Mid-March
Opening Hunt: October 26
Details for the hunt breakfast & tally-ho wagons are to be determined. Caps must sign a liability release, which is available on the website. All riders must carry a current Georgia hunting license.
Closing Hunt: mid-March
Hunt days: Tuesdays and Saturdays
The Shakerag Hounds is the oldest recognized hunt in Georgia, established in 1943, and recognized by the MFHA in 1950. Facilities include a large clubhouse, kennels, a barn for staff horses, and a home for the professional huntsman. Shakerag Hounds employ a pack of approximately 50 PennMaryDel and crossbred foxhounds that hunt red and gray fox, coyotes, hogs and bobcat. Fox hunting with Shakerag is a family sport, with riders 8 to 80 participating in one of up to four fields.
Wateree Hounds
Live Hunt
Kershaw, Darlington and Lee Counties
Hunt attire: Black or Navy coat. For members with colors, Ladies: Navy coat with buff collar and navy piping, Gentlemen: Scarlet coat with buff collar and navy piping
Huntsman: Sam Clifton
Kennelman: Steve Clifton
MFH’s: Ned Towell, Meredith Somerset DVM, Vince Paschal
Capping: $75 Cubbing $100 Formal $150 Opening and Closing Meets
Juniors always complimentary
Contact: (803) 427-5425 info@watereehounds.com
Season: Kick off Oyster Roast: October 12th
Opening Cubbing: October 26th
Opening Formal Meet: November 23rd
Other Events: Hunt Ball, Junior Meet, Spouse Hunt, Ladies Side Saddle Hunt, & Full Cry Magazine
Hunt days: Tuesday and Saturdays
The Wateree Hounds was established in 2020 to blend the best of tradition and technology for an amazing sport. Wateree Hounds offers a first, second, and third field. On special occasions, the Tally Ho wagon will follow the hunt, offering the non-riders a chance to enjoy beautiful vistas, and the pageantry of the hunt as well as libations. Guests are welcomed. Please contact the secretary 24 hours prior to the hunt
Whiskey Road Foxhounds
Live Hunt
Aiken, Allendale, and Lexington counties, SC. Hunt attire: Scarlet with Aiken green velvet collar. Evening: Same with scarlet facings.
Master of Foxhounds: Mr. David Smith, Mr Joseph Hardiman & Ms Betsy Minton
Established in 1976 and registered with the MFHA in 1977, the Whiskey Road Foxhounds regularly hunt large tracts in Aiken, Allendale, and Lexington counties. WRFH fields three flights over wooded and grassy terrain, through cattle farms and timber properties peppered with coops, logs, and cross-country style jumps. Whiskey Road keeps 30 couple of English and Crossbred hounds. Guests are invited to wear their colors.
Low Country Hunt morning
Going out with Whiskey Road
Park Place Polo II, Aiken, SC
Stable View Oktoberfest
Community Rallies after Hurricane Helene
By Sally Spickard, Photography by Pam Gleason
Stable View’s annual Oktoberfest Horse Trials in Aiken is always a highlight on the equestrian calendar, but this year it wasn’t just the competitors facing challenges. On Thursday, September 26, the day before competition was to begin, Hurricane Helene swept through the area, leaving a trail of destruction across the grounds, downing over 30 trees and transforming the property into a scene of devastation. What was originally scheduled as a three-day event was in danger of cancellation, but thanks to the tireless efforts of Stable View’s team and the commitment of the equestrian community, the show went on, emerging as a powerful testament to resilience and teamwork.
Stable View co-owner Barry Olliff described the situation as “disaster recovery on steroids.”
“It was almost unbelievable, looking back, that what happened, happened. You have the adrenaline, the devastation, all these things to work out,” he said. “So it’s not can we pull it off, but how are we going to pull this off? We went around the property and realized there was no way to run the event that day. Cross country was devastated, trees were down, and we didn’t even have electricity for water.”
Immediate Response and Community Effort
As Friday morning went on, it became clear that the first day’s portion of the event would need to be canceled. In collaboration with officials, the Stable View team quickly devised a plan to convert Oktoberfest into two one-day competitions, rather than abandoning the event altogether. Competitors, officials, and volunteers jumped in, restoring the grounds back to a competition-ready venue by Saturday.
“Hats off to Barry Olliff and his entire team at Stable View for transforming what looked like a war zone Friday morning after Hurricane Helene hit,” said Great Britain’s Lucienne Bellissimo, who won the CCI4*-S with Horse Scout Eventing’s Dyri. “The grit and determination to make the event happen on Saturday was amazing; honestly, within 24 hours, it really looked good again.”
Bellissimo was among the competitors who rolled up their sleeves, helping with the cleanup effort to restore the cross-country course; over 100 people joined in to clear debris and fallen branches. “The two components that got this back up and running were officials, who saw an opportunity to do something unusual, and very positively pushed forward with a new plan, and the competitors. After giving their horses water, [the clean-up] became the thing to do and to be seen doing,” Olliff noted.
A Challenging Weekend for Competitors
The schedule modifications meant back-to-back rides for many competitors. Bellissimo, who had four horses competing across three divisions, faced a packed day but took the adjustments in stride. “It’s the first time in a while I’ve had to ride twelve times every 10 to 20 minutes, back-to-back, since leaving the UK!” she said. “They made the times work, and the secretary deserves a medal. I’m so sad about the trees that came down, but I’m so grateful that all horses and humans were safe. Ultimately, that’s what matters.”
In addition to her victory, Bellissimo finished with two of her horses in the top five in the CCI4*-S division, with the Canadian Pan American Games medalist Lindsay Traisnel taking second place on Patricia Pearce’s Bacyrouge. Aiken-based rider Emily Hamel rounded out the top three with her horse Corvett.
“I was absolutely thrilled to win the four-star at Stable View Oktoberfest,” Bellissimo said. “Dyri has been knocking on the door of a win all season, and finally it all came together. He once again attained a 26 in the dressage, gave me a super clear show jumping round, and a good, fast, confident cross-country. Hopefully, this was a good set-up for Morven Park CCI4*-L to round off his year, and we’re aiming for his five-star debut in 2025.”
A Self-Contained Equestrian Community
Amid the chaos, Stable View became a “bubble” of sorts, self-sufficient and unified in its goal to host Oktoberfest despite the storm’s toll. With access to food, shelter, and each other’s support, the competitors, officials, and staff stayed safe and cared for.
“It would have caused as much disruption to send everyone home as it would have to keep them here,” said Olliff. “We had people sleeping in their trucks, sharing food, and swapping stories. A lot of eventers are entrepreneurs—they don’t sit around waiting for criticism. They get up and do something, and this group was especially active. It was amazing to see how people got to know each other.”
The decision to proceed with the event wasn’t just about perseverance. The logistical challenges of canceling—finding fuel for trucks and trailers, and ensuring the safety of everyone as they left the site—would have been significant, especially with the widespread power outages in the region. By sheltering in place, the community avoided possible mishaps on the treacherous roads and a further strain on first responders.
A Testament to Community Resilience
Ultimately, Stable View’s Oktoberfest went on, not as a typical competition, but as a testament to the resilience and tenacity of its community. From the quick response of the officials to the willingness of competitors to pitch in, the weekend became a collective triumph over adversity.
“The bottom line was that it wasn’t Stable View that made this happen—it was the competitors, the officials, and the community. They brought this together and made it possible,” Olliff said.“When you look back, it’s incredible what people can accomplish when they work together.”
Despite the storm’s disruption, the event unfolded with a renewed sense of camaraderie and gratitude. Barry and Cyndy Olliff, the owners who have put their heart and soul into Stable View, were reminded of why they created this space: not just for competition, but for community. And after facing down the challenges of Hurricane Helene, that community has proven it can weather any storm.
