The Aiken Horse, August September 2021 by Aiken Horse Productions

Volume 17 • Number 1 •

August-September 2021

130-B Laurens St. NW, Aiken, SC, 29803 $640,000

MLS #116214

LUXURY PENTHOUSE CONDO in the heart of downtown Aiken • 2,900 sq. ft. • 4 BR/3 Bath • Designer Finishes • Divine kitchen w/ granite

215 Berrie Rd SW, Aiken, SC, 29801 $2,000,000

MLS #114890

HENLEY HOUSE SOUTH • Fully restored luxury estate • 5.62 acres, 7,323 sq. ft. 5BR / 7 Bath • Indoor Pool • 2 BR guest suite & 1 BR groom’s apt.

1064 Grand Prix Dr., Beech Island, SC, 29842 $650,000

MLS #103839

TURN KEY IN FOX HOLLOW • 20.46 acres • 2 BR / 2.5 Bath • Open floor plan w/ spectacular views • courtyard barn w/ 8 stalls • 4 paddocks

525 Laurens Street SW, Aiken, SC 29801 $2,300,000

MLS #97065

HISTORIC HITCHCOCK STABLES • 8.67 acres, 4 BR/1.5 Bath • 27 stalls • 8 large paddocks • 2 carriage sheds • bunk house • borders the Woods

2138 Joyner Pond Rd, Aiken, SC 29803 $425,000

MLS #117611

GONE TO GROUND FARM • 6.7 acres • 3 BR/2 Bath, 1,500 sq. ft. • 5 stall barn, 9 paddocks, round pen, jumping field • lovely turn-key property

integrity • knowledge • experience

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

SuzyHaslup_TAH_Sept2019.qxp_Layout 1 3/25/21 4:45 PM Page 1

WINSOME FARM $1.1 MILLION Accredited Land Consultant An Accredited Land Consultant, Suzy achieved the title of Leading Sales Agent in 2013, 2015, 2016 & 2020. Her achievements include Meybohm “Best of the Best” & President’s Club, as well as 2018, 2019 & 2020 RLI APEX award for top producing land real estate agents. Located in the 302 corridor, this gated 37.7A horse farm has Coastal Bermuda pastures, 8-stall center aisle barn with matted 12 x 12 stalls with fans, 2 tack rooms, 2 wash stalls, a grooming stall, laundry, 2 half baths, office Anroom. Accredited Land and feed There is a 150’ x 220’ arena, grass field for Consultant, achieved practice polo orSuzy jumping, trails through the woods, paddocks & run-inthe shed. Over 1,900 sf. 2 BR/2 BA hardiplank house with 9’ ceilings title of Leading Sales & custom with 2016 granite Agent inkitchen 2013, 2015, & countertops. Drive through 50’ x 74’ metal2020. garage/workshop with 200 AMP service, half bath & office. Her achievements include Meybohm “Best of

DIBBLE the Best”ROAD & President’s Club,

$399,000

SWALLOW DIP

$649,000

WINDSOR PROPERTY

$145,000

as well as 2018, 2019 & 2020 RLI APEX award for top producing land real estate agents.

SOLD

00 6

03 00 4

08 9

490

0 50

009

E ND W A

08 9

-0

003 01 1 00 01

Prepared by: Aiken County Government 10/22/2018 JB

Scale: 1 inch = 200 feet

07 04

089 07 04 008

089

089 07 05 002 089 07 05 001

490

089 07 05 004

500

WO OD S

Priced at $275,000 and $320,000, these lots provide an exceptional opportunity to own a farm Parcel Map bordering the 2200-acre Hitchcock Woods offering 70 miles of riding trails open to the public year round. Lots are cleared and ready for home and barn, paved cul-de-sac, underground utilities with city services and no HOA. Possible owner financing and lots may be combined. Direct access to trails of the Woods. 500

SOLD

005

006

04 00 7

07 04

089

510

089 07 03 005

07 01 00 9

9 08

500

08 9

490

089

089 06 01 001

01 00 5

08 9

480

500

01 00 8

089

089 07 01 00 4

-1 SC

Buyers can customize this 2,270 sf. light filled open floor plan modern hardiplank farmhouse with 3 BR/3 BA, 2 car garage and opt. bonus on over 6 acres in popular Bridle Creek Equestrian. Split bedroom plan, study, fireplace, pantry, walk-in closets in every BR and outdoor barbeque porch. Miles of fabulous trails, 2 arenas with silica sand & fiber, and activity building with Michele Higgins workout room. Licensed Assistant

089 07 03 003

14 AY KW R

08 9

089 07 04 010

00 1

510

01 00 7

002 01

$329,000

08 9

CK CO

Licensed Assistant

CARPENTER LANE

089

118

Wonderful horse property with established pasture, 12 x 32 run-in shed with tongue and groove pine tack/feed room, 2 paddocks with selectively cleared limbed up pines, underground electric and 2 horsepower well. Property is cleared & prepped for ring & home/house site. Bring your horses and have access to dirt roads for riding and driving. Adjacent to Windsor Trace.

088 19 01 001

520

CH HIT

Kathryn Siders

WOOD’S END LOTS

$649,000

BRIDLE CREEK

Light filled Winter Colony home on Chesterfield St. with .78 acres near the Willcox Inn and Hitchcock Woods. One level living with 3 BR suites/3 BA, heart pine floors, coffered ceilings, living room, library/den, formal DR with original cabinets, kitchen with custom cabinets, stainless steel appliances. Viking range, pantry, butler pantry. Screened porch overlooking backyard and pool with one bath pool or guest house.

08 8

Brick 4 BR/2.5 BA across from entrance to Hitchcock Woods with 2,100 A and 70 miles of sandy trails for pedestrian and equestrian use. Many fine features including fireplace, hardwood and tile floors, 2 car garage, double carport and screened porch overlooking private yard with fire pit & seating area. Over 400 sf. finished lower level.

Aiken County IT / GeoServices

Copyright (C) Aiken County Government Aiken County makes no warranty, representation or guaranty as to the content, sequence, accuracy or timeliness of the database information provided herein. Users of this data are hereby notified that public information sources should be consulted for verification of the information contained on these maps. Aiken County assumes no liability for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies in the information provided regardless of how caused, OR, for any decision made or action taken or not taken by any person in reliance upon any information or data furnished herein.

Restored Old Aiken cottage near the Horse District with fabulous Woodlanders plantings and landscaping. Original heart pine flooring, nine foot ceilings, brick double sided fireplace, appliances, custom cabinetry and built-ins, Jacuzzi tub in master with walk in closet, new windows, and French doors to a 18’x12’ screened porch overlooking the fenced backyard with palmetto trees, gardenias and jasmine. Rocking chair front porch and picket fenced front yard.

www.AikenHorseRealty.com www.AikenHorseRealty.com (803) 215-0153 • suzy.haslup@gmail.com (803) 215-0153 • suzy.haslup@gmail.com August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

Real. Estates. The best golf, equestrian, and grand historic estates of Aiken have one team in common. Bringing you the best connections, the boldest creativity, the highest standards, the most fun, and the most delicious impromptu dinner parties with clients. Buying or selling... Give us a call and meet your new best friends in Real Estate.

your best friend in real estate REALTY, AIKEN PARTNERS

www.FINEHOMESOFAIKEN.com

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

under contrAct

HISTORIC HOME on 4.5 ACRES in HORSE DISTRICT

5+ Br, 7 1⁄2 BAths renovAted & imPeccABly mAintAined historic home With elevAtor. eXPAnsive vieWs Across Bruce’s field, guest APArtment, fitness room & 3-BAy gArAge

928 tWo notch roAd se | $2.75m

under contrAct BIG TREE FARM - A FARM for ANY DISCIPLINE

58+ Acres, 15-stAll BArn, lighted ArenA, Polo or JumP field, PAsture 2 Br, 2 BAth living QuArters, sePArAte office, 3+ cAr gArAge/WorkshoP

490 Big tree roAd | $759,900

HISTORIC HOME CLOSE TO HORSE DISTRICT

6 Br, 4 BAths, 1 hAlf BAth. generously ProPortioned rooms & restorAtion true to the home’s chArm, chArActer & historic integrity.

1022 south BoundAry | $1,195,000

sold SPOTTED CREEK FARM – TURNKEY ON 11 ACRES 2 stAll BArn W/hot&cold WAsh stAll & tAck room; lArge grAssy PAsture fenced grAss riding ArenA, sePArAte shed ideAl for hAy storAge 3 Br, 1 BAth loW mAintenAnce rAnch W/neW fenced dog yArd

110 cooks Bridge roAd | $375,000

HOBBY FARM IN 302 HORSE COUNTRY

NEW BARN W/LIVING QUARTERS in the PADDOCKS

837 floWing Well roAd | $417,000

722 PAddock cluB PkWy | $675,000

11.5 Acres W/good BArn site & roAd frontAge; Access to trAining venues PrivAtely sited 4 Br, 2 BAth home With room for eXPAnsion on 2nd level; oPen kitchen / living sPAce

suPerBly constructed BArn on 11 Acres – loW mAintenAnce to enJoy more time With your horses; community riding ArenA 1 Br, 1½ BAths, greAt kitchen, Access to BArn, outdoor living sPAce

under contrAct THE PINE HOUSE C. 1868 ON 8.27 ACRES

8.27 Acres of level lAnd, close to stABle vieW 5 Br, 4 BAth historic home; 2 Br, 2 BAth guest house; ideAl As residence or B&B – no restrictions

5995 edgefield roAd | noW $580,000

LIVE, WORK & INVEST IN AIKEN’S DOWNTOWN

ENDLESS TRAILS PRESERVE – TRENTON, SC

151 lAurens street sW | $995,000

407 vAnn roAd | $897,000

mAin level 2178 sf commerciAl retAil sPAce on Aiken’s Prime doWntoWn thoroughfAre for shoPPing & dining. second level 1260 sf, 2 Br 1 BAth renovAted residence knoWn As “the loft”.

sold HIGH FLAT FARM – LEWIS LANE ASSOCIATION

SOUTHERN AMBIANCE AT FARMSTEAD | 3+ ACRES

PArcel 1 leWis lAne | $209,000

5334 fArmsteAd drive | $950,000

11.01 Ac. W/neWer 3-BoArd fencing. estABlished grAss field ideAl for ArenA, JumP field or turn-out; Access to leWis lAne AssociAtion trAils lovely locAtion for house / BArn Beyond gorgeous oAk trees & Among estABlished eQuestriAn ProPerties

BArrington fArms

trAil Access vArying AcreAge AvAilABle rAnging from 5.5+ Ac. for $67,146 -- 24+ Ac. for $157,000

WeXford mill WAterfront 302 horse country .69 Acre | $65,000 1.68 Acres | $84,000

Cissie Sullivan

2nd floor Porch overlooks sPArking Pool, sWeePing lAWn & lAke fine Brick home W ith 6 Brs, 5 BAths & 2 hAlf BAths; 3 levels of living With oWner’s & guest suite on mAin; lArge entertAinment sPAce & 3 gArAge BAys

Land for Sale leWis lAne AssociAtion

trAil Access nonnie’s lot - 11.02 Ac. | $193,000 henry’s trAnQuil retreAt - 8.23 Ac. | $157,000 Pond meAdoW - 13.68 Ac. | $250,000 oAk grove - 11.34 Ac. | $215,000

16 stAll BArn on 216.92 Acres; hot&cold WAsh stAll, sePArAte tAck & feed rooms; 11 miles of Wide trAils on ProPerty 3 Br, 3 BA one-level custom home on 3 Acres, Pond & WoodlAnds

THE POINT ON EDISTO LAKE

4 Br, 4 BAth Brick home situAted PrivAtely on neArly 2 Acres W/ APProX. 500 ft of WAterfront + PrivAte dock & 3-BAy gArAge. gAted community eQuidistAnt to Aiken & columBiA, sc & eAsy Access to Aiken’s 302 horse country.

741 edisto lAke | $650,000

WeXford lAnding - AviAtion lots runWAy Access 5+ Acres on runWAy - stArting from $45,000 3/4 Acre lot on Burkelo roAd - $19,700

Woodside - gAted community country cluB Amenities residentiAl Building lot on golf course

Tracey Turner

803-998-0198 | SullivanTurnerTeam.com 6

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

Introducing

SWEET AMBROSIA FARM 1480 & 1482 WIRE ROAD + 32 FLAG LANE

Wonderful 65+ Acre Property, Ideal for the Nature, Equestrian & Dog Enthusiast! ProPerty includes a main residence, barn with living quarters & a guest cottage overlooking the Pond. main residence has been renovated to create a & a wall of windows overlooking the refreshing Pool & green Pastures beyond. farm has 10 Pastures, 4 w/run-ins & a 7-stall center-aisle barn w/good ventilation, wash stall, tack rm & half bath. character defines the barn aPt, which has brick floors, huge living room & bedroom + an office/2nd br, cozy kitchen & decks on either end. 30 x 50 ft building (2013) offers 12 kennels, tub/grooming room, full bath & office. wooded trails & oPen fields are ideal for x-country or combined driving + a riding arena for the equestrian. fun sites for camPing & gatherings amidst the backwoods. 1 br, 2 bath Pond cottage has Private access for guests or rental. suPerb oPPortunity! sPectacular oPen floor Plan with a true chef’s kitchen, wide Plank Pine floors

offered for $1,695,000 THE COTTAGE ON THE RAIL

THE VISTA SCHOOLING & EVENT CENTER

8.64 acres in aiken’s horse district, 8-stall center-aisle barn, great turnout, across from bruce’s field & easy hack to hitchcock woods renovated historic home w/stunning views from the veranda, charming guest house; 6 brs, 4.5 baths in total, heated saltwater gunite Pool

gorgeous 175 acre state of the art equestrian facility with schooling areas, dressage & stadium arenas, xc JumPs w/water comPlex, equiPment storage 3 br manager’s home / office

1354 AUDUBON DRIVE

offered for $2.5 million

Cissie Sullivan

859 OLD TORY TRAIL ROAD

offered for $1,995,000 - under contract

275+ ACRE RANCH in EDGEFIELD, SC 25 MOORES ROAD

10-stall morton stable, Perimeter fencing, Pasture in tifton 85 bermuda, extensive irrigation, 3 Ponds, graded for arena & level acreage ideal for JumP or stick & ball fields 3 gorgeous custom homes with stunning views, 1500 sf entertainment area & guest aPartment

offered for $3.1 million

Tracey Turner

803-998-0198 | SullivanTurnerTeam.com August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

SECTION 10 16 22 24

Olympic Eventing Camden Summer Classic Aiken Fall Line-up News & Notes

Section One

Doug Payne on Vandiver go down the Mt. Fuji drop at the Sea Forest Cross Country Course, Tokyo, Japan. 2020 Olympics. Vandiver is owned by Debi Crowley and Doug and Jessica Payne. Photography by Shannon Brinkman

Section Two

SECTION

36 40 42 46 50 52 54 56

Annie Goodwin Ask the Judge TIP Championship The Vista Secret Lives Lightning Protection Hunter Kay Aiken Thoroughbreds

Annie Goodwin on Fedarman B at the Stable View Oktoberfest Horse Trials, 2020. Photography by Pam Gleason

Section Three

Adora Jackson riding her pony May B Tango at the mini hunter derby, PSJ Show, Highfields Event Center. Photography by Gary Knoll

The Aiken Horse

63 64 66 69 70 72 75 82

Best of the West Aiken Equine Rescue Saving Waverly Directory Classifieds PSJ Summer Show Calendar Index of Advertisers

August-September 2021

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 17 • Number 1

he equestrian events at the Olympics are still going on as we are getting this paper to the printers. A week ago, we watched the American dressage team win the silver medal, which is the country’s best placing in the sport since 1948, and represents a nice step forward: the team edged out Great Britain (the 2012 winner) and was beaten only by Germany, which has been dominant in dressage for decades. Our eventing team, featuring riders who are normally based in Aiken over the winter, finished in sixth place. It would have been wonderful to see our riders on the podium, but this an improvement over recent Olympic performances, and all three team members qualified for the individual finals. Although there is certainly room to do better, Aiken’s horse world can be proud to have had a part in preparing the team: just to be able to compete is a huge accomplishment, especially during this strange, pandemic era. We won’t know how the U.S. showjumping team fares until after this paper is printed, but we can certainly hope for a medal: Showjumping has been our strongest Olympic suit for a long time. Back at home, there is plenty of other activity going on in Aiken’s horse world this summer, some of it in preparation for a busy fall and winter season. New permanent stables are being constructed at Bruce’s Field in the Aiken Horse Park; Aiken Polo Club’s Whitney Field is getting a facelift, and the grass is growing at the new Aiken Steeplechase track. Read more about the Olympics and new developments in Aiken in Section One. In addition to all the usual fall happenings, fans of Western horses can look forward to the Best of the West horse sale that will be held at the Aiken Training

August-September 2021

Track the first weekend of October. This sale is coming to Aiken for the first time, and it will be bringing a very high class of well-trained Western horses: expect some serious bidders, both in person and online. You can read more about it in Section Three. Section Three also has stories from the rescue world, including an update from Aiken Equine Rescue, which has a new team at its helm. Meet the new faces of the rescue and read about how they plan to carry the AER mission forward in the coming months and years. This section also has our all-important calendar of events to keep your equestrian schedule organized. Section Two, which usually carries our eventing stories, is dedicated to Annie Goodwin, who graces its cover. The equestrian world in Aiken and beyond was devastated to learn of Annie’s death this summer as the result of a training accident. Just 32, Annie was a rising star in the eventing world, and she seemed poised to become one of the true greats of the sport. Beyond her talent and dedication to horsemanship, she was also a vibrant and magnetic person, friendly and always eager to help others, generous in spirit and attitude, with a rare humility and keen sense of humor. Annie was the kind of person who always seemed to be part of your family, even if you had just met her, or only knew her in passing. The news of her death brought an outpouring of tributes from around the world and a great well of grief in the equestrian community. It is an incalculable loss, and a reminder of the dangers of equestrian life, even for the most talented among us. You can read more about Annie, and what is being done to honor her memory, on page 36. Please let us know if you have any comments or suggestions, or you have an idea for an article. As ever, we want to be your horse newspaper.

