December-January 2019-2020 by Aiken Horse Productions

Volume 15 • Number 3 •

December-January 2019-2020

Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt, REALTOR®

803.640.4591

Aiken, South Carolina — Southern Charm and Equestrian Sport

215 BERRIE ROAD HENLEY HOUSE SOUTH — MLS #109084

Timeless Elegance in the Heart of Aiken’s Historic District. Circa 1917 Fully Restored Winter Colony luxury estate on 5.62 private, manicured acres. Property is adjacent to The Palmetto Golf Club. Residents may ride their horses directly into the Hitchcock Woods without crossing any busy roads. This iconic 7200 sq ft residence has 5 BDRMS and 7.5 BTHS and separate staff apartment. Formal living room and dining rooms look out over expansive rear patio for gracious outdoor entertaining with views of landscaped grounds. Gourmet Kitchen has room for a breakfast table in sunny bow window; butler’s pantry makes entertaining easy. Paneled library has access to the atrium that houses the indoor swimming pool. Converted Carriage House has an elegant 2 BDRM 1 BTH guest apartment over 2 car garage and a 1 BDRM 1 BTH Groom’s apartment. The turnkey stable has large stalls, feed room, tack room, wash stall and ample storage for hay and bedding .5 large grass paddocks and flat grass fenced jump/dressage arena. The property is fully perimeter fenced for dogs and horses. It is gated with 2 automatic, gated entrances for house and barn. Escape to one of Aiken’s most captivating, storied Winter Colony estates and experience our charmed lifestyle TODAY!

www.AikenSCProperties.com 2

The Aiken Horse

December-January 2019-2020

SuzyHaslup_TAH_Sept2019.qxp_Layout 1 9/22/19 2:22 PM Page 1

KATYDID FARM

$1.1 MILLION Accredited Land Consultant An Accredited Land Consultant, Suzy achieved the title of Leading Sales Agent in 2013, 2015 & 2016. Her 2017 & 2018 achievements include Meybohm’s “Best of the Best” & President’s Club, as well as 2018 RLI APEX award for top producing land real estate agents.

Home to one of the few international driving competitions in N.A. this farm is suitable for any equestrian operation. Property has over 112 A w/hay fields, established pastures, 2 center aisle barns (18 stalls), 5 run-in sheds, equipment shed w/RV hookup & hay barn. Split bedroom stickbuilt home w/3 bedrooms/2 baths, hardwood floors & fireplace. Meticulously cared for property w/trail system for conditioning eventing, driving, or polo horses. Contiguous 105 A with trails is available.

LAKE SEIVERN

$700,000

Come home to your own private paradise! Gorgeous 134 A recreational tract w/124 A of timber & portion of 50 A Lake Seivern located less than 30 minutes from downtown Aiken and less than 50 minutes from Columbia. As-is 3 BR/2 BA house and garage included. Enjoy great fishing, boating (electric), kayaking or sailing!

COLLEGE ACRES

$129,000

Brick southiside ranch w/3BR/2BA on large private lot in College Acres w/County only taxes & no HOA. Newer hardwood floors & ductwork, roof & AC less than 5 years, cozy wood stove in family room, public water & all appliances are included. Great home for the winter horse person, first time buyer or rental investor. Bring all offers.

WOOD’S END WAY

$648,000

Ride into the Hitchcock Woods from your new construction light filled 3 BR/3.5 BA custom hardiplank home with 3 stall barn, wash stall, tack room, storage & fenced turnout on 3.51 A with the ability to purchase more land. Wood floors, high ceilings, gas fireplace & chef’s kitchen with granite counters. Available to rent. Must see!

CLARK BARN

$549,000

Historic brick barn winner of the Aiken Historic Foundations 2015 Stewardship Award. Currently 6 stalls, wash stall, feed room, storage, tack room w/whitewashed brick, central HVAC, bath, laundry, pine cabinetry & office/lounge with appliances. Covered walking ring w/garden, patio & fountain. 5 irrigated paddocks. Access to miles of dirt roads, Winthrop polo field & Hitchcock Woods. Conservation easement restricts a residence.

HOPELAND FARMS

$629,000

Custom hardiplank open floor plan w/3 BR/3BA on main level & large bonus. Hardwood floors, fireplace & all appliances included Over 5 A for your horses, run-in sheds, 2 stall barn w/tack & feed room & ample newly fenced paddocks. Screened porch leads to entertaining decks with stone fireplace, waterfall spa & saltwater infinity pool. Extensive trail system.

COKER SPRINGS

$749,900

Flutterby Acre Farm is steps away from Hitchcock Woods for you, your horses and dogs! Renovated circa 1932 5 BR/3 BA cedar shake home on 1 acre w/paddocks & 4 stall barn. Random width tobacco barn heart pine floors downstairs with 9’ & 10’ ceilings, deep baseboards, fireplaces, upstairs with huge bonus/ studio with built ins & 3 additional bedrooms. Screened porch & kitchen lead to large stamped concrete patio w/waterfall feature. Prime location.

www.AikenHorseRealty.com (803) 215-0153 • suzy.haslup@gmail.com December-January 2019-2020

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WELCOME TO THE SOUTH

YOU’VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF...

finehomesofaiken.com

THE BALCONY is the most prestigious equestrian estate in Aiken, a comfortable showplace in the heart of Aiken’s “Winter Colony.” Close to all equestrian venues, the 5.85-acre compound is a peaceful sanctuary within tall masonry walls. The elegant slate-roofed residence shows refined craftsmanship in every detail. Stately formal rooms. 6 ensuite bedrooms w/fireplaces. Kitchen, laundry, & utilities are all updated. Exquisite gardens & lawns. 20-stall stable, 3-BR cottage, swimming pool, large paddocks. $2,450,000

SNIPES POND is a 4028 sf renovated historic plantation home on 46 acres of beautiful rolling farm land. The top-quality renovation by skilled craftsmen from Reynolds Co. offers modern amenities such as a granite kitchen island, French country sink, walk-in closets, ceiling fans, & security system. multiple porches on both floors, and handsome wood floors. The 46.31 acres are ideal for farming, horses, other recreation or quiet enjoyment. Additional acreage available. $769,900

ROCKING HORSE: 19.5-acre horse farm with a

PENDING

SOLD

HIGH COTTON FARM This equestrian estate has a 4 BR/4 BA residence and 4 or 5 stall barn with charming apartment, all on 12.47 acres. Located close to town, the farm has 5 fenced grass paddocks and an electric gate entrance. The home has: new roof, numerous upgrades, tankless water heater, and new interior colors. Gas heat, thermal-pane windows. Extra-large master suite downstairs. $825,000

FOXCHASE Immaculate 2783 sq.ft. brick ranch home on beautiful 1.7-acre lot in Foxchase equestrian community. 3 BR & 2.5 BA, plus storage in 9 closets & 3 floored attic spaces. Updated w/ thermopane windows, 2-year old gas pack for bedrooms, dual fuel generator, irrigation system w/ well, recent master bath. Large kitchen w/Corian countertops. 5 parking bays plus workshop. $365,000

SNIPES POND ROAD 16 wooded acres available

SHELBORNE FARM is a gracious 4 BR 4.5 BA

for use as a residence, farm, hunting land or whatever your heart desires. Short trip to I-20, about 12 minutes to downtown Aiken, and close to Aiken’s equestrian schooling and event facilities. Beautifully forested in pines and oaks, the land is level and easy to clear for pasture. Adjacent to marvelous horse farm. No mobile homes. Motivated seller is asking $83,000

PENDING

custom residence on 50 acres with magnificent views. Interior features are 5 fireplaces, granite counter tops, 2nd floor observation deck, wood floors, stunning 2-story great room, and a framed-in apartment over the garage. Six-stall barn with wash rack & feed room, dressage ring, 150x300 huinter-jumper ring. Board-fenced pastures. Three-car garage. $799,900

KELLER WILLIAMS AIKEN PARTNERS

803 / 640 / 0123

Southern Living residence in Pacific Northwest styling. Magnificent 2-story great room is the centerpiece of this brilliant open floor plan. Vintage interior doors. Energy efficient home w/fiberglass exterior. Reclaimed heart pine floors & art deco tile. Master suite with walk-in shower. Two barns w/5 stalls, tack room, wash area, & hay storage. Many more amenities. Property can be subdivided. Private equestrian community near Aiken w/ riding trails, dressage ring, & jump field. $765,000

The Aiken Horse

TOLT TRAIL Aiken horse farm in fine condition. Almost 20 acres. Adjacent to Performance Equine Vet. Center. Great floor plan. Oak & vinyl floors. Top-quality kitchen, bay-window breakfast room. Master suite with views & large walk-in closet; adjacent 4th bedroom is excellent office. Propane for gas logs & tankless water heater. The deck, HVAC and well pump were new in 2018. Whole house generator. Saltwater pool with Badu swimming current. 4-stall barn w/water & electricity, feed storage, & tack room w/shelving. 5 turn-outs with 3 run-in sheds. One paddock is ideal as dressage field. $539,000

BERRY FARM is an absolutely beautiful 16.89acre farm in Johnston, SC. Originally a tree far, it has grasslands, fruit trees, and lovely gardens. Single wide home and unfinished main residence plus many well-maintained outbuildings. Motivated Sellers asking only $175,000

The finest farms in Aiken, South Carolina. Call 803-640-0123 for estates, farms, homes & land.

December-January 2019-2020

The Aiken Horse

December-January 2019-2020

SECTION 10 18 20 26 28

News and Notes Katydid CDE Gift Guide Dream Trips to Spain Wagener Milling

Our Cover features Paul Maye from Virginia coming out of the water hazard with his 4-in-hand at the Katydid CDE. Photography by Gary Knoll.

SECTION 42 44 48 53 54 56

Aiken Peter, a 3-year-old Amerian Foxhound at the annual Blessing of the Hounds at Memorial Gate in the Hitchcock Woods, Thanksgiving Day. Photography by Pam Gleason.

Sarah Dodge Dressage Secret Lives: Corliss Opening Meet Ask the Judge Kinova Positive Community

SECTION

Six goal finals action at Aiken Polo Club. Dennys Santana backs the ball at Whitney Field. Photography by Pam Gleason

December-January 2019-2020

64 66 68 69 72 75 82

Interview: Adam Snow 2019 in Review Classifieds Directory of Services Polo in Pictures Calendar Index of Advertisers

The Aiken Horse

December-January 2019-2020

Aiken

The

Horse

Aiken’s Horse Publication

P.O. Box 332 • Montmorenci, SC 29839-0332 • 803.643.9960 • TheAikenHorse.com • TheAikenHorse@gmail.com Time Dated Material • Periodicals • Volume 15 • Number 3

inter is here. The horses’ coats are thick and soft, the color has drained from the grass, and the days are distressingly short. But winter in Aiken has its own attractions. Afternoons are warm, the air is fresh, and it’s a perfect time to ride. Our horses are especially happy these days, too. There’s an awful lot of galloping and playing in the turnout, horses being horses, enjoying their power and speed. After a long hot season, they’re enjoying the coolness. And even though we might complain when we have an especially cold snap, it’s nice to know that it won’t last long. Spring will be here before you know it. At The Aiken Horse we tend to emphasize the positive. But we know that there are also more difficult stories out there, and that the horse world has been going through a relatively tough period. With the rise of the Internet age and increased scrutiny of every aspect of our lives, it is no surprise that dark secrets are being revealed in the horse world, as they have been in so many other spheres. As a paper with a local perspective, we have not had to confront many of these issues head-on, but we do realize they are out there. The first difficult subject has to do with horse racing. The rate at which racehorses have been breaking down at the track is far too high. Especially with the rash of accidents at Santa Anita (highlighted by the death of Mongolian Groom at the Breeder’s Cup in November) this has attracted the attention of the entire country. There have been articles in major newspapers and voices calling for significant changes, even for a ban on racing. Although this unlikely to happen, if there are changes to the racing industry, they could have a profound effect on other horse sports. This may also herald the beginning of new surveillance of other disciplines, which might be advised to update practices and attitudes to conform to 2020 standards of humane care and treatment of horses. All of these issues are controversial, and likely to elicit strong arguments on every side, with some horsemen

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welcoming more stringent standards and others rebelling against any hint of external control. The second difficult subject has to do with the abuse of minors. Although many horsemen have known about inappropriate relationships and predatory behaviors for a long time, these things have generally just been whispered about. But after the exposure of abuse in other sports and societies, it was only a matter of time before equestrians started their own reckoning. This reckoning started with shocking revelations about the Show Jumping Hall of Fame trainer Jimmy Williams, who died in 1993. Over the past months the issue hit home when the legendary showjumping coach and trainer George Morris, now 81, was banned for life from the United States Equestrian Federation as the result of relationships he pursued four decades ago. The reaction in the horse world has been sharply divided between outrage at his expulsion, and astonishment that it took so long for anyone to do anything about him. The Morris ban came about as the result of the USEF’s relationship with SafeSport. Many people in the horse world seem to be confused about what SafeSport is and where it gets its authority. We have a comprehensive article about that organization in the works. Look for it in our February-March issue. On a sunnier note, we have another full issue for you and we hope you enjoy it. This issue includes our annual gift guide for horsemen – we hope this inspires everyone to finish their Christmas shopping somewhere local. It is often said that shopping at a small business is the best way to support the economy, and we think this is especially important for the Aiken horse community. It’s crucial for our newspaper, too. After all, The Aiken Horse can only be free to pick up and read because is it supported by advertising, almost all of which comes from small businesses in the area. If you enjoy our stories and pictures, shopping local is the best way you can keep them coming. Like us, our local businesses are devoted to the horse community and to our special history and culture. Everywhere, the world is tending to become dominated by large corporations with more generic offerings. Local businesses buck that trend, keeping Aiken the unique place that it is. Shop local to keep Aiken, Aiken. We know we will. Have a wonderful holiday season!