Above: Riders go past fallen trees on the grounds on Friday Opposite: Lucienne Belissimo and Dyri in the stadium
Stableview Oktoberfest Four-Star
Photography by Pam Gleason & Gary Knoll
Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds
Aiken’s Original Foxhunt
By Pam Gleason
The Aiken Hounds, a drag hunt that takes place in the Hitchcock Woods, is said to have started in 1914 and was recognized by the Masters of Foxhounds Association in 1916. Still going strong today, the hunt is one of Aiken’s most venerable traditions. Aiken historians generally recognize Thomas and Louise Hitchcock as the founders of the hunt, and Mrs. Hitchcock was indeed its Master from 1919 until her death (as the result of a hunting accident) in 1934.
But the Aiken Hounds, originally referred to as the Aiken Drag, was not the first foxhunt in Aiken. On closer examination, it may not have been founded by the Hitchcocks, either. The distinctions of being the first hunt and the one founded by the Hitchcocks belong to Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds. This was a private pack that Thomas Hitchcock ran in Aiken from about 1893 until at least 1909.
As students of Aiken history know, Louise Hitchcock, orphaned as a young child, was raised by her aunt and guardian, Celestine Eustis, who maintained a winter home and vast properties in Aiken. Both of Louise’s parents died of tuberculosis while living in France, and Celestine was intent on preserving the health of her young charge. Aiken, known for its tuberculosis sanitoriums, was thought to have healthy air, and the conventional wisdom was that children needed to spend plenty of time outdoors to strengthen their lungs. Louise was a frail child, and horseback riding was the prescription to preserve her health. She grew up riding in the Aiken woods, eventually becoming one of the most renowned society horsewomen of her day.
In August 1891, Louise Eustis (24), married Thomas Hitchcock (30) at a simple ceremony in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts where Celestine Eustis had a summer home. Thomas Hitchcock, who lived on New York’s Long Island, was a friend of Louise’s older brothers. He was an accomplished sportsman, steeplechase jockey, polo player and a member of the Meadowbrook Hounds. The first winter after their marriage, he and Louise repaired to Aiken, bringing their horses and their taste for equestrian sports with them.
They also built a first class kennel and transported half of Meadowbrook’s pack, 31 English foxhounds in all, from Long Island with the intention of hunting through the winter season.
“The Meadowbrook Club voted nearly unanimously for the removal of the pack, which is expected to be greatly improved by the work that they will get over good hunting country and under Mr. Hitchcock’s supervision,” read a notice on page 6 of the New York Sun, December 27, 1891. The club had been considering sending the hounds South at
the end of the New York season, but, originally, Thomas Hitchcock was expected to take them to Asheville, North Carolina. This is where he was planning to winter, according to an article published in the New York Mail and Express, which was then quoted by the Asheville Citizen Times. At the time, there was a newly organized foxhunt in Asheville, the Swannanoa hunt, and Asheville did not appear to relish the competition for hunting space. When the Hitchcocks decided to go to Aiken instead, they had the hunt territory in South Carolina all to themselves.
The Meadowbrook Hounds were a sensation in Aiken, going out once or twice a week that winter. A March 1892 article in the Aiken Journal and Review said the hounds were “all imported and of the best strain …. Some of them from the kennel of Lord Yarborough, who boasts the oldest stud book, running back over 200 years.” The article went on to say that Mr. Hitchcock had been hunting these hounds for about eight years, and praised Hitchcock for being “exceedingly kind in endeavoring to afford sport for those attending the meets.” The final hunt of the season attracted so many eager participants and hunt followers, “crowds could be seen making their way towards the kennels,” and “The livery stables were taxed to their utmost capacity, every available team of the city was in requisition.”
After 1892, there were no further references to the Meadowbrook Hounds in Aiken – presumably they remained on Long Island through the winter months. Instead, the papers spoke of Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds, which numbered 20 couple and went out two or three times
Thomas Hitchcock’s portrait in The Hunts of the United States & Canada, 1908
Thomas Hitchcock holds Louise Hitchcock’s horse. William Whitney (in mourning for his first wife Flora Payne Whitney) with his son, Henry Payne Whitney, mounted. 1893.
a week between mid-November and mid-March each year. Unlike the Meadowbrook’s English stock, Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds were American foxhounds, selected for Aiken’s particular hunting conditions. Red fox were the preferred quarry, but Aiken had grey foxes instead, which did not give as much sport, and so over 300 red foxes were imported and set loose. Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds hunted thousands of acres owned by the Hitchcocks, Celestine Eustis and their friend William Collins Whitney, for whom Whitney Polo Field is named. Additionally, Hitchcock and Whitney arranged to lease about 60,000 acres for shooting, which they stocked with over 5,000 quail.
A growing number of riders joined Mr. Hitchcock’s hunts, which often chased fox, but sometimes hunted deer instead. These were not always wild deer. In fact, the Hitchcocks kept tame deer for the purpose. A deer from the Hitchcock herd would be set out in the woods, and the hounds and hunters would chase it. “It is not intended that the deer should be killed,” explained a March 2, 1902 article in the Kansas City Times. Instead, the deer would run through the trees and eventually jump back into the safety of its paddock. The hounds would be locked out, and “have their ‘worry’ meat which is thrown to them in order that they may not have had their run for nothing and lose their zest for the next meet.” (This article also made the dubious claim that the deer appeared to enjoy the sport just as much as the hunting party.)
Wild deer and fox were hunted early in the morning, starting at about 5 a.m. However, there were not many in Aiken’s sporting set who wanted to get up before dawn. The hunts that employed the Hitchcocks’ captive deer started at 10 a.m. instead. They were called “featherbed hunts,” referring to hunt followers who preferred to sleep in. A third type of hunt started at night, preferably when the moon was bright. The night hunting tradition was purely Southern, and took advantage of the superior scenting conditions that arose when the sun went down and dew settled on the earth.
Whether the quarry was fox or deer, live hunting with Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds was fast and hazardous. Newspapers record several famous casualties in Aiken. The most devastating was of William Whitney’s second wife, who was riding a borrowed horse on a deer hunt in February 1898. The hunt rushed under a bridge in the woods. Mrs. Whitney had ridden beneath this bridge in the past with no difficulty.
society columns of many American newspapers.
“The Aiken Hunt was founded, so far as foxhunting is concerned, a good many years ago, when Mr. Hitchcock took his hounds to Aiken and hunted real fox … and in pursuit of the wild fox, precipices were descended by Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock in a manner that would make the Italian cavalry purple with envy,” wrote the sporting journalist Jimmy Cooley in a piece that is quoted in Harry Worcester Smith’s book Life and Sport in Aiken. “But in those days the field following the Master and his wife was very small indeed, for leaping precipices wasn’t in everyone’s veins. And gradually the hounds were given up.”
Jimmy Cooley went on to explain that the Aiken Drag (now the Aiken Hounds), originated with “the enthusiastic Mr. Earle W. Hopping,” who brought down hounds “from the North” in 1916. Hopping, a renowned polo player (he was an alternate for the U.S. international team known as the “Big Four”) came from Lebanon, Ohio, and he was the first Master of the drag. According to the same piece, in 1917, Mr. Walter Phelps took over as Master “and the Hunt burgeoned out very smartly with Club uniforms of green coat and yellow collar.” There was no hunting in 1918 because of World War I, but after the war’s end in 1919, Mrs. Hitchcock became the M.F.H. “and under her enthusiastic and gallant leadership, the Drag has assumed tremendous proportions, until now it has become the leading event as concerns horses, in a land which is the horseman’s paradise.”