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 theaikenhorse@gmail.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, or $36 for First Class. Send check or CC # & your mailing address: P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 Or sign up on the web at TheAikenHorse.com

Pam Gleason Editor & Publisher

Aiken

The

Horse

Aiken’s Horse Publication

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.

The Aiken Horse

Olympic Eventing 2021 Great Britain Dominates

By Pam Gleason; Photography by Shannon Brinkman

fter a year’s delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the eventers finally arrived at the Tokyo Olympics in late July. America’s team had high hopes of returning to the podium, but they knew that this would be a difficult task. Although the team won the gold medal at the Pan Am Games in 2019, the last time they faced eventers from the other side of the Atlantic at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, they finished a disappointing tenth. The US has not won a team eventing medal since their bronze in Athens, 2004. The British were the early favorites, coming off a strong Olympic record and a win at the 2018 WEG. They also have an extraordinary array of Olympic level horses and athletes. How deep is the British talent pool? Consider that before the games they had riders ranked number one, three and five on the FEI world standings and that rider number three, Piggy March, was initially just the team’s travelling reserve. When she and her horse’s owners decided not to risk the journey to Tokyo, she was replaced as traveling reserve by Rosalind Canter, ranked 16 by the FEI, and the 2018 individual World Equestrian Games champion. All three of Britain’s 2021 riders were first time Olympians and all of them are under 40.

year, each country could have three riders, along with a traveling reserve. There would be no drop score, and the traveling reserve could only be substituted in certain circumstances and with a substantial point penalty. The U.S. team that traveled to Tokyo had a decidedly Aiken flavor, with all three riders normally based in the area during the winter. These were Phillip Dutton on Z, Boyd Martin on Tsetserleg and Doug Payne on Vandiver. Doug was a relatively late addition to the team: he was originally picked as the traveling reserve. However, in early July, team member Elisabeth Halliday Sharp’s mount, Deniro Z, sustained a minor injury and Doug moved up from traveling reserve to full-fledged team member. Tamie Smith and the spectacular Mai Baum took Doug’s place in the traveling reserve spot. As ever, the competition started with dressage, on a test that was shortened from the usual Olympic standard. Doug Payne went first and performed well: his score of 33 was well within his average scoring range, and put him in the middle of the pack in 30th place. Phillip Dutton was next, earning a score of 30.5, which was good enough for 16th place. Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg, whose dressage scores are often in the low 20s, did not have their best day. Tsetserleg seemed to grow stiff and nervous as the test wore on, finishing with an uncharacteristic 31.1 and putting the pair in 20th place individually and the U.S. team in ninth place overall. These were not the scores the team was hoping for, but they were not insurmountable either.

Above: Boyd Martin on Tsetserleg in the stadium, night session. Right: Phillip Dutton and Z into the water at Lake Sea Forest. Erik Duvander, chef d’equipe of the U.S. team since October 2017, has been devoted to improving America’s performance on the world stage after their 2018 WEG outing. That year, although the team was relatively competitive in dressage, they had some difficulties on the cross country course, and then fell apart completely in the stadium, with three of the four riders toppling an uncharacteristic three rails apiece. At this year’s competition, it was imperative that everyone make it through all the phases without major mistakes. The new Olympic format is unforgiving. Five years ago at the Rio Olympics, each country was allowed four riders, and only the top three scores would count. This

The Aiken Horse

Those who remember previous Olympic performances might be surprised by the generally excellent marks that everyone seemed to get in the dressage phase as compared to other Olympics. For instance, at the 2016 games in Rio, William Fox-Pitt of England topped the dressage leaderboard with a score of 37. Back at the 2000 games, when the American rider David O’Connor took the individual gold on Custom Made, his dressage score, 29, was a celebrated world record. The drastic drop in this year’s dressage penalty points does not, however, represent a dramatic improvement in performance. Rather it is due to a 2018 change in the way eventing at the FEI level is scored. In the past,

August-September 2021

the dressage score had a coefficient of 1.5, meaning that the scores that not out of the medals yet. All they needed were three double clears the judges gave each rider were multiplied by 1.5. to arrive at that phase’s and for a few horses on teams ahead of them to drop a rail or two. In penalty score. This year, dressage scores no longer have a coefficient, fact, they were just 12.3 points (3 rails and some time penalties) from which gives the jumping phases greater weight in the final result. overtaking France for the bronze and 13.2 points (4 rails would do it) Going into cross country day, Great Britain was in the lead, with from overtaking Australia for the silver. It is worth noting that, without Germany a little more than two points behind and knocking at the the time penalties, the US would have been in silver medal position after door. The U.S. moved up a spot to eighth after the Swedish team made a the cross country phase. substitution in its roster, incurring 20 penalty points and dropping them But stadium day did not go as the team hoped. All three members from fifth place overall to 11th. took down a few rails, knocking the U.S.A. back into sixth place. On the The Seaforest Cross Country course was built on a man-made island bright side, all three riders did well enough to advance to the individual on a former landfill site in Tokyo Bay. The course itself was designed by final showjumping test, where Aiken’s own Doug Payne, competing in Derek di Grazia who also set the course at the Land Rover Kentucky his first Olympics, came in 16th, the highest finish of the team. Three Day Event. The island is not large, and as a result the track had to After he returned to the States, Doug gave high marks to the wind back and forth quite a bit in order to cover an appropriate distance facility, the course and the way the entire event was run. “Going to the – the course was actually a bit shorter than that of a typical Olympic Olympics is something you strive your entire life for, so to actually have test, with 7 minutes and 45 seconds time allowed. Jumps were relatively it happen is a bit surreal. But for me to perform best, I had to try to straightforward and jumpable, with no big surprises, but they were set think of it as just a normal show, and that’s what I tried to do,” he said. rather closer together than usual, and there were few galloping stretches Although he acknowledged that being in the Olympics was a personal where horses could make up time. The general consensus from the riders honor and could be considered a “feather in your cap,” he said that the before the event was that it was a fair test, but it would be hard to avoid experience overall was more humbling than anything. time penalties. “What strikes you is the amount of support you have – the team that And they were right. Of the 60-odd horses that started the course, travels with you, vets and farriers and grooms – and also the support you just seven made it home double clear: three of them were on team Great have at home. It’s not often that you have the chance to represent your Britain, which now had a virtually insurmountable country like that, and you try to make the best of lead. Team Germany dropped down to sixth it. You’re struck that there’s a whole nation behind place when two of their riders incurred jumping you. It’s not a singular effort.” faults, including the reigning individual Olympic Great Britain, as expected, won the team gold, champion Michael Jung who had 11 penalty their first team gold in eventing since 1972, with points when his mount triggered a frangible pin Australia silver and France bronze. Germany’s and caused a log to drop. This allowed Australia Julie Krajewski, 32, won the individual title and France to climb the standings to second and aboard Amande De B’Neville, an 11-year-old Selle third respectively. Francais mare who is just stepping up to this level All three U.S. riders completed the course with of competition: before the Olympics, she had no jumping penalties, getting through safely and only competed in two 4-star events. This makes with all the horses in excellent shape. Each rider Krajewski the fourth German in a row to win did have some time penalties, however, adding individual gold in Olympic eventing, following 14.8 points to the team score. This moved them up Hinrich Romeike (2008) and Michael Jung (2012 the leaderboard and into fifth place going into the and 2016.) It also makes her the very first woman stadium phase. ever to win individual gold in Olympic eventing. Above: Individual gold medalist Julia Krajewski on Fifth place is not an ideal spot, but the U.S. was And she did it on a mare. Amande De B’Neville after their winning round.

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

CELL: (803) 522-3648

WWW. SHARERDALE.COM SHARERDALETEAM@GMAIL.COM Office: (803) 761-0678

- $1,450,000 - 4,880 Sq. Ft. Built in 2009 - 4 bedroom, 5.5 bathroom, elevator - 16 Acres, 4 stall barn - Guest apartment above barn -3rd story zen viewing tower - Salt water pool

$1,250,000 - 3,964 Square Feet - Sean Wolf Custom Build 2010 -3 Runs Plantation - 4 Bedroom w/ fully equipt apartment - 5 acres with 7 pastures - 4 stall barn w/tack room & storage

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

CELL: (803) 522-3648

WWW. SHARERDALE.COM SHARERDALETEAM@GMAIL.COM office: (803) 761- 0678

$2,250,000 6,327 Sq Ft / 4 bed 3.5 bathroom Luxurious Master Suite. In-Law / Guest House 5 stallls/ Arena / Large Turnouts / 20 Acres

$590,000 40 +/- Ac / 13 stalls 3/2 Manufactured Home Winter training site for Olympian Doug Payne August-September 2021

15 ac/ 4 stalls / 5 paddocks $399,000 Build your DREAM Home! The Aiken Horse

Exclusive Clothing, Gifts and Sporting Art

Downtown Aiken 126 Laurens Street SW Aiken, South Carolina

803.642.9772 equinedivineonline.com

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

center

Camden Summer Classic, South Carolina Equine Park

spread

Photography by Gary Knoll

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

GET READY FOR ALL YOUR FALL EVENTS AT AIKEN SADDLERY! NEW!!! U HR T E V I DR E! S U O H WARE

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR BUY 12 GET 1 FREE DEALS!

Call 803-649-6583 Text 803-522-5448 or Email aikensaddlery@gforcecable.com to order 20

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

at Aiken Polo Club, October 3-10. This makes two consecutive weeks of women’s polo in Aiken. Aiken has been holding some kind of women’s tournament in the fall for about two decades now, and it has traditionally brought in women from around the country and the world. Though travel may still be affected by the pandemic this year, having these two tournaments in tandem might make Aiken an even more attractive destination for female players from faraway clubs. (Realtors: get ready. The women’s tournament has traditionally resulted in at least a few out-of-town players liking what they see and deciding to put down roots.) If you don’t play polo but want to watch, all the clubs welcome spectators and there are unlikely to be any stringent COVID related restrictions. Sunday is the traditional day for a match game with spectators and an announcer, but during the season, you can often find a match any day but Monday. Check the clubs’ websites for tournament schedules, and call the hotlines for daily match schedules. (Aiken Polo: 803-643-3611; New Bridge: 803-644-7706; Wagener: 803-566-8610.)

Aiken’s Fall Line-Up The Action Returns By Pam Gleason

he country’s return to normal after the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic may not be as rapid as one might hope. However, horse activities have always been impacted less severely than most other sports, and Aiken’s fall equestrian calendar is filling up. What’s on tap for the 2021 fall season? Here is a brief guide.

Horse Shows

Polo

Players whose horses have been taking the summer off will be getting them ready again starting in August. The practice polo season begins in early September at Aiken’s three main clubs, and tournaments commence by the second or third week of September. Aiken Polo Club has two four goals and two six goals. Wagener Polo will have three six goals and a four goal, and New Bridge will have three twelve goals and three eight goals. The season runs through the first weekend in November. New this year at New Bridge Polo: an invitational women’s tournament, to be held September 20-October 1. The New Bridge tournament will be followed by the annual Aiken Women’s Challenge

The Aiken Horse

Aiken’s fall horse show season starts September 3-5 with a new show on Aiken’s calendar, the New Vocations Charity All-Thoroughbred show at Highfields. This show is a benefit for the New Vocations racehorse adoption center, and is probably the oldest all-Thoroughbred show in the country, with a history going back to 2001. It is moving here from its traditional home at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, and is likely to bring some new competitors to our area. One month later, from October 8-10, the Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program Championship show will be at Stable View. This is another new show for our area: both of these shows promise to be an impressive showcase of the multiple talents of Thoroughbred horses. Other shows this fall include a full schedule at Bruce’s field, starting with the “AA” rated Aiken Fall Festival I and II (September 8-12 and 15-19. Then there will be two “A” rated shows in October and three in December. Bruce’s Field will also welcome the return of the Aiken International CSI two star, put on by the Split Rock Jumping Tour. This show will run from November 10-14 and has a full menu of jumper classes with some serious money at stake. The featured $100,000 1.45 meter FEI Grand Prix should be exciting to watch. It will be on November 14. Stable View will have its own Hunter/Jumper Classic from September

August-September 2021

30 through October 3. They will also continue to hold schooling hunter and jumper shows, and have several schooling and recognized dressage shows on their fall schedule. Over at Highfields, the action continues after the New Vocations show with the PSJ series and the popular “Just for Fun” schooling shows. Looking for additional low-key showing options? There are shows in September, October and November at Radway Eventing on Aiken’s Southside: this is billed as a “beginner and young horse friendly show series.” Twin Chestnuts Farm in Williston has its final show of the year on September 11. Twin Chestnuts shows aim “to provide a laid back atmosphere for friendly competition.” Another option is the Halloween Open Horse Show at Full Gallop Farm on October 31. This show will have driving, games, and Western and gaited classes in addition to the usual Aiken hunter/jumper fare.

in November. Whiskey Road’s opening meet and blessing of the hounds will be on November 7, while the Aiken Hounds hold their annual blessing at Memorial Gate in the Hitchcock Woods on Thanksgiving Day, November 25. Foxhunting continues several times a week until March. Will these opening meets welcome spectators? That remains to be seen. The Aiken Hounds opening meet is an annual Thanksgiving tradition, in most years attracting a big crowd. The public was not invited last year because of the pandemic. Stay tuned.

Eventing

Aiken’s horsemen are definitely doing a lot of eventing. There are recognized shows with divisions at all levels, and a plethora of schooling opportunities for young horses and riders who want to get their feet wet in the eventing pool, but might not be ready to take the plunge. While the majority of our recognized shows will be after the new year, we do have a handful on the fall calendar. For instance, Stable View will hold the annual Oktoberfest FEI CCI-S one-through-three star on September 24-26 in conjunction their USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Some of our returning Olympic riders might be out on the course at this event – in any case, the FEI levels are always exciting to watch. In early November, Full Gallop will have a recognized horse trials with levels from Beginner Novice through Training. In December, there will be a recognized horse trails at Sporting Days Farm at the same levels. The schooling calendar is very active. Stable View is continuing to hold regular Eventing Academy Schooling Horse Trials, with one day for practice and then one (and sometimes two) days for showing over that same course. Levels start very low, at “Sprouts” and go up to Modified or Preliminary, depending on demand. Full Gallop has schooling horse trials as well as combined tests and dressage tests of choice in September, October, November and December. The Vista

Driving

Those who always enjoyed the Katydid Combined Driving Event held in Windsor each fall will be happy to know that, even though that competition has moved to Tryon, there is a replacement. This is the Windsor Trace CDE, which will be held November 4-7. The weekend warms up with a combined test on Thursday, November 4. Then the CDE itself will run over the weekend with dressage on Friday, marathon on Saturday and cones on Sunday. The competition is recognized by the American Driving Society and will include the North American Preliminary and Intermediate Championships. This means it is likely to bring in exhibitors from many other states, and that the level of the competition will be quite high.

Barrel Racing

Barrel racing practitioners in Aiken normally have to travel long distances to compete, but there’s a new game in town: Crown B Ranch in the 302 corridor east of town. They will be holding their first competition on September 4. Pre-enter at crownbranchllc@gmail.com. will have a mini horse trials on October 23. Finally, on December 11, Jumping Branch Farm will hold a schooling horse trials. Jumping Branch will also have a recognized event next February, having taken over the dates once held by Paradise Farm.