The Aiken Horse EDITOR & PUBLISHER Pam Gleason

ART DIRECTOR Gary Knoll

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jean Berko Gleason

LAYOUT & DESIGN Gary Knoll

PHOTOGRAPHERS Pam Gleason Gary Knoll

ADVERTISING

803.643.9960 editor@theaikenhorse.com

Going Out Of Town? Don’t miss future issues of The Aiken Horse. We will send you a one year subscription (6 issues) for $24.00. Send check or CC # & your mailing address: P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 Or sign up on the web at www.TheAikenHorse. com

Aiken

The

Horse

Aiken’s Horse Publication

Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher

The Aiken Horse Policies: The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers, editors, or the policies of The Aiken Horse, LLC. The Aiken Horse is owned by The Aiken Horse, LLC.

December-January 2019-2020

The Aiken Horse

News and Notes By Pam Gleason

Season Preview

What will this winter be like in Aiken? In a word: active. The competition calendar here continues to expand and we have some exciting changes and new offerings in 2020. In the hunter/jumper world, for instance, we are seeing a new level of collaboration among the horse show organizers. Rick and

destination for hunter/jumper people,” says Tara Bostwick who is the vice president of the Aiken Horse Park Foundation. “It’s nice to have a Carolinas series right here in Aiken, so people don’t have to go to Florida or somewhere else.” Stable View will hold three recognized

Get ready for Grand Prix Eventing at the Aiken Horse Park, February 28-29

Cathy Cram of Progressive Show Jumping have moved their first two shows of the year ( January 3-5 and 10-12) from their own showgrounds at Highfields Event Center to Bruce’s Field at the Aiken Horse Park. These two shows will be followed by two weeks of shows put on by Equus Events ( January 1719 and January 31-February 2) thus creating a four week series of National rated shows to start the year off at the park. “I’m excited about all of us working together to promote Aiken as a winter

shows of its own. These will start with their Winter Classic (February 19-23) and culminate in the Stable View Spring Classics I and II in March and April. The April show runs from the 8th through the 14th, just one week before the Premier rated Aiken Spring Classic Masters, put on by Progressive Show Jumping at Highfields. This will mark the start of six full weeks of Premier rated shows, including two weeks of the Aiken Charity Horse Show in May and two weeks of Classic Company shows in June, both at Bruce’s Field in the Aiken Horse Park. Dressage riders will continue to enjoy their own series of recognized shows split between the Aiken Horse Park and Stable View. Stable View also has schooling dressage and hunter jumper shows almost every month, along with their popular Eventing Academy

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schooling horse trials. Bruce’s Field has a complementary series of schooling opportunities: the popular “Tuesdays in the Park” run every Tuesday from January 7 through March 17, offering your choice of schooling jumper trips ($30 apiece) or dressage trips ($25 apiece.) If you want to get show miles on a horse, you can’t beat Aiken this winter for price or availability. On the eventing front, spectators who enjoyed the LiftMaster Grand Prix Eventing Showcase last year will be glad to know that it will be making its return to the Aiken Horse Park on February 28-29. This is a form of eventing with a shortened, spectator-friendly cross country course, set at the Advanced level. Last year, members of various international eventing teams used the competition as a warm-up for the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru. Riders explained that this kind of competition was useful to them because it exposed their horses to a version of the types of crowds they are likely to see at a major international competition. This year, we are likely to see many of the same Olympic and upper level riders back to vie for a share of the $50,000 in prize money. After all, the Tokyo Olympics is on the horizon. Tickets are on sale now! In addition, we have recognized horse trials at Sporting Days, Paradise Farm, Full Gallop and Stable View. Stable View, which holds the first recognized event of the new year ( January 18-19), will have an exciting upper level competition at the end of March: the Designer Builders Stable View Spring CCI-S. This is an FEI event, the second FEI eventing competition ever to be held in Aiken. (The first was the 2019 Oktoberfest, also at Stable View.) Like the GPE showcase at Bruce’s Field, the Designer Builders event offers $50,000 in prize money, split among the 1, 2, 3, and 4 star divisions. It will be a gala affair, including a “Dinner with the Stars” dinner dance on Friday at the completion of the dressage phase. Everything isn’t for the English disciplines of course. January sees the return of the Augusta Cutting Futurity to the James Brown Arena. This brings almost two weeks of action to downtown Augusta, with cutting, professional bull riding, the Wrangler Family Fun Fest, a horse and stallion auction, and vendors from across country. The event runs from January 19-25. What else? Driving enthusiasts have a handful of competitions to look forward to this winter and spring, starting with the Small but Mighty CDE for VSEs on February 15 out in Windsor. VSEs are “very

December-January 2019-2020

small equines,” which is the modern term for what we used to call miniature horses. This is followed in March by the three day Windsor Trace CDE (March 20-22) which should attract some accomplished driving competitors. In April, there is an Aiken Driving Club pleasure show. Aiken Youth Polo is making good use of the polo arena at New Bridge, holding regular practices and occasional matches. These days, AYP includes an interscholastic team and an intercollegiate team, and they are very competitive. Other polo players will be organizing informal practices for green horses at fields across the county. The foxhunting season is in full swing, with action reaching a crescendo in February, when we have Whiskey Road Hunt Week and various hunt balls. We have hunter paces, clinics and schooling shows in various disciplines. Pretty much every day there is some organized activity to do with a horse. Are you ready?

he must not have had more than 15 post-track training rides before December 1, 2019. The competition is held at the Kentucky Horse Park and the ten winners of each discipline return to the ring for the finale and the chance to be named the overall champion. Bragging rights come with cash incentives: the winner of each discipline gets $5,000 and the grand champion gets $10,000. Although the cash prizes are certainly attractive, most trainers do it for love rather than for money. There are some changes to the rules this year. The most significant is the way the champion

to rank the finalists from 1-10. The judges’ scores will be averaged for each horse and the one with the highest number will win. There will also be a people’s choice award selected by texted votes. This will be an award for charity and the winner will choose what charity is granted the prize. If you are hoping to compete, be sure to get your application in soon, and make it as complete and convincing as you can. The RRP attracts more applicants every year, and the organizers are under pressure not to let the size of the competition get out of hand.

will be chosen. In the past, the big winner was known as “America’s Most Wanted OTTB,” and was selected, reality-TV-style, by texted votes. This year, the finale will be judged. The judges from all ten disciplines will be asked

If you specialize in one of the more popular disciplines (show hunter, show jumper, eventer, dressage) there will be a lot of people trying out for a limited number of spaces. However, field hunter, competitive trail,

Got OTTB?

Thoroughbred lovers are probably already aware that the applications to compete in the 2020 Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover opened on December 1. If you want to try your skill, you have until January 15, 2020 to send in your application. You don’t have to have a horse already: you have until July 31, 2020 to track down a likely project and start training. But veterans of the event know time is of the essence: the Thoroughbred Makeover and National Symposium is in early October, just 10 months away. That’s not a lot of time to prepare a horse to show in a whole new discipline. Created to showcase the versatility of horses retiring from the racetrack, the Thoroughbred makeover offers competitions in ten different disciplines: eventing, show jumper, show hunter, dressage, polo, freestyle, barrel racing, competitive trail, field hunter, and ranch work. To be eligible to compete in this year’s event, the horse must have run in a race or had a recorded workout on or after July 1, 2018 and

We offer a wide range of fencing, including equestrian properties and residential privacy fencing. Run in and storage sheds are also available.

Free estimates and design assistance Contact John at (803) 292-5161 December-January 2019-2020

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ranch work, barrel racing and polo all tend to have fewer entries, and it might be easier for trainers from one of those disciplines to secure a spot. The smallest discipline last year was polo – it featured several Aiken based trainers. Organizers would like to see the polo competition grow, and so do some of the competitors. For instance, Trey Schott, a veterinarian and polo player based in Versailles, Kentucky has competed in the polo division along with his son Buck ever since the RRP finals came to the Kentucky Horse Park. (Buck won the polo discipline this year.) Trey is a circuit governor of the USPA and he would like to see the organization step up and offer some matching prize money for the polo winner in order to encourage more participation. Stay tuned. (retiredracehorseproject.org)

Farewell to Top Hats

It has finally happened. Top hats are officially obsolete. Haven’t they been out of style for a long time, you might ask? For most things, yes, of course. But if you were a dressage rider they were very much the fashion. As recently as 10 years ago, many dressage riders in the U.S. and elsewhere always competed in a top hat. People who did wear safety helmets worried that the judges would mark them

down, assuming their horses were unruly or that they were afraid of falling. Then the United States Equestrian Federation changed its rules, making protective headgear mandatory for anyone riding Fourth level and below. This turned the top hat into a status symbol: if you were permitted to wear one, it meant you were an upper level rider: you were special. A few years ago, the USEF tightened its rules to require protective headgear for all riders at national shows, regardless of what level they were riding. The top hat survived, however, since FEI shows still permitted top hats instead of helmets. If you were riding at an FEI show, you could do your Grand Prix test in a top hat, no problem: the FEI rules superseded the USEF rules, even if the show was in the US. This November, the FEI national assembly met in Moscow, where they unanimously approved a new rule requiring protective head gear for anyone who is on a horse at the show grounds at all times, inside or outside of the arena. The new rules leave open the possibility that an individual country’s own regulations might permit a rider to remove a helmet during an awards ceremony or when the national anthem is being played. Otherwise, they specify that someone on a horse without a helmet might be issued a

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yellow card. The new rules will not go into effect until January 1, 2021. Normally when the FEI makes a November rule change, it takes effect at the beginning of the next calendar year. But delegates from some of the European nations were concerned about having enough helmets in their stores to outfit all the riders who will be turning in their satin and silk for something a little more safe and sturdy. There is even talk about manufacturing a “safety top hat” to keep the traditional look. (This has been attempted before, but with little commercial success – basically it has consisted of a top hat cover that fits over a safety helmet.) “Tradition is important in our sport, but it is difficult to not follow the medical community’s advice. There’s really no strong argument against the use of protective headgear in dressage, except that it’s a tradition,” said Frank Kemperman, the chair of the FEI dressage committee. Makers of safety helmets in places like the Netherlands may be ramping up to make hats for all their dressage riders, which will surely create jobs and boost the bottom line of local tack shops. But what about the makers of top hats? What is to become of them? Continued on page 25

December-January 2019-2020

eXcePtional show BaRn on 22 acRes

EQUESTRIAN PARADISE on 14 acRes in BRIDLE CREEK

Big tRee FaRm - est. PastuRes & Polo Field

2026 mcdougal Road | $1,095,000

1050 cleaR cReek couRt | $1,595,000

490 Big tRee Road | now $777,000

11-stall staBle, iRRigated aRena w/maRtin collins Footing, deRBy Field centRal 1 BR/Bath living quaRteRs, Patio & equiPment stoRage

summeRField | 74 acRe equestRian estate iRRigated & coveRed aRena, 9-stall staBle w/tack & Feed Rooms Fine 4 BR home, 4+caR gaRages, studio aPt +2 utility Buildings

280 BRiggs Road | oFFeRed FoR $1,990,000

9 stall staBle, aRena w/PRoFessional Footing, Fenced Paddocks designeR Built-in 2009, 4 BR 3.5 Bath. 3 BR Residence aBove BaRn.

histoRic home in hoRse distRict locale

8.64 acRes, 8-stall centeR-aisle BaRn, gReat tuRnout, stePs to hoRse PaRk Renovated home & guest house, 6 BR & 4½ Baths, saltwateR gunite Pool

1354 auduBon dRive | $2,900,000

58+ acRes, 15-stall centeR aisle BaRn w/tack & Feed Rooms 2 BR, 2 Bath living quaRteRs, sePaRate oFFice, 3+ caR gaRage/woRkshoP

the sanctuaRy - equestRian oasis

12.7 acRes, 4-stall staBle w/wash Rack, Fenced PastuRe w/3 new Run-in sheds goRgeous 3 BR, 3½Baths home, FaBulous kitchen, saltwateR Pool, gaRage