But what about Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds? The Masters of Foxhounds Association was formed in 1907, and Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds was a registered hunt until at least 1914. This does not necessarily mean that Thomas Hitchcock continued to hunt the hounds in Aiken or elsewhere up until that point, but he did enter his horses in hunt races up and down the East Coast and their registered hunt was listed as Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds. References to the hunt in society publications peaked in 1902 and 1903 and petered out by 1910.
In 1908, the foxhunting enthusiast and Master of Foxhounds A. Henry Higginson, co-published a comprehensive, 197-page illustrated volume called The Hunts of the United States and Canada and their Masters. The book, which must have been compiled at about the same time as the Masters of Foxhounds Association was formed, claimed to be “the only accurate publication of its kind in America.” The chapter on Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds goes into great detail about Thomas Hitchcock’s preference for American over English Foxhounds (this was a hot debate of the day) explaining that the scenting conditions in Aiken required a hound with a superior nose and a more independent hunting drive. English hounds, according to Hitchcock, would lose the scent and then need to be cast by the huntsman, while American hounds instantly cast themselves if they lost the scent: “To put it in a nutshell, the hounds, not the huntsman, hunt the fox,” said Hitchcock.
But the horse she was riding this particular day was taller than her own horse, and she hit her head on a beam, fell, and dislocated two vertebrae in her neck. She was paralyzed and died 15 months later. Another famous injury occurred to the Scottish noblewoman Lady Constance MacKenzie, a daring sportswoman who was visiting Aiken in 1902, and whose horse fell on her during a hunt, knocking her unconscious. Although Lady MacKenzie recovered, her accident was featured in the
Whenever or however Mr. Hitchcock’s Hounds ceased to exist, they were an important part of Aiken’s equestrian history and laid the foundation for the Aiken Hounds of today, even if today’s hunt is not actually a direct descendant of them.
Although Mrs. Hitchcock led the drag hunt through the woods for about 15 years, and Mr. Hitchcock was a perennial participant, it may be that neither Hitchcock was initially sold on the idea of drag hunts as opposed to live hunts. There is certainly a hint of this in a feature about women who foxhunt published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer magazine in 1909. Mrs. Hitchcock, the article said “disdains the drag hunt” and prefers live hunting at Meadowbrook and in Aiken “where they entertain many hunting parties and chase the wild fox and stag.” Did Mr. Hitchcock happily cede the mastership of the Aiken Hounds to his wife because, back from the war and approaching 60 he was ready to retire from running things, or was he not a big fan of drag hunts himself? He was, according to all available evidence, a purist, so this is certainly a possibility. He was also a man of few words: because of this, perhaps, his secrets are buried with him.
A hunt breakfast in Aiken, 1893
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Team Opportunities for Adult Event Riders
Not Just for Olympians any More
By Amber Heintzberger
For riders at the top of equestrian sport, making a team and representing your country at a major championship such as the Olympic Games, Nations Cup or World Championship is often the ultimate goal. For most riders, that goal is out of reach, and they also miss out on the fun of a team experience. Recently, however, adult event riders in Aiken have had some new team opportunities, inspired by interscholastic and intercollegiate eventing teams.
Alumni Challenge Cup & Adult Team Challenge
The idea was born in the spring of 2024 when Stable View in Aiken hosted the United States Eventing Association Interscholastic and Intercollegiate Eventing Championships. To create more opportunities for seasoned competitors, the organizers decided to include an Alumni Team Challenge as well. They have since started offering additional team opportunities for adult riders.
Emma Young, a member of the marketing team at Stable View, explained, “At our May horse trials we offered an Alumni Challenge Cup while we were hosting the Intercollegiate Championships. Our first Adult Team Challenge was at our June Horse Trials – we had 1015 teams signed up there and we have 13 for our Oktoberfest event. It’s three to four people to a team, and the top three scores count.”
According to Emma, Stable View decided to continue to offer team opportunities because of the positive feedback they got from Alumni Challenge Cup participants.
“It was actually one of our competitors, Mary Guynn, who is an attorney in town and mainly does jumpers, who competed at the Alumni Challenge as her first horse trials. She called us after the event and told us how much fun she had, so we decided to keep the team opportunity going.”
Teams are organized so that riders can compete at any level, BeginnerNovice through Four-Star. A coefficient scoring system equalizes the differences between divisions. Individual barns, trainers or groups of friends can organize their own teams, but people who want to be put on
a team can send Emma an email and she’ll put them on a scramble team. Teams can combine amateurs and professionals, so some trainers form teams with their students.
Stable View is hosting the Interscholastic and Intercollegiate Championships again in the spring, but even after that competition moves on to a new host venue, they plan to keep the Alumni Cup going.
“In this sport you don’t get that many chances to be on a team, so it’s a rare opportunity for that,” said Emma. “We’d love to have more sponsorship in the future; Equine Science Solutions and Emerald Valley have donated some products, but we would love to have a bigger sponsor.”
Aiken Eventers Team Up
Jessica Schulz, a local trainer, graduated from the University of South Carolina Aiken before they had an equestrian team, so when she heard about the Alumni Challenge, she got together with a couple of college classmates to form a team. “It was a lot of fun – I’m glad Stable View did it,” she said. “A couple of clients also rode and it was fun to get into the school spirit.”
To boost that spirit, Schulz’s friend’s mother had shirts customized with “USC Aiken” printed down the sleeve for all of the riders, as well as a shirt for Schulz’s 6-year-old daughter who cheered the team on.
Reflecting on the competition, Schulz isn’t sure how they ended up placing overall, but said, “We did pretty well; we were first after dressage but I had a stop on cross-country, and my friend had a fall - but that’s horses! We were just there for fun. It’s fun to be part of a team again, especially for adults. It’s an extra thing to do as a group with your friends and it’s a fun experience. I definitely think it would be popular if they keep it up.”
Rocky Mountain High
For Jennifer Helgren, who purchased Adams Horse Supplies in Aiken in April, the intercollegiate championships and Alumni Cup sparked an
The Sunshine In The Bluegrass team, winners of the the Adams Horse Supply USEA Modified Adult Team Championships. Jennifer Helgren, Cameron Dean, Kyla Warren, and Kristin Osley.
USC Aiken Alumni team at Stable View: Jessica Shultz, Sally Davis, Sophie Miller.
interest in eventing teams. An event rider herself, she competed on the “Rocky Mountain High” alumni team at Stable View, which consisted of alumni of various institutions in Colorado. None of the women went to college together, but they all live in Aiken and met through the horse community.
“The atmosphere at that event was more fun than anything I’ve been to,” said Jennifer. “Everyone is in their team colors, with glitter on their horses’ hindquarters. I think Stable View has even touted it as ‘the funnest event ever.’ I was talking to someone recently about how eventing can be a pretty individual sport, and it’s fun to have the team camaraderie.”
Jennifer was so enthusiastic about adult team competition that Adams Horse Supplies sponsored the adult team riders for the Area III Championships at Bouckaert Equestrian in Fairburn, Georgia in June, and then was the title sponsor of the American Team Championships at the American Eventing Championships at the Kentucky Horse Park in August.
“We wanted to do something to support adult amateur riders,” said Helgren. “The [team] program had been on hold without a sponsor, and people were grateful to have it back. I was looking into it anyway and when we found out they didn’t have a title sponsor, even though it was a bigger thing than we’d considered, we decided why not? I was competing as well, and it was fun to be on both sides of it.”
Katie Menaugh, who graduated from
Colorado State University in the Class of ’93, was the anchor rider on the Rocky Mountain High team.
“My horse was so good that weekend,” she said. “It kind of brought us all together.”