Foxhunting

Aiken’s hunt junkies will be cubbing by September or early October, leading up to opening meet and the start of the formal hunting season

August-September 2021

There is, of course, much more on the schedule than what has been mentioned here. Consult our full schedule in Section Three for more, and check back with us in the October-November issue for any updates. As ever, if you are considering attending any of these events as a spectator, be sure to call or visit the relevant website first to ensure that spectators are allowed and that you comply with any masking, vaccination or social distancing rules that may be in place.

The Aiken Horse

News and Notes By Pam Gleason

Whitney Field Renovation

Over the summer, Aiken Polo Club’s Whitney Field has been getting a facelift. First played upon in 1882, Whitney is the oldest continuously used polo field in the country. Over the last 139 years, it has undergone many upgrades, starting with precise leveling and the installation of a state-of-the-art drainage system in 1901, the year that it was deeded to the Whitney Trust. Most recently, the club constructed the beautiful Alan Lyle Corey III viewing pavilion to improve the experience of the club’s loyal supporters and fans.

of its sense of the past and its importance in the history of the sport, not to mention because it generally has a good crowd. Others, however, especially professionals, have sometimes balked at playing there because the ball did not roll as true at Whitney as it does on some of Aiken’s other playing fields. The turf also sometimes had a tendency to be slippery when the weather was wet. Polo players can be particular about their grass, and, by comparison with some other manicured fields in the area, Whitney was not quite up to snuff. The newly refurbished Whitney Field, however, will have both a sense of history and a fast, horse-friendly playing field where the ball will roll farther and with fewer bounces or other deviations that might cause one to miss it or to shoot wide of goal. “We’re very excited about this project,” said Charlie Bostwick, the president of Aiken Polo Club, in a statement sent out to the membership. “We’re making Whitney Field the best it can be, and we hope to see everyone there very soon.” So far, the facelift is going well. But like anyone going through this kind of surgery, the patient might look worse before it looks better.

New Stabling at AHP

The grass on Whitney Field was planted back in the early 1950s. This grass, called Tiflawn, was created at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences in Tifton. It was a first generation Bermuda grass hybrid designed specifically for playing fields. Although this grass has many excellent qualities, there are new varieties that are easier to maintain, provide a smoother and more durable playing surface, and create a superior experience for players and spectators alike. In order to improve the quality of Whitney Field, the Aiken Polo Club Board of directors decided to replace the old Tiflawn grass with a 21st century variety called Latitude 36. The first phase of the project involved removing all the Tiflawn. Since the old grass was well established and quite hardy, this required extensive work. The next phase was sprigging the field with the new grass. The sprigs are being watered, fertilized and carefully tended until they have grown enough for the mower. If all goes according to plan, Whitney Field will be green and ready by tournament season in the fall. The new grass on Whitney Field will bring the quality of the playing surface at least up to par with the other excellent professional fields in Aiken County. Some polo enthusiasts love to play on Whitney because

The Aiken Horse

Although there have not been any events or competitions at the Aiken Horse Park since June, things over there have still been busy. Construction crews have been hard at work, undertaking two main projects. The first was removing the rails that delineated the steeplechase track there. (The Aiken Horse Park had been the home of the Aiken Steeplechase for decades, but the event outgrew the property and is moving to its own facility this year.) Since these rails are no longer needed, the AHP now has the freedom to install a gravel road around the perimeter of the park to facilitate deliveries and provide a durable surface for other traffic. This project is under way. The second project is the construction of four new permanent stables. The park already has eight stables with 28 stalls apiece. The new stables are larger, with 40 stalls each, bringing the total up to 384 permanent stalls. These new stables are the first of 10 additional ones that are planned. “Part of our attraction is that we are a park, and being able to keep your horses in a permanent stable when you are at a show here adds to our atmosphere,” said Kate Boggan, who is the Aiken Horse Park’s director of marketing and communications. “It will also be better for everyone not to have to rent tents for our bigger shows,” she added. The largest shows at the park are quite popular, regularly attracting about 600 horses, most of which end up staying in temporary stalls under tents. When all the new barns are completed, the park will have a total of 624 stalls, which means no tents will be necessary. This will save the AHP money when they hold their own shows and it will mean that shows can be more profitable for the park when other show organizers lease the facility – they will be renting stalls from the horse park and not from the tent company. The first set of stables, which are about half completed at this writing, are situated between Powder House Road and the AHP office. The next six will be on the other side of the office, in front of the existing barns. This will put all the stabling in one area, making it possible to route equestrian and business traffic through the Powder House entrance and to reserve the Audubon entrance for spectators and spectator parking. Kate says that the AHP is hoping to have the first four stables ready for use by the second week of September when the Aiken Fall Festival horse shows arrive to kick off the season. The next set of stables will likely be built over the winter, in hopes of accommodating competitors at the Aiken Charity Horse Show in May, but there is not yet a definite construction schedule. The horse park is also planning to add another large competition ring to the four already in use. In addition, they have consulted with eventing course designers to repurpose the topsoil they removed from

August-September 2021

the barn construction sites. The plan is to create a berm that will be an added feature on the cross country course used by the annual Grand Prix Eventing Showcase held in March. Aiken has always been an equestrian destination because of its deep history and vibrant horse culture. The addition of first class showing facilities at places like the Aiken Horse Park promises to keep the area relevant in today’s increasingly professional and competitive horse show world. The Aiken Horse Park will never rival much larger facilities such as the Tryon International Horse Park in North Carolina or the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida – but it isn’t intended to. Aiken will always offer something different: a boutique equestrian experience in a beautiful place, enhanced by a sense of history and small-town charm. That is, after all, what makes Aiken, Aiken.

year and she went to live at their farm in Missouri. Tsetserleg was born in 2007. Vandiver is out of a half Trakehner mare, Visions of Grandeur, who was sired by the great Thoroughbred stallion Mystic Replica. Mystic Replica evented through Preliminary under his owner and breeder Mary Hazzard until she stopped riding him when she was 62, handing the reins to Alison Chubb, who took him through Third Level dressage. Still at stud today, Mystic Replica, 26, has sired numerous horses that have been successful in a variety of disciplines. His own sire, Babamist, also competed in eventing and showjumping. Owned and ridden by Mary Hazzard, he was legendary as a competitor and a gentleman. He raced on the flat and over fences, went foxhunting in a rubber snaffle, and could be trusted as guest horse on the trails. He was also prolific in the breeding shed and is known as the most important sire of American event horses. Eventing is one of those sports where training is often considered to be more important than breeding – unlike, say, racing or cutting, where pedigrees are usually the first thing you look at when hoping to find a champion. But examining these pedigrees reveals that, at least in the case of Tsetserleg and Vandiver, eventing talent can be inherited. If these two half brothers were people, you’d probably say they came from a long line of overachievers.

Crown B Ranch

Windfall, sire of two of the US Eventing Team’s mounts in Tokyo.

Olympic Bloodlines

Did you know that Boyd Martin’s and Doug Payne’s Olympic eventing mounts, Tsetserleg and Vandiver, have the same sire? That’s right: both are sired by the Trakehner stallion Windfall. Windfall was bred in Germany by Heinz Lembke: his dam was an off-the-track Thoroughbred mare named Wundermaedel (Madruzzo out of Wunderblute by Celadon) and his sire was the registered Trakehner Habicht, a four-star event horse who went on to a celebrated stud career, producing first rate jumpers, event and dressage horses. Windfall’s dam also had a performance career. She started on the racetrack where she had one win and six seconds. Then she became an event horse, competing to the Advanced level. She was approved by the Trakehner Verband with Elite status, one of only three Thoroughbred mares to achieve this, and went on to have six foals, including one that was named Trakehner of the Year in Germany. At 4, Windfall went into eventing training with Ingrid Klimke, a longtime member of the German Olympic team. Windfall won the young horse championships in Germany as well as multiple two and three star CICs in Europe, and was short-listed for the German eventing team in 2000. Then he was sold and sent to the United States, where he continued his career under the American rider Darren Chiacchia. Windfall and Darren won the individual gold medal at the 2003 Pan Am Games at Fair Hill and were on the bronze-medal winning team at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. That same year they won the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. Windfall retired sound at 17, and became a full time breeding stallion – before he gave up eventing he was doing double duty. Tsetserleg’s dam was a Trakehner mare name Thabana, who was purchased by Timothy and Cheryl Holecamp at the German Neumünster mare auction in 2004 for $20,000. They imported her that

August-September 2021

Western performance riders in the Aiken area will be happy to know that they have a convenient new place to compete. James and Alexis Banks have just relocated from Arizona and have set up their Crown B Ranch in the 302 polo corridor east of town. They are planning to hold barrel races and jackpot ropings in the fall, and possibly other sports in the future. They will also give lessons, hold clinics for kids, and, of course, train horses and sell them to anyone who appreciates a good broke western performance horse. James Banks, whose father David Banks was a racehorse trainer, has relatives in the area, and so he had been aware of Aiken for a long time. Alexis, a social media influencer with a knack for entrepreneurship and an array of successful small businesses, comes from a rodeo family, and has not lived on the East Coast before. They say they came here because they wanted to go somewhere different, and be where their business would stand out, rather than stay in an area where everyone is doing the same things with their horses. James is active on the roping circuit and has already been to jackpots in the area, which, he says, requires quite a bit of driving. He is looking forward to establishing his family’s business and giving Aiken’s western riders a local place to compete. “Before we bought the property, we called some roping people to find out if they thought there was a need for somewhere like this in Aiken,” said James. “They told us yes. So here we are.” Stay tuned for more about Crown B Ranch in our next issue.

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

l u xu r i ou s acco m m o dat i o n s • awa r d -w i n n i n g r e s tau r a n t l o b by ba r • i n t i m at e s pa 100 COLLETON AVENUE SW | AIKEN, SC | 803.648.1898 | THEWILLCOX.COM

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

NOV OCT SEPT

8-9 24-26 30-3 6 8-10 13 16-17 3 6 10 20-21

117 Stable Dr, Aiken SC

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

DEC

, e e n c tiv g ai n ti in ! G rie e m nt e e p p m lco m ex co e on a t w ir in ye nv e

Schooling Schooling Horse Horse Trials Trials

18th||19th 20th 9th 10th

14th||15th 16th

A AY NOV AUG MAY

OCT JUL FEB

17th 18th 19th 21st 22nd 6th 7th

18th||19th 20th

3 DAY EVENT Schooling g on Friday, Friday y, y, Compete on Saturday/Sunday Saturday/ y Sunday y/

Levels Sprout to Modified

(prelim possible depending on demand) August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

2021 Fall Polo Schedule

Now Available

Offered through New Bridge Realty

Contact Raza Kazmi, 888-4NB-POLO, info@newbridgepolo.com Hurry! This One Won’t Last Long! Last of It’s Kind in Phase 1 Paloma Lane: $225,000

USPA Northrup Knox Cup® 12 Goal September 10-19 Copa de Plata 8 Goal September 15 - October 3 New Bridge Ladies Invitational 14 Goal September 20-October 1 USPA National Copper Cup® 12 Goal September 22 - October 10

11.28 acres perimeter fenced parcel is the last of it’s kind located in Phase 1. Hardwood shade trees dot the property with well established grass perfect for paddocks. The close proximity to all club amenities, including the practice field, makes this property unique.

Stellar Location Could Be Yours! Exceptional Parcel on Polo Fields 4 & 5 Lauren Circle: $225,000

There’s no doubt this is the prettiest lot in Phase 3. Five acres, perimeter fenced with unobstructed views of Polo Fields 4 & 5. This parcel sits high and dry and offers maximum usability. All grass and mature trees. This is a premier location with amazing views.

Prime Property with Gorgeous Views Well Established in Grass and Ready for Horses Highgrove: $280,000 UNDER CONTRACT Prime property with gorgeous views. Direct access off New Bridge or Farmfield Roads. 15.52 acres, perimeter fenced with a well. Maximim usability on this lot. Entire parcel is high and dry with a lovely grove of hardwood shade trees, mature pines, and live oaks. No clearing required, parcel is well established in grass perfect for grazing and has several ideal building sites.

#newbridgepolo / #newbridgelife / newbridgepolo.com

The Aiken Horse

USPA National President’s Cup 8 Goal October 6 - 24 USPA Association Cup 8 Goal Single Elimination October 27 - November 7 USPA Bronze Trophy® 12 Goal October 13-31

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, South Carolina. 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. It embraces equestrians of all disciplines as well as those who simply love the outdoors. 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.

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

neighborhoods can be unicorns, too

Of all the great things about Three Runs Plantation, it’s the 30 miles of trails that residents love best. This neighborhood of custom-built homes, barns and equestrian amenities is at the heart of horse

BRIDLE CREEK

country in picturesque Aiken, South Carolina.

Save your place today. To ﬁnd out more, click on ThreeRunsPlantation.com.

EQUESTRIAN COMMUNIT Y

From the developer of Three Runs Plantation comes another wonderful equestrian neighborhood in Aiken, South Carolina. Bridle Creek meanders across 600 wooded acres, featuring ﬁve-acre lots and larger. Amenities include a dressage arena, jump arena, X-Country Schooling area and an activity center with meeting, social and ﬁtness space. All this plus miles of scenic trails. Phase One is already sold out, with more to come. Inquire today by calling 1-888-297-8881 or email info@bridlecreekaiken.com 600 Acres • Miles of groomed and marked trails • Jump arena • Dressage arena with mirrors • X-Country schooling area Activity/Fitness Center • Homesites from 5+ acres • From the developer of Three Runs Plantation HOMESITES INDIVIDUALLY PRICED • DEVELOPER FINANCING AVAILABLE • BRIDLECREEKAIKEN.COM 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 36 40 42 46 50 52 54 56

Annie Goodwin Ask the Judge TIP Championship The Vista Secret Lives Lightning Protection Hunter Kay Aiken Thoroughbreds

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

An Incalculable Loss Annie Goodwin, 1989-2021

By Pam Gleason n Wednesday, July 14, Annie Goodwin, 32, was fatally injured in an accident while schooling her upper level horse at Stable View Farm in Aiken. The horse failed to negotiate a Training Level fence and fell on her. She was rushed to the hospital, but she could not be saved. Annie was a young professional and a rising star in the eventing world with the talent, passion and dedication to climb to the very top of the sport. Born in Wyoming, she traveled with her mother on the eventing circuit when she was very young, and then returned to live on her family’s 1,000-acre Rafter Y Ranch near Sheridan. A gifted athlete with a competitive nature, she devoted herself to equestrian pursuits when she was a teenager, and when she started eventing, she knew she had found her sport. Annie began her professional career as a working student for Elizabeth Iorio, who was wintering in Aiken at the time, and then worked for Kadi Eykamp in Dallas, Will Coleman in Virginia, and finally for Daniel Geitner back in Aiken. Five years ago she bought property here and opened her own business, which she christened Rafter Y South, after her family’s ranch where she grew up. There she trained, taught and devoted herself to learning as much as she could about horsemanship and her chosen sport. Annie was driven by a love for all animals and a desire to be her best. She was training a string of promising horses, foremost among them Federman B (Bruno) whom she imported from Holland as an unbroken 3-year old and brought along to the Fourth Level. Annie and Bruno’s first big success came when they won the CCI* at Bromont, Canada in 2018. The following year they won the CCI*** at Fair Hill and the Advanced at the Ocala Summer Horse Trials. This spring, they placed sixth at the four star level of the Land Rover Kentucky Three Day Event and were fourth in the Advanced division at Stable View. They competed in the Grand Prix Eventing Showcase at Bruce’s Field for the first time in March. In addition to training her horses, Annie also had a stable of clients and was a mentor and an instructor with a passion for sharing her knowledge and an ability to communicate and empathize with people and animals alike. For her students she was an inspiration; for her own many coaches and mentors, a source of pride. Following her accident, memorials to Annie flooded social media, coming from her friends and clients, as well as from people who only knew her in passing. Members of America’s Olympic eventing team, in Europe and on their way to Tokyo, expressed their grief. “As a team and as a community, we are mourning the devastating and unexpected loss of Annie Goodwin, one of our country’s brightest talents. Annie worked and trained with many of us over the years, and her impact as a student, horsewoman, athlete and friend will never be forgotten,” read a statement from the team. Team member Boyd Martin, who had coached Annie over the years, wrote that he was absolutely devastated to hear the news. “Annie had it all,” he wrote. “Enthusiasm, drive and a passion for horses that we all knew would make her a successful athlete and professional in this sport. Words can’t accurately describe how the eventing community is feeling today...In my opinion, she was on the brink of stardom here in the United States.” Tributes to Annie recognized her talent, her devotion to horses and the depth of her passion for eventing. But overriding all of this was a sense of the strong and personal connection people had with her. This started with her sense of humor, her contagious laugh, her bright smile,