185 gadwall lane | $997,000

PRivate 48+ acRe FaRm with 2 homes & BaRn

suPeRB 90 acRe FaRm FoR Riding & dRiving

hatchaway house & BaRn on 19 acRes

1042 woodland | now $499,000

375 FoX Pond Road | $1,610,000

1758 hatchaway BRidge Road | now $479,000

FaiRhaven - minutes to town & highFields

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148 wiRe Road | $675,000

201 lewis lane | $679,000

461 imPlement Road | $499,500

7-stall centeR-aisle BaRn, Fenced PastuRes w/Run-in sheds 3 BR, 2 Ba home; hoBBy Building & sePaRate moBile home

neaRly 10 acRes, Fenced PastuRe, Run-in shed w/stoRage Room inviting & Renovated 4 BR, 4 1/2 Bath FaRmhouse, lovely gRass teRRace

8-stall staBle, wooded tRails, PastuRe with Run-ins 3 BR, 2 1/2 Bath FaRm manageR’s home

12 stall BaRn, 11+acRes, Fenced Paddocks 3 BedRoom, 2 Bath living quaRteRs, quiet seRene location

4-stall BaRn, Fenced Paddock with Run-in, estaBlished PastuRe histoRic 3 BR, 2 Bath home, Pond, 2-caR detached gaRage

11 cleaRed acRes, Paddock w/Run-in, community tRails one-level 3 BedRoom, 2 1/2 Bath home, 2-caR gaRage

Horse Ready Land for Sale

goRgeous home & views in 302 hoRse countRy 20+ acRes PeRimeteR Fenced, BaRn stRuctuRe Ready to adaPt neweR 3 BR + Bonus, 3 ½ Bath home, 3 Bay woRkshoP

115 BuRkelo Road | now $670,000

Cissie Sullivan

Redds BRanch Road - FouR 5-acRe PaRcels w/live oaks staRting FRom $93,000 hatchaway BRidge Road - 11 acRes in PastuRe $137,500 linleR lane - 3 lots close to town - 4+-11 acRes staRting FRom $77,400 angela Road - 12+ acRes PaRtially cleaRed $79,000

lewis lane association w/tRails 3.8 acRes w/Pond views - $82,000 old diBBle Road - 6+ acRes w/Pond - $137,000 high Flat FaRm - 11 acRes Fenced - $224,000 12 Fenced acRes w/majestic oaks - $249,000 BRidle cReek equestRian - 8 acRes on BRidle cReek tRail $160,000

Tracey Turner

803-998-0198 | SullivanTurnerTeam.com December-January 2019-2020

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December-January 2019-2020

The Aiken Horse

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• EQUINE RIDING EASEMENT • AC C E S S T O WA L K I N G & RIDING TRAILS • S TA R T I N G AT $ 1 0 K /AC R E • 5 + AC R E L O T S AVA I L A B L E

*LOT 13: PORTION OF LOT IS COMMON AREA

CELL: (803) 522-3648

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OFFICE: (803) 761-0678

December-January 2019-2020

CELL: (803) 522-3648

WWW.SHARERDALE.COM

SHARERDALETEAM@GMAIL.COM

OFFICE: (803) 761-0678

Clear Creek Court

Plum Branch Road

MLS #108546

MLS #107772

BRIDLE CREEK

E D G E F I E L D, S C

- 3 1 2 7 S Q F T / 4 B R M S / 3 F U L L B AT H S - 3 B E D / 2 B A . B A R N A PA RT M E N T - 9 - S TA L L C E N T E R- A I S L E B A R N - P R I VAT E & C O M M O N A R E A A R E NA - A C C E S S T O C LU B H O U S E

Circle S Farms

KINGS RIDGE MLS #106198 - 2 , 7 5 0 S Q. F T / 3 B E D / 2 . 5 B AT H - 3 S TA L L B A R N & P O O L

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December-January 2019-2020

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Twin Lanes Farm FOX HOLLOW MLS #109091

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1733 Dibble Road H I T C H C O C K WO O D S MLS #108133

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11/15/19 10:54 AM

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Fifteenth annual Katydid CDE at Katydid Farm in Windsor

Photography by Gary Knoll

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December-January 2019-2020

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Now Available

Offered through New Bridge Realty

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

New Homes Under Construction

Surrey and Windsor cottages are custom built by Cooper Home & Stable. Design services provided by Cipolla Gallery.

Move-In Ready Surrey Cottage: $379,500

Under Construction Windsor Cottage: $389,500

Inviting 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, with a large front veranda, porch and rear patio. Cottage has 2,118 square feet of heated and cooled living space, plus an attached, oversized 2 car garage. Master suite on main floor and custom kitchen with stainless steel appliances, custom stone countertops and separate pantry.

Spacious, 3 bedroom, 2.5 bath, Craftsman’s style home. Single-level floor plan with lots of closet and storage space. Front porch, great room with fireplace and large, private master suite. Welcoming foyer entry off the front porch features a built-in bookcase. Two bedrooms in the back of the home share a full bath.

12-Stall Barn on 10.55 Acres

Karna Farm: $550,000 Spectacular Views of New Bridge Fields #4 & #5

Rare opportunity to own a turnkey polo farm with ride in and out ability through private gate to Polo Field #4. Karna Farm is built on 10.55 acres and consists of a Heider-built, spacious, 12-stall enclosed barn with 16-foot aisleway. Indoor, heated wash rack as well as large exterior wash rack. Two bedroom, one bath attached apartment, temperature contolled tack room, feed room with roll up door provides easy access for deliveries. Detached and insultated steel storage building for equipment and hay. Brick barbecue patio or Argentine asado is the perfect place for gatherings. Entire parcel is high and dry for maximum usability.

11.3 Acres in Prime Location

Paloma Lane Farm: $199,000 Superb Location and Great Price This one won’t last long! 11.3-acres is perimeter-fenced with a well and electricity. Conveniently located within walking distance of the clubhouse, pool, and clay tennis court. For your horses, Fields #1 & #3 and the exercise track are just a short hack away.

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The Stables at New Bridge We offer top-notch care for your equine partner with meticulous daily stall care, feeding, turn out, blanketing and night check. Tack room with individual storage and a rider’s lounge with full bath and laundry provide all the comforts. Riding options include our GGT jump arena, dressage arena, exercise track and miles of trails. We offer full-service boarding by the year or by the season. All disciplines are welcome. For availability and pricing, contact Stables Manager Amanda Wilson at (404) 580-2360.

About New Bridge (visit newbridgepolo.com or call 1-888-4NB-POLO) New Bridge is an 860-acre gated equestrian community nestled among rolling pasture lands on New Bridge Road just 15 minutes from downtown Aiken. Born from the excitement, intensity and tradition of polo, New Bridge is the home of New Bridge Polo & Country Club and of ! Aiken Youth Polo, but also embraces equestrians of all disciplines as well as those who simply love the outdoors, with all sharing the essential joy of a life that celebrates horses, people and land - in a place that connects them. Residents enjoy an array of equestrian amenities including five meticulously groomed polo fields, stick and ball areas, an exercise track, polo arena, riding trails, all-weather GGT dressage and jumping arenas, miles of groomed roads made for riding and The Stables, our full-care, premier 24-stall boarding facility. A swimming pool with lounge area, a clay tennis court, and an Argentinian colonial-style Clubhouse with restaurant/bar (open spring and fall), balcony, porch, and outdoor spaces round out the perfect setting for everyone from families to empty nesters, casual riders to competitive athletes, and those simply seeking solace from a busy world. The New Bridge world is one where all can revel in the luxury of leisure, the excitement of sport, the abiding beauty of horse country, and the deep connections of a close-knit community. New Bridge: room to play; room to ride; room to live, all in a place you will want to call home.

December-January 2019-2020

LIFE IS EASIER WITH A PEDEGO!

December-January 2019-2020

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NOW CARRYING

DARK HORSE

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146 Laurens St SW, Aiken 24

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December-January 2019-2020

Farewell to Tattoos

News & Notes, cont. from 13

Thoroughbred racehorses arriving at the track for their first races this spring will miss out on a 72-year-old tradition. They will be the first American racehorses since 1946 not to get a lip tattoo. Instead, they will be permanently identified via a “digital tattoo. Lip tattoos were implemented in 1947 by the Thoroughbred Racing Protective Bureau “to insure that Thoroughbreds are correctly documented and tattooed so the public confidence in the identity of the race horse is absolute.” Horses were provided with a tattoo on the inside of their upper lips before their first race. These tattoos were applied by agents of the TRPB and the numbers were attached to the horse’s registration papers. The convention was to start the tattoo with a letter corresponding to the horse’s year of birth, followed by four, and later five numerals. The lettering system started with A, which corresponded to 1945 since the first tattoos were put on 2-yearolds arriving at the track in 1947. The identifiers cycled through the alphabet, finishing with Z in 1970 and then starting over with A in 1971 and so on. Lip tattoos were considered a big step forward in eliminating betting fraud in racing, since they provided permanent and indisputable proof that a horse entered in a race was indeed the horse it was supposed to be. One of the oldest scams in the book was to secretly substitute a fast horse for a slow one and then bet on the ringer, who would gallop away with the race in an uncharacteristic burst of speed. Although this particular cheat has certainly been attempted since the introduction of the lip tattoo, it has become much more difficult to pull off. In addition to providing accurate identification of each horse to the racing authorities, lip tattoos have had added benefits for anyone who has dealt with a Thoroughbred in its life after the track. The dealer tells you the horse is 10? Flip up the lip and read the tattoo. It starts with an H? That means the horse was born in 2004, and it is coming 16. Years ago the Jockey Club started allowing people to look up their OTTBs’ tattoo numbers and discover their racing names and pedigrees. This started out as a paid-for service that took weeks, but now you can do it for free online. Tattoo look-up has provided a quick and easy way to identify anonymous Thoroughbreds and has facilitated many reunions of ex-race horses with their former owners and breeders. The digital tattoo method involves implanting a microchip and taking high resolution digital pictures which are uploaded to a Jockey Club database and attached to the horse’s registration papers. Typically, the chip is implanted by a veterinarian into the nuchal ligament in the neck, halfway between the poll and withers on the horse’s left side. To positively identify a horse, a TRPB technician will scan the horse’s microchip, which will hyperlink to that horse’s registration papers and photos. J. Curtis Linnell, who is the executive vice president of the TRPB, says that the rollout of the new system, which started in 2019, has been smooth and that, so far, technicians have welcomed the changes. “For the most part, they seem excited about digital tattoos,” he said in a statement provided by the TRPB. “They realize it will provide a more efficient and effective system of identification.” Microchipping has been part of the Thoroughbred registration process for a couple of years already, and all horses born in 2017 or after are required to have a microchip. The digital tattoo system will be fully in place on January 1, 2020, at which point, lip tattoos will be discontinued. (For more information: www.trpb.org.)

December-January 2019-2020

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Dream Trips Spain & Portugal Ride, Wine and Dine

by Pam Gleason

elly Sigler Patterson, who runs the Ride Wine and Dine trips to Spain and Portugal, says she never set out to be a travel agent or a tour guide. A professional horsewoman with a teaching and training business in Wagener, she has an extensive resume in eventing and natural horsemanship. She says she started her tour company almost by accident. A few years ago, she had a student from Mexico who had decided to change from riding European Warmbloods to riding P.R.E. horses (Pura Raza Espanola, often called Andalusians) and she asked Kelly to take a horse shopping trip to Spain. Kelly had spent a fair amount of time in Europe, including a year of study abroad in Greece for her degree in classics but she was not familiar with Spain and did not have much experience with P.R.E. horses. On her first horse shopping expedition there, she fell in love with the country, the culture and the horses. “The people in Spain are really authentic,” she says. “There’s good food, good wine and a lot of great horses. I felt really safe there.” Traveling to various farms and meeting different people, she realized that a lot of her students back in the United States would really enjoy taking a trip to Spain, and so she organized one. “They had a lot of fun, and I was posting pictures of where we went on Facebook, and everyone started asking me if I was going to be organizing trips to Spain as a regular thing.” The idea slowly took hold, and now, three years later, she has her own company and takes small groups of horse lovers to Spain and Portugal twice a year. As a well organized person and a good planner, she discovered a real aptitude for the new business. Not only is she expert at putting the trips together, she also found that her long experience giving riding lessons made her astute when it comes to assessing which horses individual travelers will be comfortable riding. This has helped ensure that everyone is relaxed, happy and able to enjoy the trip. “These aren’t ‘big box’ trips,” she stresses, describing them instead as boutique adventures. “We get to learn about the horses and the area, and we sample the local wine and food. We have cooking classes. It’s really a deep dive into the culture.” Kelly’s Spain trip starts out in Jerez, where travelers stay in lofts inside converted sherry warehouses across the street from the Fundador Sherry Factory. While in Jerez, the group has the chance to take a behind the scenes tour of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, which has a famous classical dressage show. They visit stud farms, ride through the countryside on PRE horses and have a carriage tour of the city. The next stop is Menorca, an island in the Mediterranean that is not on the usual itinerary for horseback trips to Spain. Rugged and beautiful, the island has its own breed of horse, the rare Menorquin. Menorquin horses are similar to PRE horses, but more rugged, a little calmer, and very versatile. Universally black, they are integrally linked to the island’s history. At least as far back as the Middle Ages, Menorquin horses were ridden on patrol trails around the edge of the island to help defend it from invaders. The ancient trails are still there, and Kelly takes her group out on them, riding along the coast and the beach. Other rides go through lush forests and pastures. The Portugal trip is a relatively new one, and it is “Really over the