Katie said she got ear bonnets with everyone’s school logos on them for teammates to put on their horses. For cross-country, Jennifer strapped a novelty buffalo head hat over her helmet to signify the University of Colorado (“We’re the University of Colorado Buffaloes,”
Jennifer Helgren’s Colorado Buffaloes helmet cover stayed on!
she said. “We anchored it with zip ties – it barely fit but once on it was pretty secure.”) Her teammates all attended Colorado State, their rival, but during the event they shared their Colorado roots and the solidarity of belonging to the same team.
Katie said, “We weren’t all riding at the same level, but you’re encouraged to watch other people’s rounds and walk the courses together. We were shooting texts to each other and giving each other updates. Every team had their own cross-country jump decorated with a placard … It might be fun to get to decorate those in the future!”
Creating Opportunities
While teams at Stable View could include riders competing at different levels, at the American Eventing Championships, everyone has to be competing at the same level, so most teams were compiled by their USEA area coordinators.
“At the AEC you had to declare your intent ahead of time,” said Jennifer Helgren, “But you didn’t know who you’d be competing with, so we didn’t really get together as teams until the end of the competition.”
While this may have meant less of a team spirit atmosphere, she said it was still fun competing for the award. She said that she will definitely compete on a team again, and plans to keep sponsoring team competitions as well, even though next year the AECs will be across the country in Temecula, California.
“The AEC moving to California next year means I won’t be riding,” said Jennifer, “So it might actually be easier to participate as a sponsor as long as it’s financially viable … I think between 200 and 300 adults were competing at the AEC’s this year, and for the vast majority of them, it’s their “Olympics” and it was fun to support that for them. The team atmosphere brings a little extra fun, a little more drive. It’s something else you’re riding for.”
CALENDAR DATES
1-2
STABLE VIEW In & Out Series
$25,000 prize money offered for each event
Fall 2: November 2nd – 3rd
2-3 Stable View Hunter Jumper In & Out Series
“Southern Comfort” Dressage
Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day 8 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
9 Eventing Academy Horse Schooling Horse Trials
15-16 Stable View Hunter Jumper In & Out Series
19 Hunter/Jumper Institute
26 Schooling Dressage Collection
30 Spring Trail Race
4-6 Stable View $60,000 FEI CCI-S 2/3/4* & USEF/USEA Horse Trials (T, M, P, I, A)
16 Hunter/Jumper Institute
19-20
USEF/USDF “Spring Fever” Dressage
25-27 UKC All Breed Dog Show – Aiken Showcase Dog Show
3-4
17-18
USEF/USEA Stable View Local Charities Horse Trials and USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Championships
USEF/USDF “Do Dah Day” Dressage
28 Hunter/Jumper Institute
30-June 2 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 3
11 Schooling Dressage Collection
14-15
20-22
USEF/USDF “Summer Solstice” Dressage
USEF/USEA Summer Horse Trials (BN, N, T, M, P, I, A)
25 Hunter/Jumper Institute
27-29 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 4
9 Schooling Dressage Collection 12-13 USEF/USDF “Only in America” Dressage
16 Hunter/Jumper Institute
18 Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
19 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
20 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials
1-3 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 5
6 Hunter/Jumper Institute
8 Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
9 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
10 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials
13-14
USEF/USDF ‘Too Hot To Trot I” Dressage
15-17 USEF/USDF “Too Hot To Trot II” Dressage
10 Schooling Dressage Collection
12-14 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 6
17 Hunter/Jumper Institute
26-28 “Oktoberfest” $60,000 FEI CCI-S 2/3/4* & USEF/USEA Horse Trials (BN, N, T, M, P, I, A)
3-4 Southern Belle Classic Auction
8 Schooling Dressage Collection
10 Eventing Academy X-Country Schooling Day
11 Eventing Academy Schooling Day
12 Eventing Academy Horse Trails
15 Hunter/Jumper Institute
31-Nov 2 USHJA Hunter Jumpers In & Out Series 7
Omar, Fermin and Maria Cepeda at home
O. Cepeda Polo Club
Polo for Fun
Story and Photography by Pam Gleason
The O. Cepeda Polo Club became a United States Polo Association recognized club just this year, but it has a long history in the Aiken area. Owned and operated by the Cepeda family, it is located on their spacious farm in Blackville, South Carolina, a 40-minute drive from Aiken. Omar Cepeda, a well-known professional player, purchased the farm in the 1990s and has been holding practices, pro-ams and tournaments almost since the beginning. Today, Omar’s wife, Maria, who has a 4-goal women’s handicap, runs the club with him, along with the help of their daughter Melena (12) and son Fermin (10.) It’s a family business, and the family loves what they do. Their chief goal is to provide polo that is fun and accessible for everyone.
“The big difference here it that we do the polo for the patrons,” said Omar. “Because it’s for them, right? To have fun. That’s the point. If they go to score a goal, they can score a goal. At some other clubs, the professionals like to win so much maybe the patrons never touch the ball. Here, the polo is for them and anyone can play.”
The Cepedas have regular practices at 10 am on Tuesdays and Thursdays along with pro-ams on the weekends. This September, they ran an eight-goal ladies tournament that attracted six teams, and plan to have a six-goal ladies tournament at the end of October. They are available for lessons and coaching and have stalls and accommodations for rent to visiting players. They plan to keep playing this fall for as long as people want to play, and they also have an arena and anticipate doing some indoor polo as well. After their games, they usually have a cookout, giving the club the kind of social atmosphere that was once prevalent in polo, but has often disappeared in the faster-paced, more professionally-oriented polo of today.
Omar first came to Aiken for tournaments with the player John Harte at Aiken Polo Club. He loved the area so much, he soon bought the farm in Blackville and set up his own operation. It had been a cattle farm and already had flat fields with grass, and fertile, well-drained soil, so it was not especially difficult to lay out polo fields there. By the middle 1990s, high-goal and medium goal practices on Omar’s fields were legendary. His teams would practice there before going off to the 16-goal or the 20-goal, on the way to Saratoga or Wellington. He also started organizing lower-octane games for local players, and then had his own series of four-chukker, six-goal tournaments, which he says were Aiken’s first tournaments of their kind. The format proved so popular, other area clubs started using it as well.
“We want it to be fun, and we want the players to get better,” said Maria. “It’s not fancy, but we have a good field, and we have good polo here also. I like for people who play here to be happy.”
Omar was born and raised on a farm in Argentina. He grew up riding and had experience with racehorses and in the rodeo in his native country. He was not exposed to polo until after his mandatory service in the Argentine military, where his exceptional horsemanship skills attracted the attention of Augusto Gomez Romero, a 6-goal player from a respected family who hired him as a groom. Augusto, who often came to the United States to play polo during the summers, brought Omar to the U.S. with him in 1985, and it was then that Omar played polo for the first time. In fact, with the exception of some practice games when he went over to try horses a few years ago, he has never played in Argentina at all.
In the United States, however, he began buying horses off the track, training them and getting onto teams. He continued to work as a groom for various sponsors, while his worth as a player rose rapidly. The first year he was 0 goals, the next year 1, then 2 , and then 3. He developed a good string of horses, and was invited to play in tournaments from Texas to Chicago to Florida. He did not have a sponsor to supply him with horses, and had to develop his own string, supplementing his income by selling horses – a double-edged sword. An exceptional horse would bring a good price, but then he would not have that horse to ride any more. Nevertheless, he made it to 5 goals and developed a reputation for the excellence of his horses.
At 10, Fermin follows a family tradition
Maria, for her part, grew up in Argentina as an animal lover and a horsewoman, riding jumpers and playing a little polo. She started studying to become a veterinarian at the university, but her friend, Juan Valardi, had been in America working for Omar. They were going to play in Palm Beach, and needed more help, and Juan suggested she come work for them for the winter season.