August-September 2021

her kindness and her extraordinary knack of making everyone feel like they knew her. “Annie helped us out a lot. She was a part of our family,” said Barry Olliff, who owns Stable View with his wife Cyndy. “She was part of the eventing family. She was part of a lot of families.” And that, perhaps is one reason why Annie’s death hit the equestrian community so hard: even for those who were not close to her, she always seemed like family. In an interview in 2016, she explained that growing up on the ranch in Wyoming had a deep effect on her personality. Every summer, the ranch took in guests, frequently families, who spent their time riding with Annie and her father. “Me, being an only child growing up on a ranch 25 miles from town, each family that came in, I became part of,” she said. “It was fun for me. I would immerse myself in them, and I am always able to find things that make me feel comfortable with new people.” Annie never lost that knack for connecting with people and making instant friends. She was a unique personality, a genuine talent, and a role model for young horse people everywhere. “Annie, who valued truth in all things would not want us to mince words,” said her obituary in the Sheridan Press. “This is a hard, cruel loss of so much that she wanted to do.” In the wake of the tragedy, the Aiken Horse Park Foundation announced the creation of the Annie Goodwin Rising Star Fund. This fund is intended to “foster, support and develop Aiken’s young equestrians who embody Annie’s character and dedication in their respective sports.” Stable View canceled the dressage competition they would have had the following weekend and closed for two weeks “while our community grieves.” During that time, the facility redoubled their efforts to improve safety protocols, announcing the planned installation of a blue light call station connected directly to 911 and the Stable View office, and training all their personnel in CPR and the use of a defibrillator. Stable View will also upgrade the security cameras around their rings and courses. None of this could have prevented the accident or lessened its severity, but these extra measures could help someone in the future. In addition, Stable View has planted a magnolia tree in Annie’s honor and announced that one of the islands on their original cross country course will be turned into a memorial garden. They will have a moment of silence before their next events. A moment of silence was also held in Montana at the Event at Rebecca Farm, where Annie and Bruno were set to compete the weekend of July 23. Riders wore a ribbon in her colors as a tribute to her memory. Annie leaves her father Putter Goodwin, her mother Tina Goodwin, her fiancé Jake Padgett and a large extended family. In addition to the Rising Star Fund at the Aiken Horse Park, memorial donations may be made to the USEA Foundation, the USEA Foundation Frangible Pin Fund, Swiftsure Ranch Therapeutic Equestrian Center and the Bighorn Equestrian Center. Services and celebrations of life will be announced at a later date.

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

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 was at a dressage show recently and I heard the announcer congratulating one competitor for earning her Bronze medal, and then another one for earning her Silver medal. I am interested in learning more about these awards. What classes do I need to sign up for to be eligible? Is it the same as entering a qualifying class? How does your judge know if you are trying to earn one of the medals? Can any rider earn one?

Medals on My Mind Dear Medals,

I am glad to hear you are interested in working towards your riding medals, and you bring up some interesting questions that I hope to be able to clarify. Let’s first talk about the medals themselves. These are awarded through the United States Dressage Federation (USDF) and there are three different medals a rider may earn by getting a specified number of minimum scores on tests at various levels. The good news is that a USDF medal is based solely on the rider’s achievements. This means you can earn scores on many different horses and at your own pace. There are no time restraints. It is even possible to receive all three medals at one show (which is exceptionally rare) or to take 30 or more years to get your first one. The three medals are Bronze, Silver, and Gold. To earn your Bronze medal you would need compete in First, Second and Third level tests. You are required to ride two tests from each of the three levels and earn a total of six scores of 60% or higher. The scores must come from two different judges for each level and on two different rides, but may be at the same show. There is not a required test for any levels for your score to count. This is totally up to the rider. To earn your Silver medal, you must earn a total of four scores of 60% or higher: two from Fourth Level and two from Prix St Georges. These scores likewise need to come from two different judges and two different rides per level. You can earn scores in any of the Fourth level tests, but

The Aiken Horse

there is only one Prix St Georges (PSG) test. To earn your Gold medal you must have four scores of 60% or higher. Two of the scores can be earned from any of the following tests; Intermediaire I, Intermediaire A, Intermediaire B, Intermediaire II. The two final scores must be earned on the Grand Prix test. It is important to keep in mind that freestyle scores will not count towards points for any medals. In order to be eligible for a medal you must receive your scores while competing at a recognized USDF show. You are required to be a USDF Participating or Group member in good standing when you earn your scores, and the competing horse (and there can be several), must be registered with USDF or have a Horse Identification (HID) number when the scores are earned. Although it is not mandatory to earn the medals in a chronological order, many riders do start with the goal of earning a Bronze medal, which is quite an accomplishment in itself. There is not a special class or an extra fee to ride for a score that counts for a medal and there is no place on an entry form or on your judge’s day sheet that would inform anyone a ride would be counting towards a medal. This is different from entering a “Q” or qualifier class for the regional USDF championships. You do need to sign up for qualifier classes: there is also an extra fee and your judge would see you are trying to qualify on their day sheets, which should not have an impact on the way your ride is scored. Qualifier tests are always the highest level test of each division: for example, in First through Fourth level, the Qualifier would be test 3. In the FEI tests (above Fourth level) there is only one test per level. To be eligible to compete in the regional championships, you need two qualifying scores from two different judges and at two different shows. If you have earned a medal at a show, you or your representative can inform the show secretary or announcer to share the exciting news of your accomplishment. In the year 2021 so far there have been 12 riders from South Carolina who have earned their Bronze medals and five who have earned their Silver medals. There are two riders from South Carolina (and in fact from Aiken) who earned their Gold medals this year: Congratulations to Aiken’s own Kathy Viele and Justine Wilson. Although you do not have to enter any special classes to earn a medal, you do need to apply for it when you have earned all the required scores. The application is online on the USDF site and it does not have a fee. Once your application has been approved, you will receive a beautiful certificate and a medal. You may also purchase a smaller version of this medal as a pin to wear on your show jacket. Many riders do choose to do this and it is perfectly acceptable. A part of the USDF mission is to offer many award programs so riders at all levels can have riding goals. Striving to obtain a qualifying score, competing in the regional championships, and the popular USDF rider medals are just a sample of the programs that are offered. So go ahead and start your mission to earn your scores. Other than having your membership up-to-date there is nothing special you need to do. Just ride the best you can and continue to enjoy your journey in dressage.

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

TIP Championship Moves to Aiken Stable View to Host Multi-Discipline Show By Nancy Johnson

he Thoroughbred Incentive Program (T.I.P.) championship show is moving to Stable View, October 8-10. The championship show, which offers classes for Hunters, Jumpers, Western Pleasure, English Pleasure, Dressage, Western Dressage, and a Combined Test, is one of the most important and popular programs offered through The Jockey Club’s Thoroughbred Incentive Program which was created to encourage careers for Thoroughbreds after the track. Since its debut in 2017, the championship show has been held at the Kentucky Horse Park. Kristen Werner, Jockey Club Senior Counsel, and coordinator of the T.I.P., is excited about bringing the show to Aiken in general and specifically to Stable View. “We have previously worked along with the New Vocations AllThoroughbred show at the [Kentucky] Horse Park, but as it has grown so much, we decided it was time for us to be a standalone show,” she explains. “But since I’m pretty much a one-person program, I really wanted a venue where I could go and just walk in ribbons, prize money, and prizes and the venue could actually do most of the physical work like jump setting.” When she met with Stable View’s owners Barry and Cyndy Olliff, Kristen was confident that Stable View was the right choice. “We’ve had great support from Stable View over the years and I’ve seen lots of pictures, but when I visited in June to work out some details, it was the first I had actually seen the facility and it is just amazing. I loved Aiken, what a fun town; I think it is going to work out great for us! Some people are concerned about us leaving the [Kentucky] Horse Park, but I think they are going to be very pleased with the new venue.” “For Stable View, the T.I.P. championships are going to be one of the highlights of our 2021 calendar,” says Barry Olliff, adding, “As we build out our portfolio of events, increasingly we’ll be looking for larger national dates. These will not just introduce a wider audience to Stable View; new visitors will also be of benefit of Aiken.” Kristen expects a good turnout for the show. “We have great support for our program and Thoroughbreds in general in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina. In fact, some of the T.I.P. classes throughout the year in those states draw 20 or more horses.” The championship show has grown from about 100 entries in its first couple of years to over 200 for the 2020 show, which unfortunately had to be cancelled due to COVID. All the entries that were accepted for 2020 are automatically qualified for this year’s show. “We’ve always had a pretty good contingent come to Kentucky from [the Southeast]. Now, with it being in South Carolina, I hope others who may not have been able to travel to Kentucky, will be able to show,” she says. Mandy Lynch, a professional rider based in Aiken, is thrilled that the championship show is moving to Stable View. She plans to show two Thoroughbreds; Atticus, owned by Annabelle Axinn and Monster, owned by Kevin and Carla Igoe. The owners of both horses are very supportive and can often be found at all the Aiken area shows cheering on their Thoroughbreds with Mandy in the irons. “Atticus is just a real gentleman and will be showing in the 3’ hunter division. He is 18, and Annabelle, who has owned him since he was 4, is very proud of the fact that he is still out there showing competitively,” Mandy says. “Monster came with that name, and we decided to keep it, but he is definitely not a monster.” Prior to his show career with Mandy, Monster went out in the Hitchcock Woods regularly under his owner, Kevin Igoe. Mandy plans to take him in the 3’ hunter and 3’ jumper divisions as well. “Monster literally does it all!” she says. “He did his first hunter derby at the Aiken Spring Classic at Highfields and was great! We plan to aim for more derbies in the future.” “Stable View is an amazing facility, and we are really fortunate that

The Aiken Horse

it is here in Aiken. We show there frequently and we qualified for the T.I.P. championship show at Stable View. I am so excited that this year the championship will be held here.” Mandy explains that she has not previously shown at the championships because of the distance to Kentucky. “I’m really eager to be showing with all Thoroughbreds. It is rare for us to show against a lot of them, especially in the hunters,” Mandy notes, adding, “The horses’ owners and I all really love the Thoroughbreds; they are just so classic.” Mandy works with numerous Thoroughbreds at her Twiffy Lane Farm, many of which are off-the-track and preparing for a new career. “The T.I.P. program is really helping to prove how versatile the Thoroughbreds are,” she says. “I really like this particular program because it is for horses of all ages, not just those who are recently off the track.” Jean Bickley, who splits her time between her homes in Aiken and New Canaan, Connecticut, is looking forward to showing her own Thoroughbred gelding, Radiant Child, at the T.I.P. championship. The horse, known as “Dudley,” was bred in Ireland and has an impeccable racing pedigree. After he was purchased in France by Jean’s boss, Peter M. Brant of White Birch Farm, Dudley had an injury and was brought to the states to rehab. Although they got him sound, it was doubtful that he would hold up to a racing career. Brant knew he was a favorite of Jean’s and offered her the horse. Dudley lives at the Stable on the Woods where he is in training with Darrell Vaughn. “He’s only 4, so we just ride him out, teach him new things, and take him lots of places. As he is so young and green, we will just do the pleasure division and maybe crossrails at the T.I.P. championship,” Jean says. “I hope he will eventually fox hunt and show; be a multi-purpose adult horse for me.” While it will be Dudley’s first time showing at the T.I.P. championship, Jean is a veteran. In 2017, she and Sue Sisco, an Aiken professional both showed Jean’s horse, Felton at the inaugural championship show in Kentucky. “My father and I bred Felton to race and when he retired, he went on to quite a successful show career,” she says. “That year at the T.I.P. show, Sue, who had Felton for much of his show career, won the Hunter Derby and was hunter champion while I showed him in the Adult Equitation division.” “I am a huge Thoroughbred fan,” Jean says. “I have spent my entire adult career in various aspects of the industry. Thoroughbreds are versatile, have heart and are suited for a variety of disciplines. To have one these days is sort of a novelty – back in the day – that is what most of us had.” Jean agrees that Stable View is an excellent venue for the show. “While the show may lose some people not being in Kentucky, it will pick up other attendees. A change of venue will give others the chance to participate and learn about Aiken. We have many Thoroughbreds in Aiken, so this seems like a natural site.” “T.I.P. and other aftercare organizations are important to provide incentives for Thoroughbreds to go on and have successful careers post track or in general,” says Jean, adding, “The T.I.P. program and these upcoming championships provide owners and riders something to look forward to.” Above: Jean Bickley with Radiant Child. Right: Mandy Lynch on Monster showing at Stable View. Photo by Meghan Benge.

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

Experienced equine law counsel for businesses, horse owners and equestrian professionals throughout SC and NC.

864-527-5955 | jim@ritchiefirm.com TryonEquineLaw.com Facebook.com/ritchieandassociates

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

Summer at The Vista

Photography by Gary Knoll

DANIEL GEITNER (803) 270-5420 CATHY GEITNER (803) 270-0574

AIKEN, SC OCALA, FL

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

DFGSTABLES @ AOL . COM WWW . DFGSTABLES . NET

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

a 501c3 non-proﬁt organization

Your Camden Showgrounds

Since 2009

I-20 Exit 101

288 STALLS WITH RUBBER MATS, 3 EXHIBIT RINGS WITH STATE OF THE ART FOOTING, 2 COVERED ARENAS, FANS, CATTLE PENS, GENEROUS SPACE FOR LUNGEING AND SCHOOLING, AND VENDOR AREA

Make a Mark on the Park!

We have some lofty goals for the Park and we are kicking off our “Make a Mark on the Park” campaign! We would love for you to join us. NAME A STALL We will provide the name plaque to honor your horse.

Reach out to us via PM on FB to discuss this highly affordable option. We also have tons of other options for you, like NAME A BARN. We would love to see our visitors showcased across the property! Thanks for moving the Park forward. We look forward to seeing you ringside!

August 27-29 Sept 3-5 Sept 17-19 Sept 24-26 Oct 1-3 Oct 8-9

Southeastern Reining Horse Association SC Quarter Horse Association Camden Fall Classic H/J SC & NC Palmetto Exhibitors Associations Palmetto Paint Horse Club Dr Susan Fay Clinic

Dates Subject to Change

Please contact the Show Manager with questions about their event.