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top,” according to Kelly. This trip includes Port tastings, vineyard tours, and cruises in addition to riding on trails and beaches. A special trip for dressage riders, it also includes masterclasses at an equitation school, on upper level dressage horses. Although horses and equestrian culture are a main focus, these trips are not as strenuous as some horseback tours can be, which reflects the fact that most of the people who go are more mature and not accustomed to riding multiple hours per day. “For a lot of the riders who come with me, this is a dream trip,” says Kelly. “We might ride every other day, and that is perfect. After a three and a half or four hour ride along the beach, most people are happy to do something less strenuous the next day.” For Kelly, the expansion of her business into the travel sector has given her a chance to learn more about other cultures and to spread her own knowledge more broadly. She has developed new contacts and customers in Europe, where the natural horsemanship techniques that she practices are in great demand. In addition to giving lessons, she has also done demonstrations, including one she gave recently at the horse festival of Huelda that had an audience of 1,000 people. “One of the things that I like about Spain is that horses are so much a part of natural life there,” she says. “There will be a restaurant or a bar at the stable, and everyone will hang out there. Horses are really part of the family, and it is so ingrained in the culture - you don’t feel like a crazy horse person there, because everyone is a crazy horse person.” Although the Spanish people that Kelly meets and teaches are mostly good horsemen, she says she sees some of the same kinds of problems there as she sees here. “They go for specialization before foundation. So they might have a horse that will piaffe and passage, but it might be spooky and hard to catch; it might not know how to move off pressure correctly.” The natural horsemanship fundamentals that she teaches fill in the holes for these horses, allowing them to become more relaxed and respectful. Her methods and the philosophy behind them are not yet well-known, and there is a real thirst for knowledge all over Europe. “They want to know everything and see pictures and videos of everything,” says Kelly. “They really get immersed in it, and they advance so fast.” Kelly is planning a trip to Spain and Portugal in March, which will take her away from her farm and her teaching and training business for an entire month. She is looking forward to it, but says she also sees a future where she might have another guide to help her with the trips so she does not spend quite so much time away from home. In the meantime, however, she is enjoying her European experiences, and taking advantage of them to expand her own horizons. “Every time you go, you see something new; you meet someone new; you see something beautiful that you didn’t see before,” she says. “I also take lessons while I am there from different people. I like to do new things. I just want to learn.” For more information, visit Kelly’s website: ridewineanddinedreamtripspain.com

December-January 2019-2020

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December-January 2019-2020

Big Plans at Wagener Milling New owner for historic store By Pam Gleason

“I like to say that Wagener Milling Company can do anything except cure a broken heart,” says D.J. Dillon. “But we sure can take your mind off it.” D.J., the new owner of the mill, is a big man, 6’3” and 300 pounds by his own admission (“It takes a lot of Egyptian cotton to cover me,”) and he is one of those people who is always ready with a quip or a pithy saying. In that, he shares a common language with David Williams, who sold him the mill in April 2019. Williams grew up at Wagener Milling, which was owned by his father Ralph, and he knew from the time he was small that it was his destiny to run it. After selling the business to D.J. this year, he has stayed on to work there, helping his customers as he has his entire life. “This is the second job I’ve ever had,” he says. “I was a feed store owner, and now I’m a feed store clerk.” Wagener Milling is housed in a 19th century building on the corner of Lee Street and Railroad Avenue in downtown Wagener. It seems to be a place that time forgot. Its metal roof is mottled green and red, the white paint of its clapboard sides is well-weathered, and the blue sign out front has faded. It probably looks much as it has since the 1960s when Ralph Williams was the proprietor. An old fashioned country store, it sells feed for horses and livestock, vegetable seeds, potted plants, and remedies for plants and animals alike. Out back, there’s a working feed mill that creates a custom blend for livestock and chickens (11-ingredient scratch is a best seller.) According to a sign hanging from the ceiling, the store is also a place to buy and sell baby poultry – chicks, turkeys, ducks, geese, bantams. Behind the cash register, there are shelves of everything from maple syrup to Absorbine liniment and bed bug killer. The bright green walls are adorned with inspirational posters, and up high, near the ceiling, decorated with banners made from bags of traditional (and perhaps extinct) varieties of horse and livestock feed. Although there is a certain nostalgic quality to these parts of the store, the pallets of feed that are for sale are most definitely fresh, up-to-date and high quality. In the past, Wagener Milling was more focused on livestock than on horses, but that has changed since D.J. came on the scene. A horseman who rides in the western disciplines, he recognizes that, if you are in Aiken County, horses are where the business opportunities are. Wagener Milling is not ignoring its livestock customers (“We want everyone to have a little piece of it,” says D.J.), but much of the expansion that D.J. expects to see will be on the equestrian side of the business. “We want to see growth,” he says. “I feel like Wagener is going to explode in the next three to five years. A lot of people want to come out to a rural setting and be in the country.” David nods in agreement. “There are a lot more people here now than when I was growing up,” he says. “It’s a big horse area, but we’re also strong in cattle, sheep, domestic goats, dogs, cats . . we sell a ton of dog and cat food. Years back, we didn’t sell a pallet a month.” In addition to various brands of feed, D.J. also specializes in hay, and regularly brings in tractor trailer loads from all over the country, satisfying the desire for northern and western forages that don’t grow in the South. In fact, as D. J. explains it, hay is what brought him to Wagener Milling in the first place. How did that happen? He smiles. “How many sheets of paper do you have?” he asks. The short story is that D.J. was born and raised in Virginia on a cattle farm. For 13 years, he was far from that way of life, working as the director of operations at a mining company. Wanting to get back to livestock, he left the mining job for one at a cattle ranch in Beech Island (Aiken County.) During a period when hay was hard to come by, he called home to Virginia and arranged to pick up a load of alfalfa to transport south. He quickly discovered that the market for hay was

December-January 2019-2020

David and Ralph Williams, 1994

strong all over South Carolina, and his hay business was born. That business is what introduced him to Williams and Wagener Milling, “And we’ve been friends ever since.” Although D.J. says he wants Wagener Milling to retain its traditional feel, he is very much a businessman of the modern age. He uses Facebook extensively to market his hay and supplies, and the Wagener Milling page has hundreds of followers. Facebook has helped him publicize the business, and has garnered him customers from as far away as Charleston and beyond. In addition to the store in Wagener, he also has a warehouse in downtown Aiken where he stores tractor trailer loads of hay. This makes it more convenient to deliver to farms in town. Why should horsemen consider patronizing Wagener Milling? D.J. is quick to answer. “Customer service, quality, and cost,” he says. “Customer service is first. Our goal really isn’t to satisfy our customers, or to make them happy. Our goal is to amaze them. That’s what we are shooting for, and we do just that, just by being good people.” He adds that he offers free delivery throughout Aiken County, with no real minimum order. D.J. says that he expects to expand the store’s offerings in the coming year and to see Wagener Milling take a more active part in Aiken’s horse community. “We’d like to be a one-stop shop,” he says. “When people think about animal health, we want them to think about Wagener Milling. There’s a lot of opportunity here. You just have to have the vision to see it.” As for David Williams, he says he will continue at the store as long as he is welcome there, which is a relief to many longtime customers who don’t want to see change come to one of Wagener’s most enduring businesses. “As far as I’m concerned, David Williams is Wagener Milling,” says D.J. “This is one of the last country feed stores you are going to see anywhere. You have people from all walks of life come across this store, from regular farmers to multimillionaires, and everyone likes to come to see David and to speak with him. He’ll be here as long as he wants to be.” David, who can have a reserved way of expressing himself, gives a slight sphinx-like smile. “I like my job,” he says. “We got a good relationship. When they tell me they don’t need me, I’ll go. But I’ll cry all the way home.” Visit the Wagener Milling Facebook page or call 803-564-5556.

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RESCUE . NURTURE . LOVE . FOSTER . ADOPT . DONATE . Over 7200 dogs rescued and cared for in Aiken. Help us rescue more dogs by donating at:

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HOME FOR GOOD DOG RESCUE 30

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December-January 2019-2020

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H I S TO RY. T R A D I T I O N . L E G AC Y.

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December-January 2019-2020

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Happy Holidays!

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December-January 2019-2020

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AIKEN HORSE 3Runs 012919.qxp_Layout 1 1/31/19 10:52 AM Page 3

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AIKEN, SOUTH CAROLINA

2400 Acres • Marketed 30 miles of groomed and trails Competition level jump & indressage arenas schooling by The Carolina Real Estate Company, Aiken,marked SC. Plans and prices subject •to change without notice. This does not constitute an offer any state where prohibited by law.•NoX-Country time requirement to begin construction. complex Clubhouse & outdoor pavilion • Pool & cabana • Activity/Fitness Center • Homesites from 5+ acres • Spec homes available or build to suit HOMESITES INDIVIDUALLY PRICED • DEVELOPER FINANCING AVAILABLE Marketed by The Carolina Real Estate Company, Aiken, SC. Plans and prices subject to change without notice. This does not constitute an offer in any state where prohibited by law. No time requirement to begin construction.

Inside 42 44 48 53 54 56

Sarah Dodge Dressage Secret Lives: Corliss Opening Meet Ask the Judge Kinova Positive Community

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December-January 2019-2020

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WINTER AT STABLE VIEW www.StableViewFarm.com

484.356.7173

*NEW* USEF Regional Hunter/Jumpers February 19-23 March 18-22 USEF/USDF Dressage feat. Aiken Dressage Challenge Series December 7-8 February 8-9 March 14-15

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“A G ath eri ng P l a ce ” Aiken, South Carolina

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I-20 Exit 101

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scequinepark.com for more information For Booking Information (803) 983-0366 info@scequinepark.com a 501c3 non-proﬁt organization

Thank you for 10 Wonderful Years! We hope to see you back at the Park in 2020!

Feb 7 – 9 Feb 28 – Mar 1 Mar 6 – 8 Mar 13 – 15 Mar 20 – 22 Mar 27 – 29

IEA Regional Finals Four Beats for Pleasure SC Quarter Horse Association Palmetto Paint Horse Club Harmon Classic Spring Fling Dressage Dates Subject To Change Dates Subject to Change

443 Cleveland School Rd, Camden, SC 29020

scequinepark.com 40

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Camden SC I-20 Exit 101 December-January 2019-2020

2677 Wagener Rd. Aiken, SC 29801 (Hwy. 302 East, 3/4 mile east of Hwy 118)

803.641.7070

December-January 2019-2020

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December-January 2019-2020

Sarah Dodge and 3 Ravens Farm Aiken Dressage Community Expands By Nancy Johnson, Ph0tography by Gary Knoll

iken’s allure has netted yet another accomplished Grand Prix dressage rider and trainer. Previously based in Castle Rock, Colorado, Sarah Dodge brings over 20 years’ experience competing and training at the FEI level. She had a successful career as a young rider, including competing at the North American Young Rider’s Championships and winning the Asmis Scholarship to train abroad. In her 20s, she trained and competed in Germany where she met the German master Conrad Schumacher, who would become her biggest influence. “His ability to train ‘rider feel’ is something that I diligently work on with my own students,” Sarah says. Sarah believes that the training and competition experience she gained in Germany and then later in Spain sets her apart as a trainer here in the U.S. “Riding 10 plus horses a day with world class coaching on every horse really accelerates the learning curve,” she says. “The horses were all different, but the basic approach was so consistent. The correct ‘feel’ became quickly ingrained. Once you’ve experienced how much a horse can change through good riding, it’s addictive.” Sarah is married to Jason Hays, a sport horse farrier, and they have an 8-year-old son, Ryder. In the fall, they purchased a farm in Windsor and relocated soon afterwards. What motivates two successful professional horsemen to pick up and move their businesses and family across the country? Sarah replies with the simple answer, “Horses, of course.” Her good friend and fellow dressage trainer, Jeremy Steinberg, had recently moved to Aiken, as did a client of hers from her home base in Colorado. Both encouraged her to visit. So last February, only halfway through a particularly tough, cold, snowy winter in Colorado, she took them up on their offer. “I love Colorado and pretty much grew up there, but it is isolating as far as horse sports, and the winter is just so long. You’re really in an indoor for six months,” she says. In Aiken, Sarah was envious of everyone riding their horses outdoors in the moderate climate and showing at numerous nice venues all within a half hour’s drive. In April, she returned to Aiken with Jason and Ryder. Both were quite taken with area, so Sarah wasted no time in suggesting, “What are we waiting for? This is it, let’s move!” Once the wheels were in motion, more and more things started lining up. “Both Jason and I met one person after another with connections to Aiken and all signs just seemed to be telling us to do it.” Today, Sarah teaches at her new farm, 3 Ravens, in Windsor, or will travel to clients in the Aiken area. She says she expects to divide her time between teaching and training. “I find if I ride only, I miss teaching. I feel that you learn from coaching and teaching. It helps me stay connected and actually improves my riding because it keeps the basics in the forefront of my mind: Helping people understand why they need to use a certain exercise or how adjusting their position will help their horse carry them better; seeing the horse and rider change before your eyes; that is why I love to teach. I teach all levels. I have coached riders through Grand Prix and their Gold Medals, but I like a mix. In Colorado I had a good group of FEI amateurs, some juniors, and a couple of woman who didn’t want to compete, but just wanted to improve their riding and their horses. I think horses all benefit from good riding, and for me, if the student is dedicated to their horse, I’m all in.” Sarah would like to partner with a breeder or someone with whom she can bring some young horses along over time. She gains great satisfaction in the daily progression of training, and having a farm of her own makes this idea more feasible. She has spent the last four years working with a horse of her own, Rufus, a Westphalian who came to her “with a lot of baggage,” she says, adding, “He was a Prix St. Georges horse, but had quite a negative reputation.”