“I was only 19, so I had to ask my father. It was the Argentine summer and it was only three months. I was not missing university, so he said I could go,” she said. But she loved the polo life so much, she never went back to university, returning to the states instead. About a decade later she and Omar were married, and now their two children help run the farm and the polo club. Melena doesn’t play currently, but she helps with the scoreboard, while Fermin is a devoted player. The whole family takes care of the farm and the horses with no outside help.
For the Cepedas, being able share the polo life that they love with their children makes them especially appreciative of what they have. Their club is unique in its family atmosphere, and the joy that they bring to the field, making playing there especially inviting. While both Omar and Maria enjoy playing in tournament games at other clubs and Omar will be playing at Aiken Polo Club this fall, they are especially happy to be able to play on their own field along with their family and friends, both old and new.
O. Cepeda Polo Club offers spring and fall practice memberships. Follow them on Facebook or call 561-762-4506 for more information.
From California to Aiken
A Relocation Story
By Sally Spickard, Photography by Gary Knoll
It took just one visit to Aiken to convince Jen Kessler, an amateur event rider, that this would be the place she would put down roots with her family.
An East Coast native hailing originally from Massachusetts, Kessler had found herself in Southern California for the past 15 years. There, she met her husband, Shaun, whose work as a naval officer kept the family in California.
Shaun’s position in the Navy required him to deploy several times during the family’s stay in California, and, with retirement looming at the end of 2024, he approached his wife with a suggestion. She had worked hard through his deployments and demanding schedule, taking sole care of their now-6year-old daughter, Sophie. He knew Jen had struggled to ride competitively with her off-the-track Thoroughbred because competitions were so far away from where they lived. He proposed a solution: Out of appreciation for his wife’s sacrifices, they would relocate, and she could pick where they moved.
“So I thought to myself, where is all the eventing?” Kessler said. “It’s in Aiken. I immediately started doing research – I’m a planner! – looking up houses and farms and schools for our daughter.”
Kessler paid her first ever visit to Aiken in December 2023, staying with a friend and taking in the local sights. She was hooked.
Of course, the process of moving a family, several dogs, a pet chinchilla, and two horses across the country is a monumental one. Fortunately, the Navy assisted in moving the family’s belongings, but there was still the question of the humans and animals. Kessler laughs when she thinks back to this “epic” road trip.
“I entrusted the transport of my horses to Equine Express – they were incredible, really put my anxiety to rest with frequent updates,” she recounted. “And then my husband drove one car with two of the dogs and I drove the other with the other dog, our chinchilla, my daughter, and my best friend, Marita, who flew out from Boston to help us. I couldn’t have done the trip without her.”
Modified eventing, as well as a young Dutch gelding named Oreo, who’s just starting his eventing career – as well as a newly-added pony, Starlight, for her daughter, Kessler is eager to have her own farm.
“I work remotely, so it will be really helpful for me to work throughout the day and still care for the horses,” she explained.
For her, as an amateur rider who works full-time to support her riding avocation, the training and competition opportunities Aiken offers –and their affordability– are incredibly appealing.
“[USEA] Area 6 [which encompasses California] is really huge,” she said. “I was closer to San Diego, and so my closest recognized show was at Galway Downs. After that, you’re looking at five or six hours or more to get anywhere else. And then if it’s a three-day, you’re in a hotel and paying a trainer for all those days.”
She described struggling with anxiety in the show jumping phase on Xander. “Many of the jumper shows don’t allow you to just ‘pop in’ for the day - you still have to pay for the whole week,” she said. “And doing a horse trial where you just get one round does not help the nerves or with gaining experience.”
“Here in Aiken, I can just head out with my truck and trailer for the day,” she continued. “There are so many opportunities here at Bruce’s Field, Sporting Days, Full Gallop – and those are only the places I’ve been so far … there are so many more. You can just go and practice. It’s affordable and low pressure, so I felt comfortable getting my young horse out and just getting him familiar with going away from home.
The family took about five days to travel earlier this year, driving 600 to 700 miles each day before stopping to rest at a hotel.
The Kesslers found a rental home about 15 minutes from town, an ideal set-up for them, with a fenced yard and close to the barn where Jen had chosen to board her two horses until she and Shaun can purchase a farm of their own.
“I just can’t get over how close everything is,” she said. “There’s so much proximity of different riding locations, even compared to other areas on the East Coast. I had mapped out where everything was in relation to our rental – I can get to the barn, Sophie’s school, and town within seven minutes. It’s unreal.”
Kessler said she and her husband are aiming at a November or December timeframe to begin farm shopping – something she’s wanted since she first began riding. With two horses – an off-the-track Thoroughbred named Xander with whom she’s competed through
Especially being a working mom with a 6-year-old and a husband in the military, it was hard for me to find days and days to be gone [at a show]. It was really stressful. Now I can literally walk to Sporting Days. I can go and do a little show in the morning and be home by noon to work.”
Kessler also already has a few favorite haunts in town, including Polo Grounds Cafe, Neon Fig, and Mellow Mushroom. “The downtown area is amazing,” she said. “It literally looks like it’s been taken out of a movie. There is always something to do. The farmer’s market is incredible, and it’s open three days a week. Everybody is so nice, it’s easy to get around, and it’s just charming. I already love it so much.”
“I think also being back on the East Coast has been big for me,” Kessler concluded. “I didn’t realize it would be so meaningful. I think I just feel more at home here. I feel like I came back to what I know. I look forward to being closer to things like the Kentucky 5 Star – just some things that would’ve been so expensive to travel to in the past, and now I hope to be in Kentucky every year. And the lifestyle for the horses is incredible. They are so happy here. I can’t imagine it any other way.”
Directory of Services
BOARDING/TURNOUT/TRAINING/SALES
Chime Ridge Stables. 803-508-3760
Katie Erpel Dressage offers training of young horses to FEI, boarding, sales, and lessons with USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist Katie Erpel at her quaint, boutique style facility conveniently located off of Charleston Highway on the Windsor/Williston line. Haul-in lessons are welcome to her newly renovated GGT arena or travel to your farm is available as well. www.katieerpeldressage.com (305) 778 5336
Dry Stalls, Barn Rental and Self-Care Pasture Rental w/ shelter. Short term or long term. RV hookups available on-premises. Route 302 Equestrian Corridor. Call or Text 703-203-0180
Sporting Days Farm. 3549 Charleston Hwy, Aiken, SC 29801. 5.5 miles from Aiken byoass. Offers year round, seasonal or short term board as well as dry stalls. 150 acres with trails and practice areas. USEF/USEA Horse Trials in the winter, schooling shows. Visit our website to see all we offer in 2023. www.sportingdaysfarm.com
The Stable On The Woods: Elite boarding & training facility and home to trainers Darrell and Melissa Vaughn. With access to Hitchcock Woods, our barn sits on 70 acres and boasts a full size dressage arena with mirrors, show jumping arena and highquality grass pastures making this the ideal place for you and your horse. Training program to meet your needs, whether your discipline is Dressage, Eventing, Hunters, Jumpers or Foxhunting. thestableonthewoods.com 603.785.0435
Vaughn Equestrian: offering training, sales, and boarding. Professionalism is the guiding principle of owners Darrell and Melissa Vaughn in shaping every component of Vaughn Equestrian. Dressage, Jumpers, Eventing & Young Horses. training and sales. vaughnequestrian.com (603) 785-0435
COMPANION ANIMALS
Trinity Farms Terriers: Irish Russell Terriers. Old World, Healthy 100 year old Bloodlines with proven calmer dispositions. Health & Dispositions guaranteed. Preservation breeders for 48 years. Donna Fitzpatrick 803-648-3137 easyjacks.com, trinityfarmskennel.com
CONSTRUCTION & GRADING & FARM SERVICES
G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 54 years. Specializing in hauling, grading, clearing, property maintenance, and excavation. We provide everything from several types of fill dirt, top soil, compost, mortar sands, crushed asphalt/concrete, to screenings and a variety of rocks. Roll-off containers and manure removal available. (803) 663-3715. Certified DBE. WOSB. www. glwdtrucking.com
EQUINE MASSAGE & FARRIER SERVICES
2 Hearts Equine Massage. Emily Engelhardt is a certified equine massage therapist who tailors each session to your horse’s needs using a combination of myofascial release, triggerpoint, sports massage, and core exercises/stretching techniques to help them feel fantastic and give you their best performance. MAGNAWAVE PEMF therapy and rentals also available. Contact 727-851-7107 to schedule your horse’s next bodywork session. www.2heartsequinemassage.net
Alyte Touch Equine Massage & Farrier Services: Revitalize your horse’s stride with farrier care and soothing equine massages. Enhance their performance with Alyte Touch. Accepting new clients! Schedule an appointment today: 607-223-9011 or on facebook.com/alytetouch
HAY
Round and Square Bales. Oakwood Farms: 3593 Silver Bluff Road, Aiken SC 29803. $60 per bale round hay bales. $70 per bale round bales kept inside. Square bales at $7.00 per bale. Will deliver for a small fee. Please call 803-645-8960
LB Performance Hay. From Farm to Stable. Local and imported hay; large or small quantities. Hay delivery and unloading. Lou Berizzi: 803-640-5484.