For Booking Information 803-983-0366 info@scequinepark.com

443 Cleveland School Rd Camden SC 29020

scequinepark.com August-September 2021

Camden SC I-20 Exit 101 The Aiken Horse

Secret Lives of Horses Taking a Chance

By Nancy Johnson, photograpbhy by Gary Knoll

ometimes you just have to take a chance; Linda Butler took a big one on a horse appropriately named Cherokee Chance. That was 23 years ago and the 31-year-old gelding is still a big part of her life today. Linda and her husband now live in Aiken, but back then they had recently bought a small farm in northeastern Maryland and Linda was working at a veterinary hospital. “One of the clients asked me if I was looking for a horse,” she recalls. “I told her I wasn’t sure what type of horse I wanted. I was considering a project horse for myself, but I had taught hunt seat riding for a number of years and also thought it would be nice to have something quiet enough that my husband could ride and I could use as a lesson horse for beginners.” When the client told her she had a Tennessee Walking Horse for sale, Linda was intrigued: a few years earlier she had started a 4-year-old Tennessee Walker for a friend and found that she really liked the breed. “I went to try the horse and he was already tacked up when I arrived – first red flag,” Linda says. “I get on him and the first thing he does is rear up three times before I can get him to go forward. Meanwhile, the owner is screaming my name over and over. After his front feet hit the ground about the third time, I just nailed him and drove him forward.” After this inauspicious first ride, something struck Linda and she felt compelled to call the owner. “I told her she was going to have a hard time selling him and with his issues, chances are he will probably wind up at the killers pretty quickly.” But Linda didn’t leave it at that. She went back to ride Chance again, bringing a friend along to videotape. “This time I insisted on grooming and tacking him up myself,” Linda says. “He wouldn’t let you pick up his hind feet without trying to kick you; he wouldn’t let you touch his ears. The horse obviously had not been treated very well somewhere along the line and he had a lot of trust issues.” Chance’s bad manners and attitude continued as Linda attempted to mount up. “He kept moving, but I wasn’t about to give in. After about 20 minutes, I finally got on him and he was standing still. I quickly looked at my friend and said, ‘I can’t wait to see that video!’ to which she replied, ‘Oh, I couldn’t turn the camera on; I thought he was going to kill you.’” Linda asked the owner for background information on Chance, but it was very sketchy. “The only thing I really know from his earlier life came from a little slip of paper that the current owner, his third at his then young age of 8, was given when she purchased him. It stated he was a Tennessee Walker named Cherokee Chance, born March 8, 1990; vaccinations were up to date, and to feed him one can of sweet feed and Timothy hay.” Although Chance may have had papers, Linda never saw them. She decided to purchase him anyway. A black gelding with a uniquely shaped blaze and white on several legs, Linda says, “He really isn’t built look like a typical Walker; he looks more like a stocky Quarter Horse. Plus, he can trot and pace in addition to doing the running walk.” Linda brought Chance home and started his training all over again. “I did a lot of groundwork with him; and didn’t ride him for almost a year.” As she expected, Chance proved to be very smart. “He wasn’t mean or vengeful, but I found if I pushed him at all, I would wind up taking two steps back. So, I concentrated on doing things he liked and was good at and then would just push him a little to see if he would comply.” Linda believes all Chance’s bad behavior stemmed from his trust issues. “He developed my patience and really made me think about

The Aiken Horse

what and how I was asking him to do something.” The extensive groundwork paid off, and when Linda finally began riding him, she felt quite comfortable. They started out in the ring and then progressed to hacking in a two-acre paddock. It wasn’t long before they advanced to trail riding. “We would go to Fair Hill [which encompasses 5,600 acres] twice a week with my neighbor and ride all over the incredible grounds,” she says. “He was excellent trail riding because he was very bold, but he did have a spin that I had never seen in the ring. Because he is so short-backed, it was like sitting in an easy chair, but one minute you were going one direction and the next you were headed the opposite direction.” The trails at Fair Hill go through numerous tunnels, and Linda admits she was a bit worried the first time she and Chance encountered one. “My heart was pounding and all I could think of was him rearing in the tunnel.” But Chance never did rear in the tunnels, or on Fair Hill’s water crossings, or bridges. In fact, after that first time she tried him, he never reared again. Linda often calls Chance by his nickname BOB, which is an acronym. “Some days it stands for Big Ol’ Baby and other days it’s Big Ol’ Bully depending on his mood. He isn’t really a bully, but he can be a bit pushy!” she says, giving an amusing example. “One evening I was in the house, while my nonhorseperson husband was using a wheelbarrow in the barn area. ‘That horse!’ he announced when he finally returned to the house. ‘He grabbed onto the front of the wheelbarrow and just wouldn’t let go. And then he wouldn’t let me get back into the barn!’ Later he admitted that Chance had maneuvered him into the manure pile before getting bored and walking away. That was just typical of Chance’s sense of humor.” Chance moved to Aiken three years ago with Linda and her husband. “Chance was in his late 20s when we first talked about moving down here, and I honestly wasn’t sure he would still be around by the time we moved.” Linda has stopped riding him because he was having some tripping episodes and she wants him to just enjoy his retirement at Cathy Newman’s White Rose Farm east of town. She visits him every other day. “Sometimes I take him for a walk, or groom him, and sometimes we just hang out and of course, have treats. In this warm weather his favorite is frozen watermelon.” Linda says Chance gets along well with the other retired horses at White Rose Farm, especially the mares. “He’s always had a thing for the girls,” she notes. One time back in Maryland, Linda panicked when Chance and a buddy were missing from their paddock. She even called the police fearing a case of horsenapping. But not much later, she was embarrassed to find that the two horses had merely taken a road trip to a farm behind them where Chance was hanging out next to a whole field of mares. “He spent the following week calling to the mares from his lockdown paddock behind the barn,” Linda recalls. “He is my last horse,” Linda says. Issues with her hip have made riding quite painful, so she and Chance both retired from riding together. “He wasn’t the horse that I ever imagined for myself, and yet he wound up being just perfect. And I believe every perfect gift is from above. He’s been with me for 23 years and this horse has taught me so much. Through perseverance, both of us learned about trust, kindness, and control. He helped build all of those in me to bring the best out in him.”

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

An Ounce of Prevention

Lightning Protection Saves Dollars, Makes Sense By Pam Gleason

t’s a sweltering morning in July and Mike Gorman Lightning Protection Services are hard at work. While the owner of the company, Mike Gorman, 65, works on the ground, his son Michael, 30, and grandson Hank, 20, climb up on the roof of a barn installing lightning rods. The rods themselves are unobtrusive metal spikes attached to a cable along the peak of the roof. The cable then runs down the side of the building where it connects to a long copper pipe sunk 20

houses in America will be struck by lightning every year,” says Mike, who adds that chances are even higher in the Aiken area, where we have frequent violent thunderstorms, especially in the summer months. The National Weather service says that about 80 people are killed every year by lightning strikes, and that South Carolina ranks in the top ten nationally for lightning injuries and fatalities. The state has an estimated 459,000 cloud to ground strikes every year. More than a third of all human lightning strike deaths occur on farms, and pretty much everyone in this area knows someone who has lost a horse or a structure to a lightning strike. “Every authority on horse barns recommends lightning rods and so do all the major

feet into the earth. “You have to put the ground in deep enough so that it hits permanent water,” Mike explains. “In this area, once you get down deep enough, you get through the sand to ribbons of clay, and those are always wet.” How many lightning rods does it take to protect a stable? Mike says that it depends on the size and configuration of the building. “The points can’t be more than 20 feet apart,” he says. The stable they are working on today, 120 feet long, will require seven lightning rods spaced at 20 feet, along with three grounding cables. Larger stables would require more and smaller stables and run-in sheds would need fewer. The rods themselves come in different lengths. At this stable, Mike’s son and grandson are switching the short rods they had initially installed for longer ones that they will decorate with old-fashioned glass balls, to give the place a traditional look. They will also put up a weathervane – since the owner of the stable plays polo, it will be in the shape of a polo player. A lightning rod system works by diverting a lightning strike from any part of a structure, shunting the electricity into the cable and then allowing the current to run harmlessly to the ground. Properly installed, a lighting protection system will shield the structure from fire or other damage and, along with a system of surge protectors, safeguard the electrical system, circuit boards, wells and any electronics in the building. “The National Fire Protection Association says that one in every 200

The Aiken Horse

Above left: a 20-ft copper ground; Above right: a woven cable to conduct electricity; Above: installing lightning rods. Right: Three generations of Gorman Lightning Protection: Mike, Michael and Hank.

August-September 2021

builders here,” says Mike. In fact, Mike says that his company has been very busy in Aiken. “We’ve put lightning rods on about 400 barns in Aiken. We’ve done just about every house and barn in the Historic District downtown. There are 280 houses at Three Runs Plantation, and I’ve put lightning rods on 236 of them. We’ve done hundreds of houses – in Cedar Creek, Woodside – and commercial work and churches as well.” Lighting protection can be incorporated into the building process of new construction, or added to existing homes and stables. Mike says that his company is also often called to install lightning rods on trees. “Maybe it’s a tree that you like, or a tree in your paddock that your horses stand under,” says Mike. “Or maybe it’s one that you are worried might fall on the house if it were hit. It’s a common misconception that if you have a big tree near a building, the tree will protect the building because lightning will hit it first.” In fact, Mike says he was just called to a neighborhood at New Bridge Polo and Country Club where a house burned down after being struck by lightning. “That house had trees all around it.” Mike Gorman Lightning Protection is very much a family business. Mike says that all their installations are done by family members and they don’t hire any outside crews. Mike himself learned the lightning rod business from his own father Hank, a WWII veteran who started out as a steeplejack in Chicago. “The church steeples were always getting struck by lightning, and so he was installing a lot of lightning rods, and he made it a business,”

August-September 2021

says Mike, adding that he was not the only one in the family to go into lightning protection work. In fact, he has five brothers, all of whom work in the business. Mike’s company is based in Chicago, and he services Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Maryland, Virginia, Tennessee, Georgia and North and South Carolina. He has brothers in New Mexico, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Florida and Kansas. No matter where you are in the country, you can probably find a member of the Gorman family to install your lightning rods. “Most people here know that lightning protection is important,” Mike says. But some people have to be convinced. That is why he often gets calls from people who have just lost electronic equipment to a strike, or who have their house, or seen a neighbor’s house, get struck and burn down. “A few years ago there was a man on Coleman Bridge Road who was building a house,” says Mike. “When it was almost finished, he called me to get an estimate on installing lightning rods. I gave it to him, and he said, no that’s too expensive, I’m not going to do it. And then, four days later, there was a storm, lightning hit the house, and it burned down completely. He had to start all over.” This time, he had lightning rods put in with the framework. “People shouldn’t wait until there is a lightning strike to call us,” says Mike. “That old saying, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure? It’s true. And you know who said it was Benjamin Franklin. And he’s the one who invented lightning rods back in the 1700s.” Visit Gormanlightningprotection.com or call Mike at 571-235-7974.

The Aiken Horse

Hunter Kay of Crossfields

Hunter/Jumper Trainer Relocates to Aiken

Story by Nancy Johnson, Photography by Annie Patterson

hat’s in a name? In the case of Hunter Kay, perhaps “Hunter” foretold his destiny. At 28, the hunter/jumper professional is already well-respected in the industry. His new base of operations, Crossfields Farm in Aiken, is a picturesque property, perfectly suited to his boutique training, showing, and sales business. “Well, I grew up in a big horse family,” says Hunter, when asked how he entered the profession. “My grandparents on both sides had farms in different parts of South Carolina with my mom’s side showing hunters.” At 3, he got his first pony for Christmas. “My mom was showing then, so by the time I was 6, I was showing at the local shows along with her.” Hunter remembers coming to Aiken when he was 10 or 11 to the PSJ horse shows at Highfields. “I am very familiar with Aiken and have always shown here; that’s one of the reasons [my partner] Kyle and I decided it was a good spot for us.” Hunter showed successfully throughout his junior years and considered making horses his career while he was growing up. He tested the water with working student positions while at the University of South Carolina in Columbia where he studied real estate management. He worked briefly for J.F. Gagne in Aiken and then spent three years with the wellknown trainers Danny Robertshaw and Ron Dante at Beaver River Farm in Camden. “I’m not sure it was the best thing to do,” he says with a grin. “But I made my class schedule at school around being able to ride as much as possible. I was at the barn several days during the week and weekends and was even able to fit in some weekends in Wellington [Florida.]” At Beaver River, Hunter had the opportunity to work with a wide variety of horses. “I trained a lot of young horses, some off-the-track Thoroughbreds, and also schooled horses for the amateur riders,” Hunter says. After graduating from college, Hunter became Danny and Ron’s full time professional rider and remained with them for the next four years. The experience he gained in his seven years total at Beaver River was invaluable. “I had such a range of experiences there,” he says. “One of the first horses I rode there, Lucca, came to the farm as a 3-year-old off-the-track. I first showed him in the Adult Hunters and later went on to win the TAKE2 Thoroughbred Finals with him twice.” Once he turned professional, Hunter showed numerous horses in everything from the Pre-Green through High Performance divisions at some of the most prestigious shows in the country. “There were many nice horses, but a real favorite of mine was Alright,” he says. Hunter was tasked with schooling the talented but green horse for his owner to show in the Amateurs. He brought the horse along from the First Year Greens all the way through the High Performance Hunter division and some derbies. “Alright was super fun to ride and I had a lot of success on him including championships at WEF,” Hunter says, adding, “I definitely get a lot of satisfaction in starting with a green horse and being part of making it all the way through. “It was a bit hard to leave Beaver River,” he continues. “We all worked as a team, and it felt like family. But, going out on my own was something I knew I had to do at some point.” And so in November of 2020, Hunter opened his own business in Aiken. It all started with the purchase of a 55-acre farm on Chime Bell Church Road on Aiken’s Southside. “We were casually looking at farms in Aiken and had saved this one

The Aiken Horse

on Zillow,” recalls Hunter’s partner, Kyle Owens. “Sometime later it popped up again and we decided we should come see it. We drove down the driveway, looked at each other and said, ‘This is it!’” The name Crossfields, Kyle explains, was initially planned for another farm that he was considering buying. “But when we wound up buying this farm instead, we decided we liked the name and were going to use it,” he says. “It sounds very hunter-like and old school.” Hunter adds, “The church bell from the original Chime Bell Baptist Church, which burned many years ago, is on the property. We feel that history is important, so we designed our logo to incorporate the bell into Crossfields.” The property features 16 stalls, 20 paddocks, a large, flat jump field, a rolling 15-acre hacking field and trails. The stalls are spacious, and the barn is airy with high ceilings and an extra wide aisle. “It’s big enough, but not too big,” says Hunter. Kyle concurs, “It’s a good size for us because we don’t want to lose the ability to pay attention to detail.” “We have a really good group of horses right now and I feel each suits the particular client,” Hunter says, adding, “Kyle has several nice young investment horses. One in particular has lots of talent and we’re having fun just watching all the pieces come together with him.” Kyle, who owns Crossfields along with his mother Cindy Owens, was a top competitor with numerous horses for years in the Adult and Amateur Owner Hunter divisions. “I used to show all the time and at this point I am really enjoying being an owner and watching Hunter show my horses, though I do still show occasionally,” he says. In addition to Kyle’s horses, Hunter is currently riding and showing several for clients. He also takes a good mixture of junior and amateur riders to the shows. Most of the clients’ horses are in the barn at Crossfields, but some ship in for lessons and a few Hunter meets at the show. “I strive to help riders achieve their goals in the show ring,” Hunter explains, “We have room for just a couple more horses with riders that want to go to the horse shows in the Carolinas and also to Wellington in the winter.” When it comes to finding horses for clients, Hunter is very openminded. “There is good quality in Europe and Kyle has excellent connections there, but I’ve also found great horses right in Aiken and I have a client with a homebred that turned out to be a really nice. Clients have different needs and sometimes you have to be open to different things to make it work.” Hunter and Kyle are taking advantage of everything that Aiken has to offer and they appreciate the area’s many amenities. “It is really nice to have such great facilities here in our backyard,” Hunter says. “With Bruce’s Field and Highfields you don’t have to travel a whole lot to show if you don’t want to. Of course, we show at some other venues as well; there are other good options in the Carolinas that aren’t terribly far away.” Kyle and Hunter enjoy Aiken’s restaurants and live music in the Alley. But Kyle notes living on the farm has made it especially fun for them to entertain. “Our social life pretty much revolves around the horse shows. When our friends from out of state come to town to show at Bruce’s Field, they are all at our place!” Contact Hunter at 704-858-2286.