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She remembers seeing Rufus at a couple of shows and thinking he was a fancy, nice horse, “But I didn’t know a lot about his history, so when he came up for sale I wondered why his price kept dropping,” Sarah recalls, “Someone had to hold him for you to mount and dismount and if you bent over to pet him, he’d take off.” The horse still managed to pull off some good tests, but “It was all or nothing. He’d get great scores or terrible scores,” Sarah says. By the time the horse was sent to Steffen Peters to be sold, he had extreme anxiety when ridden with other horses to the point where he developed a really bad bolting habit. No one wanted to ride him. Sarah decided to contact the owner and offer her “this little chunk of change, which was all I could afford,” even though it was considerably less than his asking price. “I made it clear that it would be a totally different situation with a whole new program and that I wouldn’t take him to the show ring until he had regained his confidence,” Sarah explains. “Eventually, she took my offer and I bought him without ever having ridden him. I’d heard all the stories and just decided to roll the dice. Sometimes, like the move to Aiken, things just feel right and that horse felt right.” Sarah confirms that all the issues she had heard related to Rufus were real. “I knew I needed to think outside the box; this horse was pretty volatile and I needed to find a way in,” she explains. She decided to look into Tristan Tucker’s TRT Method, an online natural horsemanship course. “It opened my eyes to different ways to approach things. I spent a year doing a lot of ground work and easy riding, not focusing on anything but having him enjoy his time with me. And then I worked on basics, that as a Prix St. George horse he should have known, but didn’t. Fixing those holes dramatically improved his way of going,” she says. Now, after many clinics and schooling at several shows, Sarah is planning for Rufus to make his Grand Prix debut in Aiken. “He was another big motivator in our move to Aiken,” she says. “In Colorado we would really only have from May through September to show before we were back indoors.” She believes Aiken’s much longer show season will offer the right conditions for Rufus to return to the show ring. In the coming months, she plans to seek Jeremy Steinberg’s assistance and Conrad Schumacher is also planning a couple of Aiken visits to help Sarah and Rufus prepare for their Grand Prix debut. Even though they made the move to Aiken in October, neither Sarah nor Jason has abandoned their Colorado clients. Jason’s shoeing business is building in Aiken, but he is committed to traveling back to Colorado for five to eight days every month. Sarah expects to keep in touch with her former clients through clinics and also via online teaching. Sarah says her online program began with a woman in Texas who contacted her and asked if she would be open to helping her through online training. They set up a system using Skype in which someone videos the rider and then the feed goes through their laptop. “It’s totally real time and it’s free,” Sarah says. “You just have to have someone do the videoing.” Similarly, some of her Colorado clients are using a system called the “Pixio Move N See.” A robotic camera videos the lesson and Sarah joins in using the Move N See app, so again, it is all in real time. “Teaching this way works much better than I would have thought,” Sarah says. “I can actually see everything like the horse’s expression and its breathing, which are important for me to be sure they are comfortable and happy.” To inquire about training, lessons, or clinics, contact Sarah Dodge at 303-726-2127, www.sarahdodgedressage.com sarahdodge3@gmail.com or on Facebook @sarahdodgedressage.

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Secret Lives of Horses Corliss the Character

By Nancy Johnson, Photography by Gary Knoll “Who buys a 20-year-old horse?” That was Anne Hunter’s response when a friend suggested she consider a Morgan driving horse, Corliss. Now, almost 14 years later, she doesn’t regret her decision to do just that. At 33, Gaiwoods Corliss still looks the epitome of a Morgan horse. “He’s an original foundation Morgan; he looks exactly like what a Morgan is supposed to look like,” Anne says. “He’s 15.1, short-coupled and cresty, has good conformation, wonderful feet, great legs, and of course, these teeny little ears that are just as cute as they can be.” She goes on to explain that the original Morgan was bred to be very versatile. “They’d be plowing a field one day and be off to the races the next.” The liver chestnut gelding was foaled in 1986 at a small farm owned by a breeder in Connecticut. His papers indicate that he has ancestors from all the famous Morgan lines, especially Old Government and Brunk. As a 2-year-old, he was sold to a woman in New York City where he began his career as a Park Morgan show horse. “They have to step up, with a lot of ankle and hock action. They are very upheaded, their feet are long, and they are flashy,” Anne says. The name “Park” comes from the stance they display in the show ring – legs dramatically stretched out in front and back. Training for the high-stepping action expected of Park Morgans sometimes involves the use of ankle chains, a controversial practice. Corliss still has several small scars on his legs as an indicator of his early career. Although Anne does not have specific dates, she was told Corliss was next sold to someone in Wellington, Florida where he started a jumping career. When he was 9, he was purchased by Muggy Tomany in Connecticut and began a third career as a driving horse back in his native state. An accomplished driver, Muggy trained Corliss to the Advanced level in Combined Driving and the pair traveled to competitions throughout New England. “He was quite famous in the Northeast, both for his ability and his attitude,” Anne says. Anne got her first exposure to his attitude the day she tried him. “When I went to look at him, Muggy drove him, then I drove him and he was fine. Then all of a sudden, he stopped and started acting up and Muggy took the reins and said, ‘get off the carriage,’ which I instantly did. As Larry Poulin [a renowned driving competitor and coach] always says, ‘He knows all the old Morgan tricks’ and Corliss had all these ways of protesting. He jerked so hard that Muggy flew over the railing and landed face down with her cheek up against his hoof. And all I could think was Thank God I’m off the carriage. And in her squeaky little voice Muggy says, ‘Corliss, stand. Corliss, stand,’ and she gets up, dusts herself off and gets back in the carriage.” Anne loved driving Corliss, both at home and at shows and he was a great teacher for her: she was a novice driver. “He likes you to hold the reins; that’s it. He doesn’t like you to interfere. I’ve always said it’s too bad he can’t read because then he could do the cones and dressage test by himself.” “There are just so many stories about Corliss,” Anne says with the hint of a smile. She recalls showing him at Sturbridge, Massachusetts when she steered him left on a path in the woods, but he refused; instead

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insisting on going to the right on another path. “As we were going the way he wanted, I looked over at the other path and saw there was a branch down at about his chest height. Obviously, he knew it was there,” Anne says. When Muggy Tomany owned Corliss, she mostly showed him in New England, where he had quite a following. Anne decided it would be fitting to take him to his old stamping grounds in New Hampshire for what would be his last show. “As we entered the indoor, there was kind of a hush and all eyes were on us. I was surprised because he’s not a fancy looking horse, but boy is he a fancy mover! I heard people whispering, ‘There’s Corliss!’ and then everyone started clapping.” Corliss loved to show off when there was a crowd. Anne recalls another instance, at the celebrated Lenox Tub Parade in Lenox, Massachusetts where each carriage had an opportunity to be in the spotlight trotting up a hill lined by spectators. “It took three men to hold him back at the bottom of the hill before his turn,” Anne laughs, adding, “But when he got his turn, he was magnificent! And the spectators all stood up and clapped for him as he trotted boldly up the hill with his mane flying!” Anne says Corliss has always been a bit of an escape artist. “He would have the wire in his paddock down and stretched like 20 feet. He got out more often in the winter because he would line the fence up so that his blanket caught the shock. You would find him a mile or so away. I remember once I found him happily watching men logging trees. Another time I came to the farm and when I didn’t see him I asked the farm owner, ‘Where’s Corliss?’ and she replied, ‘Oh, he’ll be back for dinner.’” Corliss was still displaying his antics as recently as four years ago. Anne had Corliss tied to her horse trailer at a farm here in Aiken as she was harnessing him. “I got him harnessed and untied him from trailer, then stood on the back step of the carriage and he took off. I didn’t want to get hurt, so I jumped off. He runs down a blind alleyway and I am thinking he’s going to head out on one of his adventures, but instead he comes back, looks at me, then crosses the driveway and enters the arena at “A”. He trots around the ring to the right, crosses on the diagonal, trots around to the left. Came off at “C”, then went in the barn and stood in the aisle.” Corliss did his own dressage test. When they moved to the Aiken area five years ago, Corliss and Anne were no longer competing, but they did enjoyed pleasure driving in Windsor and in Aiken. Anne retired her horse two years ago due to her health, not to his. Today, Corliss is very happy at Lynn Scrivner’s small farm just minutes from Anne’s home. He enjoys hanging out with Lynn’s foxhunter, Wyatt and Anne’s other retired driving horse, Ben, a 24-year-old Standardbred. It’s not unusual for Anne to visit Corliss and Ben several times a day. “He’s just a character!” she says. “But Corliss has been such a pleasure and has given me great joy.”

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The Blessing of the Hounds in the Hitchcock Woods, Thanksgiving 2019

Photography by Gary Knoll

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Ask the Judge

Questions about Dressage With Amy McElroy

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.

Dear Amy,

I heard you were on the panel of judges at the U.S Dressage National Finals this year at the Kentucky Horse Park. Congratulations! I’m hoping someday to be able to participate as a competitor in the finals. I was wondering, how does riding a test in the Nationals differ from riding a test at a regular rated USEF/USDF show? Is it also different from riding a test at a Regional Championship?

Ambitious Dear Ambitious,

It was certainly an honor and very exciting to be one of the 13 judges selected for the Nationals, which is a Level Five Competition, the highest level under USEF rules. To answer your question, you will find many differences between riding in a regular show and competing in a Regionals or a Nationals. Let’s take a look. At the Nationals you will be competing against the country’s best horse and rider teams at each level, from Training through Grand Prix. There are also Freestyles at all the levels except Training, Prix St. Georges and Intermediaire II, and these have become very popular. Championship classes at all levels are divided into Open and Adult Amateur divisions. The championship test will be the highest test of each level. For instance, if you compete at the First Level, your test will be First Level Three. In addition to the Championships, the Nationals also offer non-championship classes at most levels. These nonchampionship classes are run according to the same rules as at a regular recognized dressage show. Here are some differences between the three types of competition • For a US Dressage Finals class, your ride time is done by a draw, and you will not know the exact schedule of the class until the draw is complete. However, you will know, for instance, that the First Level Championship starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 12. At a recognized show and a Regionals you will have an assigned ride time that you will know well in advance. • If you are riding in a US National Finals class, you are the only one allowed to ride your horse during the show, except to walk on a long rein. This rule is strictly enforced: if someone else rides your horse at the show, you will be eliminated. At a Regionals, the same rule applies. On the other hand, at a regular recognized show, anyone can ride your horse with no penalty. • For a US Finals class, all tests must be ridden from memory. This rule also applies at Regionals. At a regular recognized show, a caller is allowed with no penalty. • For a US Finals test, carrying a riding whip is forbidden and will entail elimination. The same applies for Regionals. At a recognized show, a riding whip is allowed with no penalty. • For a US Finals class, you will have three judges: at C, at M or H, and at B or E. All the judges will have S or FEI status. At a Regionals, you will have two judges: at C and at B or E. At a regular recognized show, you will have only one judge most of the time, stationed at C, although there are some qualifying classes that do require two judges. (The second judge will be at B or E.) When there is more than one

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judge for any class, the judges’ scores are averaged to arrive at your final percentage. After your test, you will be able to have copies of the individual score sheets from each judge. • All US Finals classes are scored electronically. Most arenas have an electronic scoreboard, where you will be able to see your name in lights and all the judges’ scores when your test is complete. At some Regionals, you might have electronic scoring and a scoreboard. At regional recognized shows, you are not likely to see one. • For a US Finals class, there is a mandatory awards ceremony with ribbons to tenth place. Your judge at C will be one of the award presenters. At a Regionals, the awards ceremony is also mandatory and there are ribbons to eighth place. For a regular dressage show, there are ribbons through sixth place, and there is often no awards ceremony. • Any horse competing in a US Finals class must be stabled at the showgrounds. At a Regionals, the same rule applies. At a regular recognized show, you can trailer in and out with no penalty. The US National Finals has an electric atmosphere and beautifully decorated arenas. It feels very special and it may be as exciting to be a judge at this competition as it is to be a competitor. Riding in the finals is a great goal. If you don’t qualify next year, I recommend going as a spectator, or, better yet, as a volunteer – no dressage show can succeed without dedicated volunteers, and you will have the opportunity to participate in one of our most important and impressive events! Wishing you luck in your journey! Ride forward.