Hoss Luva Hay. Exceptional quality local Coastal Bermuda, Alfalfa mix & Canadian Timothy. Competitively priced. Will deliver statewide. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Jim McClain: 803.247.4803
INSURANCE
Betsy Minton, Sterling Thompson Equine, 803-617-8353. Now writing homeowners insurance for private residences. No horses required but certainly welcomed. Access to top-notch underwriters offering customized, affordable coverage. Still delivering excellent competitive insurance options for your horses and farms. betsyminton@sterlingthompson.com. Sterling Thompson Equine: 800 942 4258
INSTRUCTION/LESSONS
Amy McElroy. USDF Gold Medalist and USEF S judge. Instruction and training at all levels. Visit amymcelroy.com or call 803.640-4207.
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
REAL ESTATE/ RENTALS
Aiken Luxury Rentals. Fully furnished cottages; walk to downtown. Perfect for temporary assignments, or housing while you build. Work-from-home ready; high speed internet. Antique finishes & modern convenience. info@aikenluxuryrentals.com. aikenluxuryrentals.com. 803-648-2804.
Aiken Vacation Rentals. Comfortable, clean furnished homes. Downtown, Pet Friendly, Fast WiFi. info@aikenvacationrentals.com Call/Text (803) 216-5414 Locally owned small business. AirBnB Superhost.
Carolina Real Estate Company. Fine homes, estates and horse properties in Aiken, South Carolina. Let us welcome you home to AIKEN, Home of Horses, History & Hospitality! carolinahorseproperties.com. (803) 648-8660
Sharer Dale, Keller Williams Realty Aiken Partners. “Where town meets country.” sharerdale@gmail.com. 803.522.3648
Suzy Haslup, Meybohm. “Your Aiken Horse Real Estate Specialist.” Buying or selling in the most celebrated equine community in the South. ww.aikenhorserealty.com; 803-215-0153
Sullivan-Turner Team, Meybohm. Specializing in marketing & selling Aiken’s horse country properties. southernhorsefarms.com. 803215-4734.
Whisper Farm: Lodging for riders & horses. Every bedroom has stall & paddock! Close to foxhunting, eventing & polo in the 302 equestrian corridor east of Aiken. 410-924-1790. thewhisperfarm. com.
SADDLES/SADDLE FITTING
Melodie McGowan Saddle Fitting. Servicing all makes and models of English saddles. New and used saddles also available. 585-613-5000; melodie@mysaddle.com.
BOARDING/TURNOUT/ TRAINING
Dry stalls and full care available at Sporting Days Farm 150 acres with practice areas. Great for green horses. 803-226-2024 text preferred.
Chime Ridge Stables 803.508.3760
Dry Stalls, Barn Rental and SelfCare Pasture Rental w/ shelter. Short term or long term. RV hookups available on-premises. Route 302 Equestrian Corridor. Call or Text 703-203-0180 FARM SERVICES
G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 54 years. Hauling, grading, clearing, property maintenance, excavation.Several types of fill dirt, top soil, compost, mortar sands, crushed asphalt/concrete, to screenings and a variety of rocks. Roll-off containers & manure removal 803) 663-3715. Certified DBE. WOSB. www. glwdtrucking.com
Classifieds
“Gotta Hug”
Coming 4 year old 15.3 hand TB that has a really quiet temperament & loads of potential. He is currently jumping 2-ft verticles, practicing bending lines and gymnastics, and can comfortably canter out on the trail. Would make a fabulous event horse, first teen horse, or lesson horse for the right hunter jumper program. Unraced; comes with papers. Located in Troutman, NC.
$8500. Text 607-743-1309
Thoroughbred Mare
15.2 HDs, very sound. Started for polo but not her game! Nice on flat goes in light frame. Good on trails , not spooky. Call for more info & working on videos. Asking $3500 Wagener SC 803-295-8687
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.
HELP WANTED
Horse and Farm Care at Sporting Days Farm. Close to Aiken on Hwy 78. Beautiful facility; horse accommodations negotiable. Please text: 803 226 2024
“Tarragon”
Beautiful PRE Andalusian gelding bred by Royal Horse Farm PREs in Texas. He is super comfortable and has a very easy walk trot and canter. He has competed at local dressage schooling shows would be very suitable for an amateur rider. He is great on the trail and has a temperament that you will fall in love with. In your pocket type! He is 15.2 hands and located in Troutman, NC.
$30,000. Text 607-743-1309
Danziano “Zee”
9 year old registered Hanoverian. He loves to jump and is currently schooling 3’6’ and has room to go higher. Zee would make a fantastic jumper or equitation hunter. He has local show miles. He is 16.3 hands and located in Troutman, NC.
$30,000. Text 607-743-1309
HORSES & PETS
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 803-648-3137.
LAND FOR SALE
AIKEN LAND FOR SALE
Just Off 302 Corridor. Close to Polo, Hunting, Eventing. 20 direct minutes into town LOTS UP TO 40 acres. 410-9241790 thewhisperfarm.com. Brokers protected RENTALS/HOME SHARES
Aiken Luxury Rentals. Fully furnished cottages; walk to downtown. High speed internet. Antique finishes & modern convenience. 803-648-2804. info@aikenluxuryrentals.com. aikenluxuryrentals.com.
Aiken Vacation Rentals. Comfortable, clean furnished homes. Downtown, Pet Friendly, Fast WiFi. info@ aikenvacationrentals.com Call/ Text (803) 216-5414 AirBnB Superhost.
Equestrian Vacation Rentals: Bring your horses & your friends and enjoy riding on miles of wooded trails and dirt roads on beautiful Mill Race Farm. Two charming cottages to choose from, stables and pastures for your horses. This tranquil setting is only 10 minutes from downtown Aiken. CottagesMillRace@gmail. com (803)634-0177.
Whisper Farm: Lodging for riders and their horses. Every bedroom comes with a stall & paddock! Close to foxhunting, eventing & polo in the 302 Equestrian corridor east of Aiken. 410-924-1790. thewhisperfarm.com
DISPLAY ADS are available in a range of sizes. For a detailed rate sheet and publication schedule, visit our website: TheAikenHorse.com
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 December-January issue! Contact us for more details.