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

a teenaged Julian Peabody. Five years later, in her last show at age 66, Mrs. Hitchcock rode Morning Mist to the reserve show championship behind Dark Herod, another Thoroughbred horse from the Hitchcock Our City’s Favorite Horse stables. By Pam Gleason “Each year at the Aiken Horse Show, no matter what the competition, the Hitchcock Hunters carried off the major part of the ribbons, and hen people say that Aiken is “Thoroughbred Country” they justly so as Mrs. Hitchcock always adhered to one type, showing “class” aren’t just repeating a slogan. Today, Aiken is home to horses chestnuts wherever possible,” wrote Harry Worcester Smith. of all breeds and disciplines, but the city’s reputation as a horse town Aiken’s polo ponies were usually pure Thoroughbreds back in those was built on Thoroughbreds. Back in the days of the old Aiken Winter days, too. Some came off the track, while others were purposely bred Colony in the early part of the 20th century, Aiken had a reputation as for the sport, often out West, and most especially in Wyoming. There an ideal place to train and condition racehorses, and every winter, it was were several Aiken players who owned ranches near Sheridan, among filled with horses that would go on to success at the most prestigious them Milt McCoy, who was one of the founders of the Circle V Polo flat and steeplechase tracks in the country. Beyond that, Aiken was also company. Circle V had matches during the summer, but its main a place where Thoroughbreds were revered as riding horses. They were business was breeding and developing polo ponies. Many Winter prized for their speed, stamina and jumping ability, and all the best Colony players, who may have visited and played there during the riders of the colony rode “clean-bred” Thoroughbreds. summer months, would send their retired mares to Milt to be bred. No one in Aiken loved Thoroughbreds more than the Hitchcock Circle V stallions were always well regarded Thoroughbreds with family, who were the leading lights of the city’s equestrian community. distinguished pedigrees and their progeny were often brought back to complete their training in Aiken, where they were sold to the top players of the day. One of Aiken’s most famous Thoroughbred show hunters from a later era came from the same Western polo connections. This was Super Flash, a gelding owned by the Aiken horseman Pete Bostwick. Super Flash was a Thoroughbred who was bred on the range by Bob Tate. Tate, whose father raised and sold horses for the Army Remount and as polo prospects to Aiken players, started the Wymont Ranch near Sheridan, Wyoming in the 1950s. There he kept four Thoroughbred stallions and as many as 40 Thoroughbred mares, producing horses for polo and for the show ring. Tate knew Bostwick through his polo connections, and sold him Super Flash as a 3-year-old. The stylish dark bay gelding developed into a superstar and Pete eventually sold him for a reported $50,000. Just six weeks later, Super Flash is said to have fetched $120,000. He went on to win the working hunter championship at the National Horse Thomas and Louise Hitchcock, leaders of Aiken’s equestrian culture in the early 20th century, were well known Show in Madison Square Garden under Charlie Weaver and to earn a spot in the for their beautifully trained Thoroughbred horses. National Show Hunter Hall of Fame In this era it is hard to remember, but before the show world’s warmblood revolution of the 1980s and Thomas Hitchcock was a polo player, foxhunter and racehorse 1990s, Thoroughbreds were the most sought after and talented horses trainer who was always mounted on a Thoroughbred horse. His wife in the show ring as well as on the track. There was even, at times, a Louise, who was the MFH of the Aiken Hounds, was also a lover of certain snobbery connected with riding a Thoroughbred. Not only Thoroughbreds. Her entire hunt staff was mounted on Thoroughbreds, were you mounted on the fastest and most athletic horse in existence, as was 80% of the field, according to an account in the book Life and if you rode a Thoroughbred, it meant you could really ride: a draft Sport in Aiken, written by Harry Worcester Smith in 1935. The whole cross or a Quarter Horse might put up with lesser skills, but novice first flight had to ride Thoroughbreds, of course, because “no half-bred riders generally didn’t ride Thoroughbreds because they were not good could stay up with the Hitchcock cracks when they were extended.” enough for them. Thoroughbreds were the cream of the crop, and you This distinguished the Aiken Hounds from many other hunts of the had to earn your right to be their partners. day: the typical hunter of the time was a slower and heavier type. Aiken will have two all Thoroughbred shows this fall, which are part The Hitchcock’s Thoroughbred hunters also excelled in the show of a nationwide effort to restore the prestige of Thoroughbreds for show ring. Mrs. Hitchcock had a number of horses that made names for and sport. With its long Thoroughbred history, Aiken is the perfect themselves as excellent jumpers, including Outsider, a gelding on which place to showcase the breed. When Thoroughbreds come to Aiken, they she was named the champion of the Aiken Horse Show in 1928, and are coming home. Morning Mist who was reserve champion that year under her grandson,

The Aiken Thoroughbred

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

ADOPTIONS - VET CARE - THRIFT STORE

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

Inside 63 64 66 69 70 72 75 82

Best of the West Aiken Equine Rescue Saving Waverly Directory Classifieds PSJ Summer At Highfields Calendar Index of Advertisers

2021

Exhibitors + Dog Demos (pet-related products + services)

Day’s Events

All dogs must be leashed

Dog Race Competitions (dachshunds + any breed dogs) Prizes Will Be Awarded Dog Contests: Best Costume, Best Trick, Best Look-Alike, Best Kisser Food + Music Balloons + Face Painting Adoptable Pets from the Aiken County Animal Shelter

October 9, 2021 10:00 am - 1:00 pm C I T I Z E N S PA R K

1060 BANKS MILL ROAD AIKEN, SC

Voted Aiken Choice Award for best pet friendly family event.

Thank You! to our Sponsors

Downtown Dog Tyler Brothers Hollow Creek Animal Hospital Auto Tech Aiken Standard Malia’s Restaurant Dover Saddlery The Willcox Aﬀordable Quality Marble & Granite The Aiken Horse Herbal Solutions Veterinary Services J.E. Stewart Builders Darcie L. Lee DMD Family Pharmacy Don & Annie Cheeks Aiken Equine & Associates The Furniture Connection Floyd & Green Fox Nation LLC Aiken Saddlery Wolf Construction Co. Inc. Carolina Cat & Canine Retreat Greener Pastures Chime Bell Fence Southern Equine Easy St. Remodeling Eye Physicians Augusta Anthony Horan WJM Home Care LLC Advanced Endodontics Oral & Facial Surgery Lap of Love

The Hitch & Tow

Pierce Buckingham, RE/MAX Tattersall Group

CCCR LLC

Est.2009

All Proceeds Beneﬁt the Aiken County Animal Shelter www.FOTASAiken.org

The Aiken Horse

woofstock@fotasaiken.org

803.514.4313

August-September 2021

Best of the West High End Horse Sale By Pam Gleason

“W

hat makes horses from the West different than the horses from the East in my opinion, is that horses in the West have real life jobs,” says Ike Sankey, whose company, Horse Resource Sales, will be conducting a horse auction “The Best of the West” at the Aiken Training Track the first weekend of October. “A horse might get saddled quite a bit before daylight, and he might not get unsaddled until it’s been dark for quite a long time. Day in and day out, they have jobs. In the East, the only time a horse might get that much riding is if it’s been a problem. Having a job makes a big difference: it makes the horse’s mind different. They figure out it’s a whole lot easier to do the job and do it correctly, because we’re going to be here a long time. Let’s make sure we do it right.” Ike and his daughter Ryan conduct three sales a year. They also have the Bots Sots Remount sale in Sheridan, Wyoming in June, and the Cowgirl Cadillacs Sale, held this year in Wickenburg, Kansas on Valentine’s Day. “I’ve been working to have a sale on the East Coast for about three years,” says Ike. “And I finally found Aiken and a place to do it in Aiken.” Ike says that Aiken came onto his radar because, at one of his recent sales, he had several registered buyers from Aiken, who didn’t know one another and each found his sale independently. He reasoned that there was a big demand in the area for the kind of horses that he was selling. Geography played a role as well. Situated a reasonable distance from the northern and southern equestrian hotspots, the area would have a good chance of attracting buyers from each direction. “What people around Aiken have told me is that we have always ridden Thoroughbreds and now we’re getting older and we can’t do all the competitive things that we used to do,” says Ike. “Now we’re looking for really gentle safe, broke, pretty horses. You can’t imagine how many people have told me, we want something that has spent a lot of time on a ranch.”

The sales catalogue is posted online on the website (bestofthewesthorses.com) and the sale will include 50 horses of all different types, though the majority will be Quarter Horses. There are also Gypsy Vanners, Paints, ponies, Friesians and crossbreds. “We’ll have horses that have played polo, horses that’ve spent their whole lives on the ranch gathering cows, horses that have been to the mountains and been packed, been to the show ring in almost every discipline you can think of. We have horses that drive, that jump, that

August-September 2021

do dressage, that have been shot off. There isn’t much you can do with a horse that we don’t have something that will fit that spot,” says Ike. “That’s the cool thing about what we do: we have all different kinds. We try not to have seven or eight of the exact same type of horse.” Ike says that all the horses in the sale are hand-selected and screened for quality, and that the consignors themselves are known for being honest, exceptional horsemen. His company’s sales have an excellent reputation and track record, and the prices that the horses fetch are very respectable. At this year’s Cowgirl Cadillacs auction, for instance, the high seller was a 9-year-old Palomino named Bar B Kiowa Man, that went for $120,000. The year before, the sales-topper at the same sale fetched $225,000. “All the horses won’t be that expensive,” says Ike, who adds that he is consigning four of his own horses to the sale, including the best horse he has ever owned. (“He’s the only horse I’ve ever had that I’m really going to regret selling,” he says.) The average price of a horse in Kansas this year was $48,000, while prices were a bit less steep in Wyoming, where the top seller was $80,000 (another Palomino) and the average price was $26,097. If you see a horse you might want to buy on the website, Ike says you should call the consignor, whose name and number is listed on the horse’s sale page. He strongly suggests going out and trying the horse before the sale, even if it means flying to Texas, Idaho, Wyoming, or wherever the horse is. “These horses will cost a fair amount of money. An airplane ticket to Montana is a pretty small amount in the overall picture,” says Ike. “We want people happy with their horses, and not every horse fits everybody, even though it might be a really nice horse. Some people and some horses just don’t mesh together. So it’s really important that those people go try the horses.” There will be opportunities to see the horses and to try them once they arrive in Aiken, but this must be arranged on a case-by-case basis with the consignor. The Best of the West sale has leased the Aiken Training Track for the week, starting on Monday, September 27, and Ike expects that horses will be arriving that Tuesday or Wednesday. The schedule calls for a “soft preview” on Friday, October 1, from 4:00 to 5:00 pm, followed by a “buyer social” from 5:00 -7:00. On Saturday, October 2, there will be a preview at 10:00 a.m. and the sale itself starts at 3 PM. Bidding will be live as well as by phone and Internet. The auction itself will be live streamed, and it is expected that there will be a fair amount of remote action and interest. “We want people to know that we deal a lot with people who may not be auction savvy, who may never have bought a horse at auction before,” says Ike. “We really take a lot of pride in making the process easy and understandable.” Visit bestofthewesthorses.com

The Aiken Horse

Robert Gavin, Bobbie Anderson and Ashley Wallick: AER’s new team.

New Team At Aiken Equine Rescue AER’s Next Chapter By Pam Gleason

here is a new team running things at Aiken Equine Rescue, and they are excited about the future. The new rescue managers are Bobbie Anderson and Ashley Wallick, both lifelong horsewomen with a racetrack background. They are assisted by Robert Gavin, the maintenance manager, who takes pride in keeping the facility in top shape, from mowing pastures and fixing fences to ensuring that the tractors and other machinery are in good shape. The new team arrived at the rescue this summer, and they are hard at work caring for the horses, giving tours and making plans for new ways to ensure the

organization thrives. Ashley and Bobbie took over the positions formerly held by Caitlin Brady and Caroline Mulstay, who left to pursue other opportunities earlier in the year. Ashley and Bobbie have been aware of the rescue and its mission for a long time, and both were eager to come to the facility, not just to have a steady job, but to be able to help horses and people. They were particularly attracted to AER because of its reputation for placing off-the-track Thoroughbred horses. Bobbie is formerly a racehorse trainer who came to Aiken several years ago from Pennsylvania to train horses at the Palmetto Training Center here. Ashley, who has an eventing background, grew up in Aiken and has worked for years as an exercise rider for Dogwood Stables in Aiken and at the Elloree Training Center in Orangeburg. Ashley says that the mission of the rescue was the main reason that she wanted to work there. “I needed a purpose higher than myself,” she says. “I wanted to give back to the horses and give back to the people in the community.” Bobbie is on the same page. “Coming from a racetrack background and having been a trainer, I know what I have asked these animals to do for me,” says Bobbie. “I needed them to provide a roof over my head and food on my plate, and this is a way for me to give back to them.” Bobbie has also adopted three horses from the rescue: first, a mini pony, and then a paint mare from a bad starvation case who is her daughter Despina’s horse. This year, she took on a 3-year-old Thoroughbred and is planning to take her in the New Vocations All Thoroughbred show in the fall as a promotion for the rescue. Ashley and Bobbie say that AER is getting along, but that it, like many charities, is still struggling from the effects of the pandemic. Donations are down about 50% from before COVID hit, and since the rescue is funded by donations, this means that they have had to cut

August-September 2021

down on the number of horses that they are able to take in. The fire that destroyed their stable in the spring was another blow, although the majority of the horses stay out in fields with run-in sheds, so their lives were not as badly affected as they might have been. The new managers say they would like to take in more horses, particularly adoptable young Thoroughbreds. Because of this, the number one thing on their agenda is to ramp up donations. Not only do they have the day-to-day cost of caring for the horses, the rescue also took on a number of medical cases this year that have had significant veterinary bills. These include Whistle, the mini pony who was attacked by a dog and needed extensive surgery to repair his muzzle. There was also Cowboy Joe, a young Thoroughbred who needed to have a mass removed from his barrel. Both Whistle and Cowboy Joe have been adopted, but the rescue is still working on paying for their care. They have also recently taken in a group of semiferal ponies, including one colt who is a cryptorchid—a condition in which one or both testicles has failed to descend. Getting him gelded will require a much more extensive, and expensive, surgery than is typical. Ashley Wallick and Bobbie Anderson say they are also working on plans to bring back some of the hands-on programs that used to be run at the rescue before the pandemic. These include programs for special needs children and adults, programs for at-risk youth and a program for women who were victims of trafficking. Although most of these programs were shut down, there still is a group of soldiers from Fort Gordon who come out once a month to do volunteer work. “Our volunteers are wonderful,” says Bobbie. In the future, they hope to come up with some more programs, especially those that promote off-the-track Thoroughbreds. They say that horse people in the Aiken area tend to appreciate the potential of Thoroughbreds as event horses, but there are some trainers, especially in the hunter/jumper world, who have a stereotyped image of Thoroughbreds as hot and difficult. “They think they’re cuckoo for cocoa puffs,” says Bobbie. “They don’t want to have anything to do with them. That needs to change.” One thought that Bobbie and Ashley have discussed is establishing some kind of show or contest to benefit the rescue: something like the Thoroughbred Makeover Competition put on by the Retired Racehorse Project. This would have the dual purpose of showcasing the talents of Thoroughbred horses while also raising money and awareness for the rescue. They would also like to do more clinics and educational events at their facility, both to promote equine welfare and to give the rescue more exposure in the community. There are plans to create an event facility, which could be rented for weddings or other special events. “Agri-tourism is a big business these days,” adds Bobbie. “We have to look into that.” For the time being, however, they are focused on the mission: People helping horses; Horses helping people. Plans are in the works for a fundraiser on October 16 to celebrate the rescue’s 15th birthday. And then the board of directors is working on plans to rebuild the barn, along with a capital campaign to fund it: expect to hear more about that soon. “We want people to know that we are still here,” says Bobbie. “The barn may be gone, but we’re still here.” “Yes,” agrees Ashley. “They should come visit us!” Find out more, see adoptable horses or schedule a tour at aikenequinerescue. org

The Aiken Horse

Saving Waverly

How a Stray Dog United a Community By Pam Gleason

October 2020, Aiken, South Carolina

It was a warm autumn morning, and Robin Mitchell and Mollie Watson were feeling hopeful. They were sitting in a grassy area behind a local business on the edge of a quiet neighborhood. As they watched from 50 feet away, Waverly the dog approached their trap. It was freshly baited with potted meat, and she was intrigued. Slowly, she approached the entrance and put her head inside. It was the closest she had ever been. At this point, Robin and Mollie had been trying to catch Waverly for a good month. Waverly was about 10 months old and she was an attractive white dog with black spots, maybe a pointer mix, or a lab, or a pitbull. Maybe a Dalmation. Maybe nothing at all. The important thing was that the two women knew Waverly needed to return to civilization. But she was not of the same opinion, and she was smart. What’s more, she had been trapped before, and did not plan to be trapped again. This morning was different. Just a short while earlier, a black lab that she liked to play with had come to the trap, wanted the meat inside and gotten caught. He was hardly in there a minute before Robin and Mollie, who were staked out watching, released him and he ran back home. Waverly was watching too, and seeing her friend get free, she must have thought the trap was not so dangerous after all. Slowly, she ventured inside - head, shoulders, body - then reached out for the meat. The door dropped down. “Run!” yelled Robin as they both rushed toward the trap, elated to have finally caught the runaway. But they were not fast enough, or Waverly was too fast. She spun as soon as she heard the trap’s mechanism click, jammed her nose against the bottom of the door to keep it from latching, pushed her way through, and was off at a run. She was incredibly quick. It all happened so fast, neither woman had a chance to get close. “She didn’t trust us again all day,” said Robin.

Nobody’s Dog

Nobody knows exactly where Waverly came from. In this part of the South, there are still places where dogs make their own way in the world. Some are actual strays, while others are dogs that are loosely owned. They may be from unplanned litters, or dogs that just appeared and took up residence under the porch. These dogs might be fed and cared for, and they might be owned (at least according to the law) by the people they live with. But they are unlikely to come in the house, and their owners might take less responsibility for them than would people who went out and got a dog on purpose. Efforts are being made to account for dogs like this, to induce their owners to get them vetted, spayed, neutered and put on heartworm preventive. Technically, state law says that dogs must be vaccinated against rabies. But dog licensing and vaccination requirements don’t always extend to more rural areas, and if they do, people frequently ignore them. Waverly may have been a puppy who wandered off, or one that someone took home and lost. By the summer of 2020, she was nobody’s dog. She lived in a neighborhood in the county, surviving on handouts, scraps and whatever she could find. In late July, people who saw her were starting to get worried: she was coming into her first heat. Male dogs were showing up, and the last thing anyone wanted was to have a litter of puppies to worry about. So neighbors called Aiken County Animal Control, and the officers came out, trapped her and took her to the shelter. Over the last decade, the Aiken County Animal Shelter has been transformed from a dismal place where dogs like Waverly might have had a 10% chance of getting adopted, to a model shelter where every adoptable dog is saved. Waverly was spayed, tested for heartworm (she was still negative) vaccinated and put on a healthy diet. She got her new

The Aiken Horse

name and a pretty pink collar. Volunteers from Friends of the Animal Shelter (FOTAS) played with her, walked her and socialized her. She was a sweet dog, but shy. She may have had little or no early handling, but she was highly social and took to everything surprisingly well. In late August, a family came, adopted her, and took her home to Aiken’s Southside. Because of her feral background, the adoption counselor had advised the adopters not to let her out on her own until they were very sure she would come back. She was to go on leash walks only; she was not to be trusted. But three days after bringing her home, the adopters let her out into their fully-fenced back yard. And then she would not come in and they couldn’t catch her. She escaped, ran off, and started her great adventure. What happened to her adopters? Maybe they realized that she was not the right dog for them. In any case, they did not expend any great effort to get her back, and they were no longer a part of her story.