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December-January 2019-2020

International Connections at Kinova Farm Jane McDonald and Cameron MacLeod By Mary Jane Howell

ane McDonald and her husband Cameron MacLeod live on 21 acres of what they like to call “organized chaos” in Aiken County. Kinova Farm is home to them, to their two children (Ruairi and Rosie), to 26 horses, a pair of very large dogs and to all the trappings of a working farm. It is also the base for Jane’s business, Jane McDonald Training and Sales. There are young Thoroughbreds, not-so-young Warmbloods, horses that are having a break from the show ring, horses that are being readied for the hunt field, ponies, and a retired stallion named Roi Des Forets (Rex) who likes to think he oversees the whole operation. Yet even in the midst of running her business and raising a family, Jane has found time to bring some of the world’s top riders to Aiken for clinics. For instance, in April 2016, McLain Ward, the two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and longtime member of America’s international showjumping team, came for an exclusive two-day jumping clinic at Five Henry Stables on Route 302. All it took was one phone call from Jane to get him here. “It really wasn’t a big deal,” she said with a laugh. “Cameron was working at Five Henry at the time and the farm’s owner, Hugh Lynch, asked about having some clinics at the farm. I said I would call McLain and see if he could come down, and he did! I am very grateful – these top professionals are on the road almost every week – so when they can come for a clinic it is really great.” Other world class horsemen who have come to Aiken as clinicians include Leslie Burr Howard, Shane Sweetnam and Padraig McCarthy: all due to Jane’s magic on the telephone. “I had worked for McLain for two years, and not too long after went to work for Leslie. She is the best!” said Jane.“I will never forget my first day working for her – she was headed off to Tampa the following day and I was to stay home with four horses. She asked to see me ride and I thought ‘OK, no big deal.’ I got on the first horse at 8 in the morning and got off the last one at 5 in the afternoon. The next day I could hardly lift the wheelbarrow. I ended up managing the barn and horses and traveling with her. It was all such an incredible experience. I think coming from McLain’s, I already had a great background of doing things efficiently and correctly. I was only 22 but she trusted me to take over the reins and make my own decisions.” It wasn’t only the fact that she had worked for some of the biggest names in the world of show jumping that gave her a strong work ethic: Jane was born and raised in County Longford, Ireland, the daughter of a dairy farmer, and she worked with animals from the time she could walk. “We had horses and ponies, sheep, cows – it was a real working farm,” Jane explained. “We trained all of our own horses and I followed in my sister Susan’s footsteps as far as riding. She was doing small shows so I wanted to do that as well. Whether it was Pony Club, hunting, eventing, show jumping, or just driving a pony cart with the farrier to collect fodder for the cattle, my life seemingly revolved around horses.” Jane came to the United States in 2000 to work for Gerry and Kathy Newman, who split their time between Wellington and Upperville, Virginia. Gerry was a steeplechase jockey in Ireland (winning over 400 races, including the Irish Grand National) and continued riding races when he moved to Virginia. He was also the honorary whip for the Piedmont Hunt for 14 years. “Gerry was from County Westmeath, and his sister told me that he was looking for help in Florida,” said Jane. “I was 18 and finished with high school, so I thought ‘Why not?’ I thought I would give it a go for three months and look what happened – I am still here!” Fast-forward a few years and Jane had left Leslie Burr Howard’s barn

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and was working for Wendy Arndt, a trainer based in Aiken. After about six months with Wendy, she decided to strike out on her own and start her own horse business in Aiken. In 2006, while out hunting with the Aiken Hounds, Jane met Cameron, who had come down from Middleburg. The two hit it off and were married two years later.

McLain Ward teaches at Five Henry Farm, 2016 Cameron is originally from Nova Scotia and a draftsman by trade. Horses were not part of his early-life experience, but the events of 9/11 changed all that. He had been working in fiber optics in Leesburg, Virginia, but was let go shortly after that tragic day. Instead of heading back to Canada, he took a drive, stopped at a promising-looking farm and asked for a job, which he got. A quick study when it came to horses, Cameron ended up working for notable eventing trainers such as David and Karen O’Connor, Bruce Davidson, Ralph Hill, and the late steeplechase trainer, Tom Voss. Not only does he participate with Jane in all the horse duties on the farm, Cameron also has a growing business shipping horses. Among the horses that Jane has at Kinova Farm are two of Leslie Howard’s retirees – Utah and Moondoggie, both of whom were top show jumpers in their day. The lordly stallion, Roi Des Forets, belongs to Ashley Partow, Leslie’s barn manager. There are also a handful of youngsters that Jane starts for Leslie and her clients. “Leslie has been so supportive of my training business,” said Jane. “I had been pestering her forever to come and do a clinic in Aiken, and she finally came last December. Unfortunately, it was rainy and cold and miserable and she ended up standing on a plank in the arena to keep her feet out of the wet.” Another clinic coup for Jane was getting the Irish Olympian Padraig McCarthy to town last January and March. “I just emailed him back and forth – I’m sure he was sick of me sending him flight options – and over he came! He was such a hit in Aiken. All the riders loved him and I think it is because he has a great way of explaining things and has a sense of humor about him that adds to it all. I hope we can get him back at the end of January or early February,” Jane said. Jane and Cameron christened their farm Kinova as a tribute to their homelands. “Kin” is for Jane’s townland Kinard back in Ireland and “ova” is a nod to Nova Scotia. It is the perfect union of two countries and two people who found a common bond in horses.

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Aiken Equestrian Professionals Positive Community Building a Better Business By Anna Lewis

endra DeKay, who is the owner of the company Equestrian Ethos, created the Aiken Equestrian Professionals Positive Community over the summer of 2019. Kendra has been training horses professionally for over 20 years, 10 of them here in Aiken. “I got curious about how to improve my business and get a little more creative on how to run it. I wanted to know how to make more money, have more time, and not feel burned out,” Kendra says. “I think those are issues that are really common in the horse industry.” And so in February 2019, she enrolled in a six-month-long program with Karen Rohlf, the founder of Dressage Naturally. This “mastermind” course was developed to help equestrian professionals be successful and happy in their business, covering topics such as time management, mindset, attracting ideal clients, pricing, student/ teacher roles, marketing, and progress plans. In addition to online learning and self-directed study, the course also had two live events in Orlando, Fla. This provided a space for professionals to share the challenges of their own particular businesses and to brainstorm about ways to solve problems. Participants were united in their goal to have a business that they love, that serves the community well, and that can survive into the future, without sacrificing their own health and quality of life. “The mastermind course helped me open up how I was looking at my own business, and now I would like to have more opportunities to do this locally around Aiken,” Kendra says. After finishing the course, she looked for an equestrian professionals group to join in Aiken, but was surprised to find that one did not exist. So she started the Aiken Equestrian Professionals Positive Community on July 3, 2019. This community launched as a Facebook group with the purpose of giving local equestrian professionals a place to network, share resources, and support one another other to build strong businesses that serve the Aiken horse community. The group is currently up to 135 members. There are three main components of the group: education, collaboration, and support. “None of us went into the horse business because we were great business people in general,” Kendra explains. “We went into it as a passion. It’s a labor of love for all of us, but I don’t feel that the tradeoff has to be that we struggle and burn out.” The Aiken Equestrian Professionals Positive Community had its first event, a meet-and-greet, at The Willcox, on August 5. They had their first educational event the following month at Three Runs Plantation where the attorney Kelly MacQueen Lowrey of MacQueen Equine Law, LLC gave a presentation on risk management and discussed liability issues concerning the equine industry. Kendra collaborated with another local equestrian professional, Natalie Cwik, to organize this event, which attracted about 30 people. Kendra says that she and others in the community are currently making plans for their next educational event. Kendra says that the group is a safe place for professionals to share ideas or discuss their concerns. The community is committed to providing a positive atmosphere where members help one another and Kendra invites anyone who wants to get involved to contact her. “If everyone’s business gets stronger, we all get stronger,” she says. “We don’t have to think of it as competing for clients. Aiken has a ton of horse people, and they all want different things. If we learn what our colleagues do really well in their businesses, then we can refer clients to others for specific needs and do a better job for everyone.” For further information, contact Kendra DeKay at kendradekay@gmail. com or 803-443-4755.

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December-January 2019-2020

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December-January 2019-2020

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The Interview

Adam Snow, Hall of Fame Polo Player By Mary Jane Howell

Adam Snow is a member of the United States Polo Hall of Fame and one of a small group of American players to attain a 10 goal handicap. A graduate of Yale, he is a two-time Player of the Year and MVP of the U.S. Open. Adam and his wife Shelley Onderdonk, D.V.M., live in Aiken on their New Haven Farm and are authors of the book Polo Life; Horses, Sport 10 and Zen.

Books currently on your nightstand?

On my bedside table are: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder; Feel Free by Zadie Smith; The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown; and Strength in Silence; The Power of Transcendental Meditation by Bob Roth. Usually I read fiction, but I realize all of these are non-fiction.

Coffee or tea in the morning? Coffee!

Name some of the places in the world where you would like to ride. New Zealand, Kashmir (if not too dangerous), Wyoming, and Alaska.

Of all the polo fields you have played on in the world, which are your favorites and why?

The best fields I ever played on are John Hall’s field outside of Houston, Texas, and Kerry Packer’s Stedham fields in Midhurst, Great Britain. However – though it is a far cry from the best – my favorite field would have to be Gibney Field at Myopia in Hamilton, Massachusetts. This is the field I grew up playing on with friends and family. It holds too many memories to count!

Favorite way to end the day?

Play pick-up soccer with the family; have an Anchor Steam, grill, and eat outdoors; and play Dictionary or Settlers of Catan with the group.

As a rider and professional athlete, what fitness routine works best for you?

I have always stayed active, it’s just me. I do what occurs to me, and what I think will make me feel good. This usually involves some combination of yoga, running, swimming, kayaking, playing pick-up soccer, light dumbbells, etc. I go for quality, not quantity. And, of course, I ride or play polo almost every day when I’m in a season.

You and Shelley are planning a small dinner party and inviting only four people. Who would get invitations? Barack and Michelle Obama, Lionel Messi, and Greta Thunberg.

If you could star in any movie, which one would it be? Harry Potter. The action always finds him.

After the success of Polo Life, do you and Shelley plan on writing another book?

Shelley already has written a second book: The Anti-Cookbook: Easy, Thrifty Recipes for Food-Smart Living. Our kids are using it to help cook their way to independence. I think I might have a second book in me: either something about the mental game of polo, or a compilation of my “Yaka stories,” the bedtime and hiking-trail stories I told my kids about an orphaned Athabascan Indian who survives in the Alaskan wilderness. I imagine the stories adorned with woodblock prints of wolverines, canoes, and orcas. But could that be a pipe dream? The polo book is probably more realistic.

How much fun are your Yale reunions?

I think I’ve only been to one of my own Yale reunions, my 25th. It was fun to see friends, teammates, and classmates. One guy, Paul, a Wiffenpoof [an a cappella group made up of 14 Yale seniors that has been around since 1909] who had taught me some tap-dancing back in the day, had just gotten back from hiking in Uganda where he filmed gorillas in the wild. I spent time with my former roommate, Bert. He was a swimmer from West Virginia who set the Yale record for the 50yard freestyle and was also a total character. He’d spend three-plus hours each day training in the pool, and then come back to our room and spend an hour singing in the shower.

You write about your mentor in Polo Life – Alfonso Pieres – and mentioned him again in your Museum and Polo Hall of Fame acceptance speech. Are you a mentor to any young polo player?

I like to think that I have been a positive mentor to a lot of aspiring polo players. But that’s more for them to say than me. I really enjoy coaching and the team dynamic involved in the sport, both when I am a teammate and also when I am an official coach, like recently in the NYTS tournament hosted in Aiken.

Your thoughts on polo in Aiken these days.

Polo feels good in Aiken right now! The level has come down a bit, as far as the tournament handicaps (as well as my own!), but it is fun to play in a tournament with 8 to 10 teams, so perhaps that means that the 8 and 12-goal levels are more sustainable and realistic. There are a good group of youth players, that came through Tiger Kneece’s program, who are starting to participate in tournaments. There are teams traveling in to play a season in Aiken. And there is good coordination between the various clubs in the area. It feels like there is a lot of activity, and that’s good for the sport in this community.

Using players from both the past and present, put together your dream team. Honestly, I would like to play with the best American team of my time: Owen Rinehart, Julio Arellano, Adam Snow, and Mike Azzaro. That would be fun. And, on our best strings, we would be mounted to the teeth.

With all the time you spent in Argentina, did you ever learn to tango? No. I’m not too flash on the dance floor.