Subscribe: $36 per year. Check out on our website or send your check to Subscriptions, 705 Flowing Well Road. Wagener, SC 29164
Horses of Great Oak: Monday
“The Teenager”
By Pam Gleason
Monday, a 15-year-old Missouri Foxtrotter gelding, has a big fan club. He is unique among the horses at Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs because he is gaited. Instead of a bouncy trot, Missouri Foxtrotters have a unique four-beat ambling movement that does not jostle the rider and is easy to sit. Monday has a friendly temperament, he adapts to his rider or handler, and he knows how to connect with many different types people. This makes him an invaluable member of the Great Oak team. Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs, located a few miles from downtown Aiken, offers a range of horse-centered activities, including therapeutic riding for people with special needs, ground work with horses, and programs to provide equestrian information and experience to people in who might not otherwise be able to interact with horses.
“I always call him ‘the teenager,’ just because he’s kind of that lanky, long-legged boy who likes to be playful and get into trouble,” said Eva Finnan, who is a PATH certified riding instructor and the program director at Great Oak. “He’s got a very playful, big heart, and he just seems young, like a teenage boy with long legs, not quite used to his body.”
Monday started out life on a spectacular 1680-acre plantation in Allendale, South Carolina, where he was used for quail hunting and field trials. Shooting and field trial horses are invaluable, because they are able to keep up with the dogs, and they also give the hunter or dog handler a higher point of view so that it is easier to spot their animals in tall grass or undergrowth. Because many quail hunters are not dedicated horsemen, and because they might be out for long hours, smooth-gaited, tractable and easy-to-handle horses are especially prized.
ring and take it to a cone, and he’ll want to carry the ring too.”
One of Monday’s greatest assets, according to Eva, is that he is brave.
“The reason I call it brave is that if a horse has fear of something, as a flight animal, their first inclination would be to flee, get away from it,” said Eva. “If a horse is brave and they have the right leadership, they’re going to think, Okay, that’s a little bit spooky. I’m a bit worried. But they’re going to look at the leader, and say, Are you okay here? And when you say, Hey, we’re okay here, they calm down. They’re not going to flee. They get brave. That’s how Monday is.”
When people think of horses at places like Great Oak, they might imagine that the best horse is one that is totally quiet and spook-proof, but this is not really the case.
“Monday is reactive, and we want him to be reactive,” said Eva. “Students can learn from it if a horse spooks; we ask them, what does that make you feel is going on in the horse’s head? What’s the horse thinking?”
Being reactive is also important in ground work sessions, where Monday really shines. He has helped young girls who have been bullied rediscover their self-worth, and allowed women coming from abusive situations assert themselves again. They learn this by discovering how to influence the horse, for instance, how to ask him to back up or move over in a way that he will listen and obey.
“I call it making a declaration to the horse,” said Eva. “If he hears it, and feels the authenticity in it, he will give you what you need.” Multiple students have broken down in tears after a session with Monday, saying “I think he really understands what I am going through.”
In 2017, when Monday was 8 years old, the owner of the plantation, who was in his 70s, died. The Aiken-based realtor and horsewoman Sharer Dale had the listing to sell the property, and she discovered that Monday had been left there, with no real plan for his future. She took him back to her farm, and then arranged to donate him to Great Oak. He was a sweet horse who deserved a good home, she said on his intake papers. A jumper rider herself, he did not fit into her program, but she thought Great Oak might be just the right place.
At the time, Great Oak was just getting started at its beautiful facility on Edgefield Highway, and they accepted Monday as one of the first horses in the program. No one there had ever had a gaited horse before, however, and they were not quite sure what to make of him. To ride, he was very narrow, and it could be difficult to tell exactly what his legs were doing when he moved off. Not only was he gaited, he was also barely trained. Although he had no problem at all being ridden, he also had zero concept of ring work, and his steering was rudimentary. But his sense of humor and his good heart made up for any shortcomings and he quickly earned his place as one of Great Oak’s most trusted horses. He has been to the Special Olympics many times, as well as to the Aiken Horse Show in the Woods and the Aiken Christmas Parade.
“He’s a playful horse,” said Eva. “We use cones in some of our sessions, and he’ll go over and pick them up and move them around. We have all sorts of games and toys we use – maybe we’ll tell a student to pick up a
Under saddle, Monday is especially good for students who are learning to trot since it is so easy to sit his smooth gait, and he is the perfect horse for people with physical disabilities or bad backs. One of the Great Oak programs is Silver Saddles, which are sessions designed for “mature women who seek to increase their balance, coordination, flexibility and strength while in the saddle.” Some of the Silver Saddlers are women who want to get back into riding after recovering from accidents, illness or injuries. Monday has some particular fans in the Silver Saddles group, including Dr. Mary Lu Thompson, who rode Monday for a time to restore her strength and confidence after some orthopedic issues kept her out of the saddle.
“I just loved him,” she said. “There was something special about him. He’s fun, and I trusted him immediately … we just hit it off. And every time I rode him, I trusted him more, to the point where I cantered, for the first time in six years. He made me laugh, and he was just what you want when you’re building yourself back up. I had so much fun with him.”
The staff at Great Oak agree that one of the best things about Monday is how much he likes his job. He has grown into his role and has never become at all sour – instead he has just become more interested and engaged.
“He’s a very inviting horse,” said Grace Flanders, a PATH certified instructor. “He’ll always come up to you in the paddock; he’ll come up to anyone. I think he’s figured out that this is his life, and he really enjoys it.”
Great Oak Equine Assisted Programs is a 501c3 charitable institution. Sponsor Monday or another horse, donate or volunteer: www.greatoakeap.org; Follow on Facebook: www.facebook.com/Greatoakeap
Dr. Mary Lu Thompson on Monday
Fall Polo: Aiken and New Bridge Polo Clubs
Photography by Pam Gleason
The presents: DEMOCATS DEMOCATS
Aiken Area Calendar of Events
October
2-6 Tryon Fall 3 H/J. Tryon International. 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756. tryon.com; 828-863-1000.
5-6 Palmetto Paint Horse Club. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden. Lindsay McKnight: 843-995-2476 hardeelanefarms@gmail.com
5-6 G DCTA Atlanta Fall National Dressage Show. Georgia Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway NE, Conyers. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com. Caren Caverly: (770) 7134025, ccaverly@comcast.net
6 Women’s Fall Challenge 4-8 Goal Final. Aiken Polo Club. Tiger Kneece, 803-646-3301; Hotline: 803-643-3611.
6 USPA Association Cup 8 Goal Final. New Bridge Polo & Country Club. 862 New Bridge Rd, Aiken. Haley Bryan Manager: 803-215-3577. Hotline: 803-644-7706. newbridgepolo.com.
7-20 USPA Women’s East Coast Open 14-18 Goal. New Bridge Polo & Country Club. 862 New Bridge Rd, Aiken. Manager: Haley Bryan 803-215-3577. Hotline: 803-644-7706. newbridgepolo.com.
9-13 Equus Tryon Fall 4. Tryon International. 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756. Equus Events, J. P. Godard. equusevents. com. equusevents@aol.com, 803-646-6961
9-27 USPA Northrup Knox Cup 8 Goal. New Bridge Polo & Country Club. 862 New Bridge Rd, Aiken. Haley Bryan Manager: 803215-3577. Hotline: 803-644-7706. newbridgepolo.com.
11-13 Carolinas CHA Sunshine Circuit Finals. C Equine Park. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden. scequinepark.org. Nicholas Johnson. 919-625-1677. nic@performanceglassinc.com
11-26 Kim Snider 4 Goal. Wagener Polo Club. wagenerpolo.com. Bill Raab: 561-719-3318.
12 Chukkers for Charity. La Bourgogne Club de Polo, 1150 Coleman Bridge Rd., Wagener, SC. labourgognepoloclub@ gmail.com Facebook: La Bourgogne Club de Polo LLC
12 Southern Series Mounted Games. Georgia Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway NE, Conyers. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com.