Survival Mode

Once she was back out on her own, Waverly transitioned into survival mode. This is a common condition that affects lost dogs, even dogs that have loving owners and grew up with far more handling than Waverly ever enjoyed. Dogs in survival mode rely on their instincts. They may hide from humans, run away from the sound of their name being called, even fail to recognize their own devoted owners. For a dog in survival mode, even people they know and love can be threatening. They behave like war combatants behind enemy lines: suspicious, wary, careful. For most dogs, this is a temporary condition, and they might snap out of it at any time. Many don’t come around until they are captured and returned to civilized life. Over the next week, Waverly traversed different neighborhoods within city limits. In the city, where dogs must be licensed and there is a leash law, a wandering dog immediately raises alarms. With her attractive looks and her cute collar, people assumed she was a lost pet and not a stray. Waverly sightings abounded on social media as people tried to reunite her with her family. She made her way through gated communities and quiet neighborhoods, eventually ending up in the Walmart plaza on Richland Avenue. There are several restaurants there, and several more on the other side of Richland, and many places to hide. Waverly didn’t look feral, though she would run if you came too close. People tried to catch her: they gave her sweet treats from the Dunkin Donuts, and leftovers from Firehouse Subs. Animal control was alerted and came out to retrieve her. But no one could catch her. She was just too smart and too quick. This was when Robin Mitchell got involved. Robin is the CEO of the rescue Palmetto Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) and the founder of Saving the Chain Dogs, an organization devoted to providing a better life for the dogs that still live out on chains in Aiken County. Over the last few years, Robin has become one of the main “go-to” people who is called when there is a problem with a stray dog, or a dog in someone’s yard that is not being cared for correctly. Although she was not an experienced dog trapper, and would normally have referred Waverly’s case to someone who was, she felt compelled to take her on.

August-September 2021

“I almost felt like I was chosen to do it,” she said. “Maybe the dog chose me. Or maybe that was something that I needed to do in my life at that time. I knew that the only way she was going to be caught was if someone really spent a long time trying. They would have to be savvy and they would have to be good.” Aside from the desire to see Waverly in a loving home, Robin was also keenly aware that the dog was in imminent danger. She crossed Richland Avenue, a four-lane road in that area, multiple times a day. During daylight hours, traffic is usually heavy there; at night there are fewer cars, but people drive very fast. Although Waverly was quick and smart and lucky, it was really only a matter of time before she got hit.

Everybody’s Dog

Robin’s plan was to help Waverly settle into a routine where she was comfortable, make sure she had food water and shelter, and try to win her trust. She knew it was likely she would have to trap the dog, so she consulted with animal rescue colleagues who had extensive dog-trapping experience and followed their advice. She set up feeding stations in various places, making trails to them with liquid smoke. She set out traps of different kinds. She purchased solar-powered, motionactivated game cameras with cellular capability so that she could watch her traps remotely in real time. Most important, she asked for help. First, she worked with city animal control to set out the traps and obtain their blessing over her mission. Then she called her friend Mollie Watson, who was temporarily between jobs in that pandemic era. Robin’s traps attracted neighborhood cats, as well as a diverse collection of wild animals: raccoons, opossums, foxes - even, once, a deer. Mollie is a wildlife rehabilitator, and with her expertise, any wildlife that was captured could be humanely and safely set free. Finally, she turned to the public. People who saw Waverly needed to know that Robin was working to catch her, and that they should not chase her and scare her away. Waverly got her own Facebook page so that the administrators of lost pet pages in the area could refer sightings to one place. Robin printed up business cards with her phone number and Waverly’s picture on them, and distributed them to people who worked at the businesses in the area. She gave them to homeless people who slept on the streets there. She gave out instructions to the people who worked in Waverly’s territory: they should try to make friends with her, get her comfortable, earn her trust. All the businesses in the neighborhood got on board, even the local fire station that left the firehouse doors open a bit in hopes she would come in.

When Waverly started visiting nearby residential neighborhoods, Robin introduced herself to homeowners, found the people who distributed neighborhood email lists and had them inform people of what she and Mollie were doing. “All the businesses in the area were fabulous,” said Robin, who estimates that she spent five to eight hours a day on the project. “There were a lot of compassionate people in the neighborhoods. We did not have one person complain. They let us sit on their front lawns, in their yards. We had hundreds of people following her on social media, and I started getting text messages about her when people saw her, even late at night. So many times, I’d get a text from someone, and I’d text back that I was there too, watching her.” Waverly soon established her routines: she would start out at Dunkin Donuts early in the morning, then move on to the sub shop, then cross Richland to visit the workers at the eye doctor when they took their afternoon break. Robin and Mollie would follow her, bringing her food and water and playing with her. Waverly would never allow either of them to get close enough to touch her, but she learned to come to them for treats, and she loved to play. Robin would throw a ball for her, and she would pounce on it and toss it about. She loved other dogs: she had some dog friends in the neighborhoods, and she often played with them. She was tantalizingly close, but she was not ready to give up. The local television news did a story on Waverly. Robin put out the word that people should drive carefully when they went past the Walmart. Waverly became a minor celebrity. People would drive to the Walmart plaza and wait to see if they could see her. After a half a year of pandemic restrictions and isolation, after a summer of social unrest, caring about Waverly became an emotional outlet. Everyone wished her well; everyone was hoping to see her saved. From being nobody’s dog fending for herself, Waverly had become everybody’s dog.

Capture

After almost getting caught in the trap in early October, Waverly became even better at eluding capture. She was smart: if Robin or Mollie showed up with something new (a special snare, a new kind of trap, a net) she knew right away that something was up and she kept her distance. Warm autumn days descended into cold fall nights; October went by, and then November. Robin felt the weight of the community’s expectations on her. “If something were to happen to her, not only would it break my heart, but it would break so many hearts. The community was depending on me.”

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

Waverly began visiting one yard in particular that was almost completely fenced. Robin and Mollie struck up a relationship with the couple that lived there, and they hatched a plan to try to trap her in the yard. The owners of the property fixed the fence so that Waverly could not get out if the gate was closed, and they started feeding her inside it. They left her toys and things to play with - balls and old shoes - and tried to get her comfortable. For a long time she was too smart to be caught: she knew to run out if either of them approached the gate to shut it. But one evening, they had their daughter and son-in-law over for dinner, and Waverly didn’t realize there were extra people in the house. Because of this, one of them was able to sneak around and close the gate. Then they called Robin and Mollie, who came with a towel, harnesses, leashes, a catchpole and a snare. With the family guarding vulnerable spots in the fence, Robin and Mollie cornered Waverly in the yard. When she turned to try to climb the fence, they caught her with the snare and threw the towel over her, and just like that it was over. As soon as she was caught, she stopped fighting. She was domestic again, not feral, wagging her tail, wanting nothing more than to be loved and to climb in your lap. “She was a completely different dog,” said Robin. It was December 2. Waverly had been on the run for 92 days.

Home For Good

Robin had already made plans to send Waverly to Home For Good Dog Rescue in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey where she would find a loving home. For the next two months, however, she went to live with Mollie, where she learned to live in a house, come when called, and walk nicely on a leash. She went to various events in Aiken, where her fans could meet her and finally touch her, which helped socialize her even more. Waverly at home with Jackie Langley

Everyone was relieved and grateful that she was finally caught. Her story was on the news again, and the community celebrated. Waverly’s rescue was a bright spot in a difficult time. Finally, in February, she was ready to make the trip north. She had been posted on the Home For Good Facebook page, and instantly caught the attention of Jackie and German Langley, who had already adopted one dog from Home For Good and had made an application for a second one. Jackie fell in love with her picture and her story, and

The Aiken Horse

on Valentine’s Day, the Langleys brought her home. Today, Waverly adores the Langleys, most especially Jackie. She goes out to play in the yard with her canine brother Cocoa, but she does not like to spend too much time outside - she had enough of that back in Aiken. She has three dog beds of her own. She has trips to the park and the beach and she has gone camping. Although Jackie says she can still be shy with new people, she is getting more comfortable all the time. She is, in every way, a normal, loved and loving dog in a secure forever home. “She’s a good dog, a beautiful dog,” said Jackie. “She follows me everywhere, and she makes me laugh. I’m very happy with her.” Waverly still has a Facebook page, which is now updated with pictures of her living a happy life in New Jersey. Robin says she loves to get these updates, to see Waverly in a permanent home, surrounded by the love that every dog deserves. Saving Waverly was a long process and took patience and determination, but it was definitely worth it. “It was a learning experience for me, and for people in the community,” said Robin. “I had to learn about catching a dog that didn’t want to be caught. People in the community learned that there was a process to catching her, that you couldn’t just go grab her. That one dog’s life mattered so much, because she taught so many people so many things. I was surprised and grateful at how the community pulled together and how they wanted to help. Waverly gave people a sense of something they could do, something positive they could be involved with.” Robin said that Waverley’s story was also about trust. “Those people in the neighborhoods, they learned to trust us. It was a time when there was a lot of fear, and they learned to trust that we were not going to bother them, that we were doing something worthwhile. So many people felt obligated to take care of that one dog. I think it made people realize that even though it was just one dog, that dog mattered. I think the people that followed her story, if they weren’t animal advocates before, that made them turn into animal advocates. It was a story that brought so many people together.”

August-September 2021

Classifieds Westfalen 3 yr old mare, will stay small, 15.1 or 2. Scored Premium at her inspection. By Goldmaker (TB approved by several WB registries). Dam is HOL Osita HGF, out of Rantares daughter by Czars Legend, Chardonnay. 3 quality gaits, lots of handling, has worn tack, not ridden. Smart, curious, brave, sweet. $12500 https://youtu.be/gCho5eCIHCg Vass, NC. Judy Howell: 910-639-6232.

BOARDING/TURNOUT/ TRAINING Chime Ridge Stables. 803-5083760. Heart Horse Stables has roomy individual pasture boarding with 12 x 12 run-in shelters. Owners on site. Just over the Aiken line in Windsor. Arena, round pen, trails. $350/mo 704-288-7385 www.Sporting Days Farm.com. 3549 Charleston Hwy, Aiken, SC 29801 - 5.5 miles from Aiken By-Pass. Offers year round, seasonal or short term boarding as well as dry stalls. 150 acres with trails and practice areas. USEF/ USEA Horse Trials in the winter, schooling shows. Visit our website to see all that it offers in 2021. sportingdaysfarmcom sdaikenht@ aol.com Horse boarding in Windsor, SC carriage driving community. Lovely, low country setting. 12x12 stalls connected to 2 acre fields and a short term paddock with shelter available. Jog’lin Board Farm Contact Lisa Whitcomb 414-4779419 FARM SERVICES Southern Ridge Excavation. Drainage, grading, small clearing, pad prep, utility ditching, pond mowing. Third generation family operated; Licensed & insured. Member Aiken Chamber of

Commerce. Call Alex Koegel. 803522-5752. southernridgex@gmail. com. G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 54 years. Specializing in hauling, grading, clearing, property maintenance, and excavation. We provide everything from several types of fill dirt, top soil, compost, mortar sands, crushed asphalt/concrete, to screenings and a variety of rocks. Roll-off containers and manure removal available. (803) 663-3715. Certified DBE. WOSB. www. glwdtrucking.com HAY Hoss Luva Hay. Exceptional quality local Coastal Bermuda Hay and Alfalfa mix from out of state. Competitively priced. Will deliver state-wide. Satisfaction Guaranteed. Jim McClain: 803.247.4803 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 803-8270864. email garymcelmurray@ glmconstruction.net Moorefield Farms. Premium Ohio Hay. Now in Aiken!

Restored 1980s carriage made in New England. Good condition, drives very smooth. Comes with custom harness made in Pennsylvania - complete. Fit our Friesian gelding. Harness is like new! $2500 for both. 803-292-6931

Regularly scheduled reliable delivery direct from our farm to you. Large or small quantities, no middleman. Consistent quality. Alfalfa, timothy, orchard and mixes. Quality guaranteed. MoorefieldHayFarms.com. 330201-1700. HELP WANTED Part-time work on horse farm. Includes horse care, mowing, painting and tractor work. Ideal for semi retired. Apply by email to: jobs@theaikenhorse.com. HORSES/PETS & SERVICES Away Days Farm Services: Lifelong horseman w/ race track, polo and show facility experience available for farm sitting, all-animal care, fence mending and farm and landscape maintenance with your equipment. Jon Ruedisueli (603)322-3019, captjon@hotmail. com Trinity Farms Terriers: Irish Russell Terriers & Norfolk Terriers. Old World, Healthy 100 year old. Bloodlines w/ proven calmer dispositions. Health & Dispositions guaranteed. Preservation breeders for 48 years. Donna Fitzpatrick 803-648-3137 easyjacks.com, trinityfarmskennel. com

RENTALS Aiken Luxury Rentals. Fully furnished cottages; walk to downtown. Perfect for temporary assignments, or housing while you build. Work-from-home ready; high speed internet. Antique finishes & modern convenience. info@aikenluxuryrentals.com. aikenluxuryrentals.com. 803-6482804. 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 TACK & APPAREL Aiken Horse Blanket Couture. Creative coolers; your colors. Creative equine-ware. Tack covers/carry bags Saddle pad enhancements. Blanket wash/ waterproof. Blanket repair. AikenHorseBlanket.com. Elisa Denaburg. 803-640-3211 The Saddle Doctor. Saddlery and harness repair. 544 Two Notch Rd. at the Aiken Training Track. HollyMacSpencer@aol.com. 803.642.5166.

Advertising in The Aiken Horse DIRECTORY LISTING ADS: $25 per issue CLASSIFIED ADS are $25 for the first 30 words & 40 cents for every word or $90 for the year (6 issues.) thereafter. Add $5 for blind classified. BUSINESS CARDS: $65 per issue or $280 PHOTO CLASSIFIEDS for horses: $35; for the year (6 issues.) Limit 30 words & one picture DISPLAY ADS are available in a range of PHOTO CLASSIFIEDS for real estate, etc. sizes. For a detailed rate sheet and $45; Limit 60 words & one picture. publication schedule, visit our website: BOXED CLASSIFIEDS: add $5 to your total TheAikenHorse.com

August-September 2021

MAILING ADDRESS: The Aiken Horse, P.O. Box 332, Montmorenci, SC 29839 EMAIL: theAikenHorse@gmail.com We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.