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December-January 2019-2020

The Aiken Horse

That Was The Year That Was 2019 in Review by Pam Gleason

he year is drawing to a close, and 2020 will be here before you can blink. It’s time for holiday celebrations and New Year’s resolutions. It’s also a good time to look back and remember 2019. The year was exciting in Aiken’s horse world for many reasons. Our equestrian population expanded, with more Aiken converts arriving from all over the country. We continued venerable Aiken traditions – the Aiken Triple Crown, the Aiken Horse Show in the Woods, the Blessing of the Hounds at Memorial Gate – and we started a few new ones. Some of Aiken’s horsemen went out to compete and win at the most important events in the world. Others stayed home to ride and train in Aiken’s famous equestrian playgrounds. What stood out among the events of 2019? Here are a few that were especially memorable. If you were seeking excitement and equestrian star power, it would be hard to top the inaugural LiftMaster Grand Prix Eventing Showcase at Bruce’s Field. Grand Prix Eventing is like a normal eventing competition, except that the cross country phase is staged in a smaller area, making it easier for spectators to follow the action. Aiken’s showcase took place at Bruce’s Field in the Aiken Horse Park on March 1-2, with dressage and showjumping on Friday, March 1 and cross country on Saturday afternoon March 2. The cross country course, designed by Captain Mark Phillips, was set at the Advanced Level and had a total of 22 jumping efforts. The jumps themselves were fashioned after iconic Aiken landmarks: the Palmetto Golf Club, The Willcox, St. Mary’s Church, and so on. The organizers invited the top 40 event riders in the world and quite a number of them came, including the Aiken stalwarts Boyd Martin, Doug Payne and Phillip Dutton, as well as members of various foreign Olympic teams – even William Fox-Pitt from Britain, who rode Sandro’s Star, a borrowed horse. Competition was intense and the atmosphere was electric. The riders, some of whom were preparing for the Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru, were eager to win – this would earn them more than just bragging rights; there was also $50,000 prize money on the line. Liz-Halliday Sharp and Fernhill by Night galloped away with the honors, edging out Doug Payne on Vandiver who finished second and William Fox-Pitt

February-March: Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt on her horse Eluca at the Aiken Horse Show in the Woods 2018. Photography by Pam Gleason

who was third. The Grand Prix Eventing Showcase is expected to become an annual event, and will definitely be returning in 2020. The dates are February 28-29 (Leap Year!) and tickets are on sale as of December 1. (aikenhorsepark.org) Probably the second most exciting thing that happened in 2019 was that the U.S. Eventing Team chose Stable View in Aiken as the site for its final training “camp” before the team headed off to the Pan Ams in Lima. Although the training sessions themselves were closed to the public and were not announced in advance, Aiken’s horse community did have the chance to meet the team members and wish them luck at a sendoff cocktail party in Stable View’s spectacular new pavilion. It was the end of July and deep in the heart of the Aiken summer, but a surprising number of people showed up for the event, which raised money for the team. After their sojourn in Aiken, the U.S. riders had an excellent performance in Peru, coming home with team gold as well as individual gold (Boyd Martin) and silver (Lynn Symansky.) Doug Payne, an Aiken resident who was representing the U.S. for the first time in international competition, just barely missed winning the bronze and thus giving the country a clean sweep of the individual medals. Although the accolades must rightfully go to the riders, the horses and the dedicated coaches, grooms and support staff that made everything possible, Aiken’s horse people can be forgiven for considering the Pan Am winners something of a home team. Will the eventers be back for more training before the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo? We’ll let you know when we find out. In the hunter/jumper world, 2019 was a year of continued expansion in Aiken. The most significant of the changes was probably the relocation of Bob Bell’s Summer Classics from Atlanta to the Aiken

Liz Halliday Sharp and Fernhill By Night winning the inaugural Grand Prix Eventing competiton at Bruce’s Field. Photography by Gary Knoll

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June-July: Gangster CHS and Kris Killam, winners of the Aiken Spring Classic Finale Grand Prix at Highfields Event Center in April. Photography by Pam Gleason

December-January 2019-2020

Horse Park. These two Classic Company shows were held mid-June, effectively extending Aiken’s horse show season into the summer months. The shows also brought in many new riders, who were highly enthusiastic about Aiken, and are likely to return, not just for Classic Company shows, but for the shows that have been put on for years by Progressive Show Jumping and Equus Events. In the polo world, Gerald Balding, a 9-goaler who played on Aiken’s fields in the 1920s and 1930s was inducted into the Museum of Polo

Hall of Fame in February. The Aiken polo spring and fall seasons continued as usual, with practice and tournament action at three clubs: Aiken Polo Club, New Bridge Polo Club, and Wagener Polo Club. Polo in 2019 had a definite emphasis on youth polo, with many young people filling out various team rosters and several dedicated tournaments for the younger set. Probably the biggest polo news of the year was

August-September: Ashley Wallace riding Kiss Kiss at the Aiken Summer Classic Horse Show, Bruce’s Field. Photography by Gary Knoll.

December-January 2019-2020

that New Bridge Polo Club was the site of the USPA National Youth Tournament Series Finals in September, bringing in the top young players from clubs across the country to vie for the championship. In business news, two area feed mills changed hands. Banks Mill Feeds, which was started by Charlie Herrick in 1996, gained a new owner on January 21, when Jesse Waters bought the company. Banks Mill prides itself on creating fresh local horse feed that is sold throughout the region and has a devoted following. Out in Wagener, D.J. Dillon purchased Wagener Milling from David Williams. Williams grew up in the store, and has been a fixture there ever since the 1960s when his father bought the mill. The transition has been seamless, with Williams staying on to work at the store and take care of all his regular customers. Meanwhile, Dillon, who is a horse person, is expanding offerings for equestrians and has big plans for the future. In 2019, the Aiken horse community said goodbye to some longtime members. These included the wellknown racehorse owner Gus Schickedanz, 90, who died in June. Schickedanz, who came from Canada, owned Longleaf Plantation, a 1,600 acre farm outside of Aiken and his young racehorses were conditioned at the Aiken Training Track. In May, the horse community also lost Katrina Becker, 88, the owner of Katydid Farm in Windsor, and a supporter of many horse sports, especially driving. With Becker gone, Katydid, which has been the site of the renowned Katydid Combined Driving Event, is currently for sale. This year’s event, held in early November, may have been the last. Finally, in July, one of Aiken’s beloved horse heroes went to the pasture in the sky. Sea Hero, who was 29, died on July 12. The grey stallion, who was owned in his early days by Paul Mellon, had his first lessons in racing at the Aiken Training Track under MacKenzie Miller, and went on to win the Kentucky Derby in 1993. He was the last Aiken horse to have worn the blanket of roses. Sea Hero had been living in Turkey, where he had a stud career after his racing days were over, and had been the oldest living Kentucky Derby winner since 2011.

October-November: Kirsten Buffamoyer aboard Hurry Murray competing in the CCI*** Oktoberfest, Stable View. Photography by Gary Knoll

December-January: Paul Maye from Virginia coming out of the water hazard with his 4-inhand at the Katydid CDE. Photography by Gary Knoll.

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Classifieds Hi! Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a late teens Argentine ex-polo mare that would like to move on to make someone a nice trail horse. I am 15.3 hands and a good keeper. Good with other horses and very reasonably priced to the right home. 803-295-8687

Mill Race Farm, Aiken. Warm weather luxury horse retirement, breaking, training, layups. 803-640-1818

8 Year Old Canadian TB Cross Gelding. Solid basics on the flat and schooling well over fences; transitioning to a new career as eventer or hunt horse. Sound and sensible. Nice prospect for amateur or young rider. 803-295-8687 BOARDING/TURNOUT Chime Ridge Stables. Stalls available for DIY, we feed 3x daily, turnout/ in. You provide feed, hay, bedding and cleaning. $ 250.00 month. 803-5083760 please leave message. CATERING Neigh Gourmet: Catering to Equestrians. Serving delicious meals in Aiken. Your personal chefs for intimate gatherings,and tailgate boxed lunches delivered to your show, event, clinic or meeting. Our decadent desserts will WOW your guests. Visit us online @ neighgourmet.com Call to place your lunch box order ( 24 hours notice please) Jody Boles 203.964.7707 or Eileen Wilkinson 203.321.9923 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 706-830-2600 or 803-827-0864. email garymcelmurray@glmconstruction.net HELP WANTED Farm Manager Required: Must be familiar with all aspects of horse and farm care, able to lightly service and maintain tractors and farm equipment. Pleasant attitude and ability interact with customers and clients. 30-35 hours per week. Salary and housing provided. Send resume and cover letter by email only to: AikenHorseJobs@ gmail.com. HORSES/PETS & SERVICES Trinity Farms Terriers: Norfolk Terriers & Russell Terriers. Quality family dogs with proven calmer dispositions. Generations of great temperaments. Health/ dispositions guaranteed. Breeder of terriers for 40+ years. Donna

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Fitzpatrick. 803.648.3137. easyjacks. com & trinityfarmskennel.com & trinitynorfolkterriers.com. LESSONS The Riding School: Private, semi private or group lessons Children a specialty. Beginners on up; excellent lesson horses. Unmounted programs available for children; birthday parties and camps. Barn and stall rental also available. Convenient Aiken location close to town. Chan Carman: 803-845-5102. Chan@theridingschoolaiken.com;. theridingschoolaiken.com. RENTALS Cozy, cute carriage house for rent on Hitchcock Woods on iconic equestrian estate. 1BR/1BA. Sleeps 4. $125/night. European style barn with soaring ceilings. 3 stalls available (self care) $20/night per horse. 5 min to downtown Aiken and close to all horse venues. Perfect for female solo travelers. Monthly discounts avail. www.StayAiken.com SHAVINGS Shaving Saver: Delivering you bulk shavings the economical & convenient way! Large, durable bags (950 lbs.) of pine shavings delivered to your stable. Reusable, eco-friendly bags make storage neat and simple; bulk pricing makes your bedding affordable. Quality blended easy sift & large flake shavings that your horse will love! Call or text Claudia White 410-303-4617 or email scshavingsaver@gmail.com TACK & APPAREL Pikeur Dressage Shadbelly. Ladies Size 10 (Eu 38) Black. Only worn twice for silver medal, then injury. New condition, have labels, asking $450.00. Also Otto Schumacker double bridle w/bits, short pikeur jacket. 803-649-4063

4-year-old TB Mare 16 hands Athletic. Call for more info: 239-989-2011

Half Andalusian/Paint, registered Half Andalusian and America Paint, beautiful 13 y/0, 15.2, great dressage potential. $3,500. Call Bill Ross, 803-3152731. Lexington , SC

FOR RENT: 8 stall barn with hay barn & 1-bedroom apartment, full bath & kitchenette. Situated on 11 acres in New Bridge Polo Club, the property is divided into 3 pastures & 5 paddocks. $2,200 per month. 803-645-0361.

Three bedroom, 2 full bath ranch house for rent. 3 acres, 2 stalls, 2 paddocks on Silver Bluff Rd. Short or long term & furnished available. Monthly or seasonal. $1900 monthly. 803-998-9171

December-January 2019-2020

Directory of Services BARNS,CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 52 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.Free Estimates Available (803)6633715 Certified DBE.WOSB. www.glwilliamstrucking.com BLANKET CLEANING & REPAIR Aiken Horse Blanket Couture. Please see our business card ad on page 81. Elisa: 803-640-3211; elisa@aikenhorseblanket.com BOARDING/TURNOUT/TRAINING/SALES Chime Ridge Stables. Stalls available, partial or self care. Fun, friendly, adult atmosphere. Convenient to town, South Aiken 803-5083760. 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, CARE & SERVICES Trinity Farms Terriers: Norfolk Terriers & Russell Terriers. Quality family dogs with proven calmer dispositions. Generations of great temperaments. Health/dispositions guaranteed. Breeder of terriers for 40+ years. Donna Fitzpatrick. 803.648.3137. easyjacks.com & trinityfarmskennel.com & trinitynorfolkterriers.com. EQUINE THERAPY/MASSAGE Mikaela Engert: Holistica PEMF Therapy & Equine Bodywork Certified Practitioner providing equine massage & PEMF Therapy in Aiken & the CSRA. PEMF helps to relieve pain and inflammation, improves performance, range of motion, speed and strength, while providing many other wellness benefits for you, your horse, your dog, or your other favorite four-legged friends! Call/Text: +1.603.748.4325; holisticaEQ@gmail.com; www.holisticaeq.com FEED, SUPPLEMENTS & SUPPLIES Aiken County Farm Supply. 1933 Park Ave., Aiken. 803.649.2987. Aiken Saddlery & Supply. Full service tack & feed store. 1044 E. Pine Log Rd., Aiken. 803.649.6583. aikensaddlery.com HAY Hoss Luva Hay! Exceptional quality Coastal Bermuda. Real fertilizer and lime to Clemson specs, not chicken litter. Never rained on. Square and round bales. Competitively priced. Can deliver statewide. Fully enclosed truck. Satisfaction guaranteed. Jim McClain. 803.247.4803. HOME & FARM SERVICES Be Fly Free. Automatic fly systems for barns and sheds. No unpleasant odor, no synthetic insecticides, no petroleum distillates. Call Carlos: 803-645-0361. beflyfree.com; carlos@beflyfree.com. INSURANCE Betsy Minton, Dietrich Insurance Company, 803. 617. 8353. Providing competitive comprehensive insurance for horses and farms. Excellent professional and personal service always delivered with a smile. betsyminton.com. 800 942 4258