12-13 Newton County Saddle Club Open Horse Show. Georgia Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway NE, Conyers. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com. Kathy Johnson: 678-8733019. www.newtoncountysaddleclub.com
12-13 USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Poplar Place Farm. 457 Kingsboro Road, Hamilton, GA 31811. poplarplacefarm.com. show@ poplarplacefarm.com. 706-681-8748
12-13 Dream Big Equestrian IEA Horse Show. Georgia Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway NE, Conyers. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com.
19 Highfields Just for Fun Show. PSJ Shows. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com
19 La Bourgogne Womens Invitational, Presented by A is for Advertising. La Bourgogne Club de Polo, 1150 Coleman Bridge Rd., Wagener, SC. labourgognepoloclub@gmail.com Facebook: La Bourgogne Club de Polo LLC
19 Spooktacular Classic. GDCTA Schooling Dressage, Jumping, 3-phase. Poplar Place Farm. 457 Kingsboro Road, Hamilton, GA 31811. poplarplacefarm.com. show@poplarplacefarm.com. 706-681-8748
19-20 SCDCTA Oktoberfest Schooling Show. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Rd, Camden, SC 29020. scdcta. com. scdcta.webmaster@gmail.com
20 USPA Women’s East Coast Open 14-18 Goal Final & Ponies & Pearls Fundraiser. New Bridge Polo & Country Club. 862 New Bridge Rd, Aiken. Haley Bryan Manager: 803-215-3577. Hotline: 803-644-7706. newbridgepolo.com.
20 Full Gallop Farm October Schooling HT II. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener, Rd., Aiken, 29805. fullgallopfarm.com. Lara Anderson, fullgallopfarm@gmail.com. 803-215-6590.
20-27 Women’s Fall Challenge 8-12 Goal. Aiken Polo Club, Tiger Kneece: 803-646-3301; aikenpolo.org. Hotline: 803-643-3611.
21 2024 Playing Fore the Pets Golf Tournament. The Reserve Club At Woodside, 3000 The Reserve Club Dr. fotasaiken.org.
23 Year End Schooling Show, Harvest Classic. Poplar Place Farm. 457 Kingsboro Road, Hamilton, GA 31811. poplarplacefarm. com. show@poplarplacefarm.com. 706-681-8748
23-27 Women’s 6-goal Polo Tournament. O. Cepeda Polo Club. 3054 Gardenia Road, Blackville, SC. ocfarm.weebly.com. Omar & Maria Cepeda. 561-762-4506.
23-27 Tryon Fall 6. Tryon International. 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756. tryon.com; 828-863-1000.
24-27 October at Bruce’s Field, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. Equus Events, J. P. Godard. equusevents.com. equusevents@aol. com, 803-646-6961
24-25 Bouckaert Equestrian Eventing Horse Trials 4 at Bouckaert Farm. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. 770.892.2117 equestrian@BouckaertFarm.com; BouckaertFarm.com
25 Yappy Hour. SPCA Albrecht Center for Animal Welfare 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. letlovelive.org.
25-Nov 9 Eloy Escapite Memorial 6 Goal; USPA Masters Cup $2,500 orize money. Wagener Polo Club. wagenerpolo.com. Bill Raab: 561-719-3318.
26-27 SCQHA Spooktacular. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, Nichole Veasey 803-2405785, scquarterhorse@gmail.com scequinepark.com
25-27 SCDCTA Oktoberfest Schooling Show & Schooling Show Championship. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Rd, Camden, SC 29020. Carol Freiligh. treasurer@ scdcta.com. 843-857-6229
25-27 Tryon Fall Dressage 3. Tryon International. 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756. tryon.com; 828-863-1000. Show manager: Monica Fitzgerald: 954-647-7940.mon1206@aol.com.
25-Nov 3 Copa de Plata 8 Goal. New Bridge Polo & Country Club. 862 New Bridge Rd, Aiken. Haley Bryan Manager: 803-2153577. Hotline: 803-644-7706. newbridgepolo.com.
25 Aiken Driving Club Annual Meeting. Gaston Livery Stable. aikendrivingclub.org.
26 Sporting Days Farm Schooling Show. Sporting Days Farm,3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken 29801. Sportingdaysfarm.com; Text Joannah Hall Glass 803-226-2024.
26 The Mane Event benefitting USC Aiken. La Bourgogne Club de Polo, 1150 Coleman Bridge Rd., Wagener, SC. labourgognepoloclub@gmail.com Facebook: La Bourgogne Club de Polo LLC
27 Hunter Pace. The Vista Schooling & Event Center. schoolthevista.com; 803-262-5263, vistaschooling@gmail.com.
1-3 Tryon Fall Finale. Tryon International. 25 International Blvd., Mill Spring, NC 28756. tryon.com; 828-863-1000.
2 Wild West In Aiken Cowboy Show & Cookout to benefit Great Oak Equine Assisted Progams. 1123 Edgefield HwyAiken. Tickets: www.greatoakeap.org
2-3 USHJA Hunters & Jumpers In & Out Series. Stable View. 117 Stable Drive, Aiken 29801. 484-356-3173. info@ stableviewfarm; stableviewfarm.com.
2-3 Paso Fino Show. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Rd, Camden, SC 29020. scequinepark.org
3 Halloween Open Fun Show with mounted games & costume contest. Full Gallop Farm. 3828 Wagener, Rd., Aiken, 29805. fullgallopfarm.com. Lara Anderson, fullgallopfarm@gmail.com. 803-215-6590.
7-10 Atlanta Fall Classic I. USEF National A Rated. Bouckaert Farm. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. Equus Events, J. P. Godard. equusevents.com. equusevents@aol.com, 803-646-6961
14-17 Atlanta Fall Classic II. USEF National A Rated. Bouckaert Farm. 9445 Browns Lake Rd, Fairburn, GA. Equus Events, J. P. Godard. equusevents.com. equusevents@aol.com, 803-646-6961
20 Unleashed: An Improv Comedy Show supporting the SPCA Albrecht Center. Aiken Community Theatre, 126 Newberry Street SW Aiken. 803-648-6863. Jade@LetLoveLive.org
4-17 Heart of the Turf: Racing’s Black Pioneers Exhibit. Aiken Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame & Museum. Hopelands Gardens at 135 Dupree Place, Aiken. aikenracinghalloffame.com
5-8 Aiken December Classics I . Bruce’s Field Aiken Horse Park. 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. Equus Events, J. P. Godard. equusevents.com. equusevents@aol.com, 803-646-6961
6-1 SCHJA Palmetto Finals. South Carolina Equine Park, 443 Cleveland School Rd, Camden, SC 29020.scequinepark.com
7 Holiday Horse Show. Great Oak Equine Assisted Progams. 1123 Edgefield Hwy Aiken. www.greatoakeap.org
7 December Dressage Tests of Choice. Full Gallop Farm. 3828 Wagener, Rd., Aiken, 29805. fullgallopfarm.com. Lara Anderson, fullgallopfarm@gmail.com. 803-215-6590.
7-8
USEF-USDF Winter Dressage Series I & II. Poplar Place Farm. 457 Kingsboro Road, Hamilton, GA 31811. poplarplacefarm. com. show@poplarplacefarm.com. 706-681-8748
8 December USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm. 3828 Wagener, Rd., Aiken, 29805. fullgallopfarm.com. Lara Anderson, fullgallopfarm@gmail.com. 803-215-6590.
12-15 Aiken December Classics I . Bruce’s Field Aiken Horse Park. 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. Equus Events, J. P. Godard. equusevents.com. equusevents@aol.com, 803-646-6961