December-January 2019-2020

Hutson-Etherredge Company. Insuring Aiken farms since 1876. Your hometown independent insurance agency can customize your equine property coverage by choosing the best company to fit your needs. We are a full service insurance agency. Call Sandi Vogus for a quote! 803-649-5141 INSTRUCTION/LESSONS Amy McElroy. USDF Gold Medalist and USEF S judge. Instruction and training at all levels. Visit amymcelroy.com or call 803.6404207. Aiken Horsemanship Academy. Your naturally inspired adult learning resource! Offering Clinics, Courses, Starting Young Horses, Evaluations, and Lessons. JulieRobins.com 803-641-4715. B & E Stables. Elite Training and Sales Facility for all levels of horse and rider. Visit classicaldressagetraining.com or call Elaine: 803257-1949. 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 The Riding School: Private, semi private or group lessons. Children a specialty. Beginners on up; excellent lesson horses. Unmounted programs available for children; birthday parties and camps. Barn and stall rental also available. Convenient Aiken location close to town. Chan Carman: 803-845-5102. Chan@theridingschoolaiken. com; www.theridingschoolaiken.com. REAL ESTATE/ RENTALS Aiken Fine Homes and Land. Specializing in selling or renting homes, farms, land & barns for short or long term leases. 28 years experience in helping people find the property of their dreams, even if it takes building it! Call Barbara Lawrence, 803-439-0778 for honest & realistic answers to your real estate questions. Aiken Luxury Rentals. Distinctive accommodations for horse & rider in beautiful Aiken. Downtown fully furnished cottages, historic stables. Executive relocation; corporate housing. Short & long term. aikenluxuryrentals.com; info@aikenluxuryrentals.com. 803.648.2804. 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, Meybohm. “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 Tracey Kenworthy Turner, Meybohm. Specializing in marketing & selling Aiken’s horse country properties for 15+ years. southernhorsefarms.com. 803-215-4734. SERVICES Neigh Gourmet: Catering to Equestrians. Serving delicious meals in Aiken. Your personal chefs for intimate gatherings,and tailgate boxed lunches delivered to your show, event, clinic or meeting. Our decadent desserts will WOW your guests. Visit us online @ neighgourmet.com Call to place your lunch box order ( 24 hours notice please) Jody Boles 203.964.7707 or Eileen Wilkinson 203.321.9923 TACK & TACK CLEANING/REPAIR The Saddle Doctor. Saddlery and harness repair. 538 Two Notch Rd. HollyMacSpencer@aol.com. 803.642.5166.

The Aiken Horse

December-January 2019-2020

The Aiken Horse

Fall polo action at Aiken and New Bridge Polo Clubs

Photography by Pam Gleason

Aiken Area Calendar of Events

DECEMBER 4

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Schooling HJ Show. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, www. stableviewfarm.com Middleton Place Hounds Hunt Weekend. Middleton Place Hounds, Charleston, SC. Grace Stelling, 843.442.9136, gmstelling@comcast.net, www.middletonplacehounds.com December Classic I USEF HJ Show. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org SCHJA Finale HJ. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, www. scequinepark.com GQHA Classic. Georgia National Fairgrounds, 401 Larry Walker Pkwy, Perry, GA. Kathy Avolt: 765.714.4324, www. gqha.com Sporting Days Farm December H.T. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken. Joannah Hall Glass: 803.648.0100 or 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www. sportingdaysfarm.com Trotting ‘Round the Tree Horse Show. T. Ed Garrison Livestock Arena, 1101 West Queen Street, Pendleton, SC. Robert Obermiller: 828.674.1758, www.clemson.edu/ extension/garrison USEF/USDF “Winter Wonderland” Dressage Show. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@ stableviewfarm.com, www.stableviewfarm.com Ride Better Clinic and Horse Show. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken.com

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XC Schooling. 10am-2:30 pm. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken. Joannah Hall Glass: 803.648.0100 or 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www.sportingdaysfarm. com 8 Windridge Farm Fall Hunter Pace & Trail Ride. Wind Ridge Farm,882 Goodes Creek Church Rd, Mooresboro, NC. wchpace.org 11-15 Equus Events (H,J). Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11925 Wills Rd, Alpharetta, GA. JP Goddard, 803.643.5698, www. willspark.com 13 Whiskey Road Foxhounds Hunter Pace. Oakwood Plantation, Montmorenci, SC. www.whiskeyroadfoxhounds.com 13-14 Sorting (RSNC). BSC Arena, 3976 Highway 24 South, Waynesboro, GA. Cliff Chancey, 706.840.3971. rsnc.us 14 Just for Fun Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com 14 Eventing Academy Schooling Day. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, www.stableviewfarm.com 14 Christmas Drive. New Bridge Polo and Country Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. www.aikendrivingclub.com 15 Schooling HT/Combined Tests/jump rounds. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm. com 15 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm. com, www.stableviewfarm.com 18-22 Equus Events (H,J). Wills Park Equestrian Center, 11925 Wills Rd, Alpharetta, GA. JP Goddard, 803.643.5698, www. willspark.com 8

The Aiken Horse

29-Jan. 1 Lakeview Plantation New Year’s Eve Trail Ride. Lakeview Plantation, 875 Cedar Knoll Road, Fairfax, SC. 855.280.7121, info@cedarknoll.com,.lakeviewplantation.com

JANUARY USEF HJ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com 3-5 Aiken Winter Classic I USEF HJ Show. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 4-5 PSJ HJ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com 5 Schooling HT/Combined Tests/jump rounds. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm. com 7 Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 8 Schooling Dressage Show. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, www. stableviewfarm.com 9 Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, www.appletreefarm. org 10-12 Aiken Winter Classic II USEF HJ Show. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 10-12 USEF HJ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com 11 Backstretch Experience: Behind the Scenes at the Aiken Training Track. $30pp. 9-11:15am. Rye Patch parking lot, 100 Berrie Road, Aiken. 803.642.7631, halloffame@cityofaikensc. gov, www.aikenracinghalloffame.com 11 Winter Combined Test. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, www. stableviewfarm.com 11 Pipe Opener I CT. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 14 Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 16 Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870,.appletreefarm.org 16-19 Lowcountry Hunt Weekend. Carol Makovich Lobdell, 203.904.2257, lowcountryhunt@gmail.com, www. thelowcountryhunt.com 17-19 Aiken Winter Premier USEF HJ Show. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 18 Dixie Belle Paint Co Presents Belles and Beau Tour. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, www.georgiahorsepark.com 18-19 USEF/USEA “Aiken Opener” Horse Trials. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@ stableviewfarm.com, www.stableviewfarm.com 19 Combined Tests/jump rounds. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm.com 19-25 Augusta Cutting Horse Futurity James Brown Arena, Augusta. wwwaugustafuturityom 20 Hunter Pace. The Vista Schooling & Event Center, 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken. 803.262.5263, schoolthevista.com 21 Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 3-5

Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, www.appletreefarm. org 25 Schooling Hunters & Jumpers. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, www. stableviewfarm.com 25 Dressage test of choice. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@ yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm.com 25-26 Dressage in the Park USEF/USDF Level 3. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 25-26 PSJ HJ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com 25-26 Ride Better Clinic. Lellie Ward, Stono River Stables, Charleston, SC. 843.813.5506, paradisefarmaiken.com 26 January Recognized Horse Trials USEA/USEF Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www. fullgallopfarm.com 28 Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 30 Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, appletreefarm.org 23

FEBRUARY 1 1

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Just for Fun Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com Sporting Days Farm February H.T. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken. Joannah Hall Glass: 803.648.0100 or 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www.sportingdaysfarm. com XC Schooling. 10am-2:30 pm. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken. Joannah Hall Glass: 803.648.0100 or 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com,sportingdaysfarm.com

December-January 2019-2020

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Dressage Test of Choice. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@ yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm.com Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org February Recognized Horse Trials USEA/USEF Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www. fullgallopfarm.com Whiskey Road Hunt Week. Hon. Sec. Betsy Minton, 803.617.8353, elizabethminton@att.net, www. whiskeyroadfoxhounds.com Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, www.appletreefarm. org Whiskey Road Hunt Ball. Details TBA. Hon. Sec. Betsy Minton, 803.617.8353, elizabethminton@att.net, www. whiskeyroadfoxhounds.com XC Portion of Apple Days. 10am-2:30 pm. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken. Joannah Hall Glass: 803.648.0100 or 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www. sportingdaysfarm.com Pine Top Horse Trials. Pine Top Farm, Thomson, GA. Janet Wilson, 706.449.2029, pinetopfarm.com Historic Stables Experience. Register Thursday before tour. 8:45am. Rye Patch parking lot, 100 Berrie Road, Aiken. 803.643.2121, 803.642.7631, halloffame@cityofaikensc.gov, www.aikenracinghalloffame.com USEF/USDF “I LOVE Dressage”. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, www.stableviewfarm.com Belle Meade Hunt Week. Hon. Sec. Mrs. Angela Smith: 706.833.3104, ke4nnr@classicsouth.net. Hunt Office: 706.595.2525, www.bellemeadehounds.com.

December-January 2019-2020

Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 13 Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, www.appletreefarm. org 14-16 Paradise Farm recognized HT Starter-Preliminary. Paradise Farm, 4069 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lellie Ward, 803.640.4918, paradisefarmaiken.com 12 Schooling HT/Combined Tests/jump rounds. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm. com 15 Small But Mighty CDE. Greenfields Farm, Windsor Trace, Windsor, SC. aikendrivingclub.com 15 Pipe Opener II CT. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 15-16 Dressage at Bruce’s Field USEF/USDF Level 3. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 17-18 Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trial. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm. com, www.stableviewfarm.com 18 Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 19-23 “Stable View Winter Hunter/Jumper Classic”. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@ stableviewfarm.com, www.stableviewfarm.com 20 Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, www.appletreefarm. org 21-23 Pine Top Advanced Horse Trials. Pine Top Farm, Thomson, GA. Janet Wilson, 706.449.2029, pinetopfarm.com 22-23 PSJ HJ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com 22-23 Camden Hunt Weekend. Camden, SC. Ms. Lea Schwartz Edwards, 803.669.1590, camdenhunt.com 23 Combined Tests/jump rounds. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm.com 23-24 Ride Better Clinic. Lellie Ward, Stono River Stables, Charleston, SC. 843.813.5506, paradisefarmaiken.com 25 Dressage Test of Choice. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@ yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm.com 25 Tuesdays In The Park: Stadium and Dressage Schooling Days. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 26 February II Recognized HT USEA/USEF Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Road, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com. www.fullgallopfarm. com 27 Apple Tree Farm 2 Phase. Apple Tree Farm, 1530 Oak Ridge Club Road, Windsor, SC. 803.266.5870, www.appletreefarm. org 28-29 $50,000 LiftMaster Grand-Prix Eventing at Bruce’s Field USEF/USEA Eventing Showcase. The Aiken Horse Park @ “Bruce’s Field”, 931 Powderhouse Rd SE, Aiken. 803.226.0121, www.aikenhorsepark.org 27-Mar.1 USEF HJ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, www.psjshows.com 29-Mar.1 Sporting Days USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Sporting Days Farm, 3549 Charleston Highway, Aiken. Joannah Hall Glass: 803.648.0100 or 610.613.2010, jhallglass@aol.com, www.sportingdaysfarm.com

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Index of Advertisers Section

Page

Oak Manor Saddlery

Optimum Equine LLC

Paradise Farm

FOTAS Aiken

Patty Merli Saddles

Foxpipe Farm

Pedego Electric Bikes

G L Williams and Daughter

Progressive Show Jumping, Inc

Aiken Saddlery, Inc.

Gary Knoll Photography

Retired Racehorse Project

Aiken Yoga

Greystone Properties

Ride Wine and Dine

Art and Soul of Aiken

Harrison K-9 Security Service,

Shane Doyle

Auto Tech

HFGD

South Carolina Equine Park

Back in Balance

Holley Tractor

Southern Equine Service

Banks Mill Feeds

Jill Diaz Polo

SPCA Albrecht Center

Barnware

Horse Farm for Sale

Sporting Days Farm

Carolina Company RE

Keller Williams Stinson

Stable View, LLC

Carolina Company RE

Keller Williams Stinson

Supreme Top Form

Clint Bertalan Farms LLC

L & N Equestrian

Sweet PDZ

Coldwell Banker

Lightning Protection Systems

The Kneaded Edge

Cyndi’s Sweetshop

Lisa Seger Insurance

The Kneaded Edge

D & M Partners

MacQueen Equine Law

The Tack Room

DFG Stables

Marrinson Stables

The Willcox

Downtown Dog

Meybohm RE (Sullivan/Turner) 1

Three Runs Plantation

Epona

Meybohm RE Haslup

Tod’s Hill/ReMax

Equine Divine

Meybohm RE Vaillancourt

Wagener Milling

Equine Rescue of Aiken

New Bridge Polo Club

Warneke Cleaners

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Aiken County Farm Supply

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Aiken Fine Homes and Land

Fencing Solutions

Aiken Horse Park Foundation

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Aiken Horsemanship Academy

Aiken Luxury Rentals

Aiken Polo Club

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