Pay online: TheAikenHorse.com or call us: 803.643.9960

Advertise in the October-November issue! Deadline September 17, 2021 Publication date October 8 2021

The Aiken Horse

Directory of Services ANIMAL CARE/HOUSESITTING Away Days Farm Services: Lifelong horseman with race track, polo and show facility experience available for farm sitting, all-animal care, fence mending and farm and landscape maintenance with your equipment. Jon Ruedisueli (603)322-3019, captjon@hotmail.com BLANKET CLEANING & REPAIR Aiken Horse Blanket Couture. Creative coolers; your colors. Creative equine-ware. Tack covers/carry bags Saddle pad enhancements. Blanket wash/waterproof . Blanket repair. AikenHorseBlanket.com. Elisa Denaburg. 803-640-3211 BOARDING/TURNOUT/TRAINING/SALES Chime Ridge Stables. 803-508-3760. Heart Horse Stables has roomy individual pasture boarding with 12 x 12 run-in shelters. Owners on site. Just over the Aiken line in Windsor. Arena, round pen, trails. $350/mo 704-288-7385 Horse boarding in Windsor, SC carriage driving community. Lovely, low country setting. 12x12 stalls connected to 2 acre fields and a short term paddock with shelter available. Jog’lin Board Farm Contact Lisa Whitcomb 414-477-9419 www.Sporting Days Farm.com. 3549 Charleston Hwy, Aiken, SC 29801 - 5.5 miles from Aiken By-Pass. Offers year round, seasonal or short term board as well as dry stalls. 150 acres with trails and practice areas. USEF/USEA Horse Trials in the winter, schooling shows. Visit our website to see all that it offers in 2021. sdaikenht@ aol.com The Stable On The Woods: Elite boarding & training facility and home to trainers Darrell and Melissa Vaughn. With access to Hitchcock Woods, our barn sits on 70 acres and boasts a full size dressage arena with mirrors, show jumping arena and highquality grass pastures making this the ideal place for you and your horse. Training program to meet your needs, whether your discipline is Dressage, Eventing, Hunters, Jumpers or Foxhunting. thestableonthewoods.com 603.785.0435 Vaughn Equestrian: offering training, sales, and boarding. Professionalism is the guiding principle of owners Darrell and Melissa Vaughn in shaping every component of Vaughn Equestrian. Dressage, Jumpers, Eventing & Young Horses. training and sales. vaughnequestrian.com (603)-785-0435 COMPANION ANIMALS Trinity Farms Terriers: Irish Russell Terriers & Norfolk Terriers. Old World, Healthy 100 year old Bloodlines with proven calmer dispositions. Health & Dispositions guaranteed. Preservation breeders for 48 years. Donna Fitzpatrick 803-648-3137 easyjacks. com, trinityfarmskennel.com CONSTRUCTION & GRADING G. L. Williams & Daughter. Serving the CSRA for over 54 years. Specializing in hauling, grading, clearing, property maintenance, and excavation. We provide everything from several types of fill dirt, top soil, compost, mortar sands, crushed asphalt/concrete, to screenings and a variety of rocks. Roll-off containers and manure removal available. (803) 663-3715. Certified DBE. WOSB. www. glwdtrucking.com Southern Ridge Excavation. Drainage, grading, small clearing, pad prep, utility ditching, pond mowing. Third generation family operated; Licensed & insured. Member Aiken Chamber of Commerce. Call Alex Koegel. 803-522-5752. southernridgex@ gmail.com. DENTISTRY MidAtlantic Equine Dentistry: Mike Cissell DVM, MS, DACVS-LA: Excellence in equine oral health. midatlanticequinedentistry.com; maed.aiken@gmail.com. (928) 458-4529.

The Aiken Horse

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. Moorefield Farms. Premium Ohio Hay. Now in Aiken! Regularly scheduled reliable delivery direct from our farm to you. Large or small quantities, no middleman. Consistent quality. Alfalfa, timothy, orchard and mixes. Quality guaranteed. MoorefieldHayFarms.com. 330-201-1700. 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 INSURANCE Betsy Minton, Sterling Thompson Equine, 803-617-8353. Now writing homeowners insurance for private residences. No horses required but certainly welcomed. Access to top-notch underwriters offering customized, affordable coverage. Still delivering excellent competitive insurance options for your horses and farms. betsyminton@sterlingthompson.com. Sterling Thompson Equine: 800 942 4258 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 803.640-4207. Aiken Horsemanship Academy. Your naturally inspired adult learning resource! Offering Clinics, Courses, Starting Young Horses, Evaluations, and Lessons. JulieRobins.com 803-220-1768. Jodi Hemry Eventing. Three-Star Eventer offering professional training, sales, boarding, instruction, horse shows, located in the heart of Aiken. 803-640-6691 JodiHemryEventing@gmail.com JodiHemryEventing.com REAL ESTATE/ RENTALS Aiken Fine Homes and Land. Specializing in selling or renting homes, farms, land & barns for short or long term leases. 29 years experience in helping people find the property of their dreams, even if it takes building it! Call Barbara Lawrence, 803-439-0778 for honest & realistic answers to your real estate questions. Carolina Real Estate Company. Fine homes, estates and horse properties in Aiken, South Carolina. Let us welcome you home to AIKEN, Home of Horses, History & Hospitality! carolinahorseproperties.com. (803) 648-8660 Sharer Dale, 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. TACK & TACK CLEANING/REPAIR The Saddle Doctor. Saddlery and harness repair. 544 Two Notch Rd. HollyMacSpencer@aol.com. 803.642.5166.

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

PSJ Show, July. Highfields Event Center

Photography by Gary Knoll

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

Aiken Area Calendar of Events AUGUST

August Schooling CT, HT, Dressage Tests. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com, Fullgallopfarm.com 1 GHF/Massey Ferguson Dressage Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 1 Horse Show Ventures HJ Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 4 Stable View Schooling HJ Show. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com 4 Twilight Jumpers. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com 4-8 Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show II. Blowing Rock Equestrian Preserve, Blowing Rock, NC. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com 7 Schooling Eventing and Dressage Show. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@ chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com 7-8 Peace at Poplar Place sanctioned by Southern Hunter Jumper of Georgia. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com 7-8 Stable View Eventing Academy. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com 7-8 Highfields PSJ ‘Back to School’ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows. com 8 Hunter Pace. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com 12-29 Equus Event HJ Show. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@ chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com 13-14 United States Mounted Games Association Southern Series II. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 13-15 Tryon August I. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 14 Pine Tree Stables CEC HJ Show. 1265 Sanders Creek Road, Camden, SC. 803.424.1952, conto@bellsouth.net. camdenequinecircuit.com 1

August-September 2021

14 14 14 14-15 14-15 15 18 19 20-21 20-21 20-21 21 21 21 22 27-29 28

Cats on the Mat Yoga. SPCA Albrecht Center’ s Marr Education Center, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. 803.648.6863, letlovelive.org CT and Dressage Show. The Vista Schooling and Event Center, 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken. 803.262.5263, schoolthevista.com Atlanta Youth Dressage Challenge. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com Tryon Summer Dressage III & IV. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com Made in the Shade I&II Performance and Breed Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com Unmounted Junior Hunt Clinic. Camden Hunt Clubhouse, 678 Red Fox Road, Camden, SC. 803.420.6860. camdenhunt. com Stable View USEF/USDF Too Hot to Trot I Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@ stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com Sunset Jumpers #4. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com Blast from the Past Barrel Racing. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com Stable View USEF/USDF Too Hot to Trot II Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com Sedgefield at the Park Memorial Day Classic NCHJA C Horse Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com Stable View USEF/USDF Too Hot to Trot II Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com Dressage Test-of-Choice. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo. com, Fullgallopfarm.com Back to School Classic Schooling Show. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com USEF Horse Trials. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo. com, Fullgallopfarm.com Southeastern Reining Horse Association Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com Pups n’ Suds Dog Wash. SPCA Albrecht Center, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. 803.648.6863, letlovelive.org

The Aiken Horse

28-29 Highfields PSJ Show. Mullet Hall Equestrian Center, John’s Island, SC. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com 28-29 Five Points Horse Trials. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 28-29 HJ Fox Classics I & II. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com

SEPTEMBER

New Vocations All Thoroughbred Charity Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com 3-5 GreensboroHJ Classic USEF National Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 3-5 SCQHA Horse Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com 4 Labor Day 5D Barrel Race. Crown B Ranch, 1245 Coleman Bridge Rd. Wagener. Pre-enter at crownbranchllc@gmail.com. 4-5 Eventing. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com 4-5 GDCTA Labor Day Classics I & II. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 8 Stable View Schooling Dressage Show. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com 8-19 Equus Events Fall Festival I & II. Bruce’s Field at the Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road SE, Aiken. 803.830.7077, aikenhorsepark.org 10-12 Mustang Challenge. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com 10-12 Tryon Fall Horse Trials. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 10-19 USPA Northrop Knox Cup 12 Goal. New Bridge Polo Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. 803.648.3699, info@ newbridgepolo.com, newbridgepolo.com 11 Mounted Junior Hunt Clinic. Provenzano Farm, Camden, SC. 803.420.6860. camdenhunt.com 11-12 Newton County Saddle Club Open Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 11-12 WHES Schooling Day and Horse Trial. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 11-12 Sunset USEF/USDF Dressage Series I & II. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com 12-26 Alan Corey Cup 4 Goal. Aiken Polo Club, Aiken. Manager Tiger Kneece: 803.646.3301. Info line: 803.643.3611. Aikenpolo.org 15 Yappy Hour. SPCA Albrecht Center’ s Marr Education Center, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. 803.648.6863, letlovelive.org 15-26 USPA Master’s Cup 6 Goal Tournament. Wagener Polo Club, Aiken. Billy Raab, 561.719.3318, wagenerpolo.com 15-Oct 3: Copa de Plata 8 Goal. New Bridge Polo Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. 803.648.3699, info@newbridgepolo.com, newbridgepolo.com 17-19 Camden Fall Classic Horse HJ Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com 17-19 Tryon Fall Dressage I & II. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 17-19 Lendon Gray’s Dressage 4Kids & Atlanta Youth Dressage Festival. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 3-5

The Aiken Horse

17-19 Timberland CDE & CT. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 18 Highfields Just for Fun Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com 18 Stable View USEF/USDF “Fall Frenzy” Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@ stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com 18 Cats on the Mat Yoga. SPCA Albrecht Center’ s Marr Education Center, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. 803.648.6863, letlovelive.org 18 Unmounted Foxhunting Clinic. Wateree Hounds, Camden, SC. 803.565.2078, watereehounds@gmail.com, watereehounds. com 19 August Schooling CT, HT, Dressage Tests. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com, Fullgallopfarm.com 19 Fall Classic. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com 20-Oct 1: New Bridge Ladies Invitational 10-14 Goal. New Bridge Polo Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. 803.648.3699, info@ newbridgepolo.com, newbridgepolo.com 22-Oct.10: USPA National Copper Cup 12 Goal. New Bridge Polo Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. 803.648.3699, info@ newbridgepolo.com, newbridgepolo.com 23-25 Southeastern Charity Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 23-26 Tryon CDE. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 24 Stable View USEF/USDF Oktoberfest FEI CCI-S 1/2/3/4* & USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com 24-26 Tryon Fall I. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 24-26 SCPEA/NCPEA Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com 24-26 Sedgefield at the Park Derby Classic NCHJA ‘C’ Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 25 Tally Ho Farms CEC Show. 3962 Lawson Grove Road, Timmonsville, SC. 843.319.9286, Katstallyho@yahoo.com. camdenequinecircuit.com 25-26 PSJ HJ Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com 26-Oct.10: USPA Governor’s Cup 6 Goal. Aiken Polo Club, Aiken. Manager Tiger Kneece: 803.646.3301. Info line: 803.643.3611. Aikenpolo.org 28-Oct.10: Wagener 4 Goal. Wagener Polo Club, Aiken. Billy Raab, 561.719.3318, wagenerpolo.com 29-Oct.3: Tryon Fall II. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 30 Stable View HJ Fall Classic. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com

OCTOBER 1-2 1-3 1-3 2 2-3

Best of the West Horse Sale. Aiken Training Track, Two Notch Road, Aiken. bestofthewesthorses.com Harvest Moon CBLM Championships Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com PPHA Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com Camden Hunt Hunter Pace. Camden Hunt Clubhouse, 678 Red Fox Road, Camden, SC. 803.420.6860. camdenhunt.com HJ Show. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com

August-September 2021

2-3 3-10 6 6-10 6-24 8 8-9 8-10

9-10 9-10 9-10 9-10 10 10-24 12-17 13 13 13-24 13-31 15 15-16

15-17 15-17 16 16

Newton County Saddle Club Open Horse Show. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com Aiken Women’s Challenge. Aiken Polo Club, Aiken. Manager Tiger Kneece: 803.646.3301. Info line: 803.643.3611. Aikenpolo.org Stable View Schooling Jumpers. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com Tryon Fall III. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com USPA National President’s Cup 8 Goal. New Bridge Polo Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. 803.648.3699, info@ newbridgepolo.com, newbridgepolo.com Stable View TIP Championships. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com SDR. Susan Fay Clinic. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com Great American Insurance Group/USDF Region 3 Championship and Atlanta National Fall Dressage. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com Schooling show - eventing and dressage. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@ chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com SC Performance Trials. Southern Pines, SC. 803.420.6860. camdenhunt.com Saddlebred Makeover. The Vista Schooling and Event Center, 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken. 803.262.5263, schoolthevista.com PSJ FENCE Show. FENCE, Tryon, NC. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com USEF/USEA Horse Trials. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com Conditioning Trail Ride. Camden Hunt Clubhouse, 678 Red Fox Road, Camden, SC. 803.420.6860. camdenhunt.com USPA George S. Patton 6 Goal. Aiken Polo Club, Aiken. Manager Tiger Kneece: 803.646.3301. Info line: 803.643.3611. Aikenpolo.org Tryon Fall IV. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com Stable View Schooling Dressage. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com Yappy Hour. SPCA Albrecht Center’ s Marr Education Center, 199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. 803.648.6863, letlovelive.org Wagener 6 Goal. Wagener Polo Club, Aiken. Billy Raab, 561.719.3318, wagenerpolo.com USPA Bronze Trophy 12 Goal. New Bridge Polo Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. 803.648.3699, info@newbridgepolo. com, newbridgepolo.com Fall Bash. Hermitage Farm, Camden, SC. 803.420.6860. camdenhunt.com RFD’s American Qualifier “The Tribute Race”, hosted by Good Times Barrel Racing. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com Sedgefield at the Park Fall NCHJA ‘C’ Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com Four Beats for Pleasure Horse Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com SPCA Flea Market. SPCA Albrecht Center,199 Willow Run Road, Aiken. 803.648.6863, letlovelive.org Cubbing starts- Junior Hunt. Camden Hunt Clubhouse, 678 Red Fox Road, Camden, SC. 803.420.6860. camdenhunt.com

August-September 2021

16-17 Stable View Eventing Academy. Stable View, LLC 117 Stable Drive, Aiken. 484.356.3173, info@stableviewfarm.com, stableviewfarm.com 16-17 Cheryl & Co. HJ Show. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com 16-17 PSJ Southeast Regional Championships Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com 19-24 Tryon Fall V. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 20-31 October at Bruce’s Field I & II. Bruce’s Field at the Aiken Horse Park, 931 Powderhouse Road SE, Aiken. 803.830.7077, aikenhorsepark.org 20-31 USPA Constitution Cup 6 Goal. Wagener Polo Club, Aiken. Billy Raab, 561.719.3318, wagenerpolo.com 22-24 HJ Fox Halloween Classic and Medal Finals. Georgia International Horse Park, 1996 Centennial Olympic Parkway, Conyers, GA. 770.860.4190, georgiahorsepark.com 22-24 SCQHA Spooktacular Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com 22-24 Pine Tree CT and CDE. Big Sky Farm, 390 Tremont Place, Southern Pines, NC. 910.603.2449, Fkvaldes@gmail.com. americandrivingsociety.org 23 Highfields Just for Fun Show. Highfields Event Center, 147 Warehouse Road, Aiken. 803.649.3505, psjshows.com 23 Spooktacular Classic. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com 23 Mini-HT, CT and Dressage Show. The Vista Schooling and Event Center, 859 Old Tory Trail, Aiken. 803.262.5263, schoolthevista.com 23-24 WHES Schooling Day and Event. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 24-Nov.7 USPA Player’s Cup 4 Goal. Aiken Polo Club, Aiken. Manager Tiger Kneece: 803.646.3301. Info line: 803.643.3611. Aikenpolo.org 26-31 WIHS @ Tryon. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 27-Nov.7 USPA Association Cup 8 Goal. New Bridge Polo Club, 862 New Bridge Road, Aiken. 803.648.3699, info@newbridgepolo. com, newbridgepolo.com 28-31 Tryon Dressage Fall III. Tryon International Equestrian Center, 25 International Blvd, Mill Spring, NC. tryon.coth.com 29-31 Sedgefield at the Park Haunted Classic NCHJA ‘C’ Show. Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC. 910.875.2074, carolinahorsepark.com 29-31 SCDCTA Show. South Carolina Equine Park (SCEP), 443 Cleveland School Road, Camden, SC. 803.486.4938, scequinepark.com 30 Aiken Steeplechase. Tentative date: check back later for updates. For information: 803.648.9641, info@ aikensteeplechase.com, aikensteeplechase.com 30 Springdale CEC Show. Pine Tree Stables, 1265 Sanders Creek Road, Camden, SC. 803.424.1952, conto@bellsouth.net. camdenequinecircuit.com 30-31 Eventing. Chattahoochee Hills Eventing - Hosted at the Bouckaert Farm, 9445 Browns Lake Road, Chattahoochee Hills, GA. 770.892.2117, info@chatthillseventing.com, Chatthillseventing.com 30-31 Peace at Poplar HJ Show. Poplar Place Farm, 8191 Highway 27, Hamilton, GA. 706.681.8748, poplarplacefarm.com 31 Open Horse Show, Hunter, jumper, Western, Gaited, Driving, games. Full Gallop Farm, 3828 Wagener Rd, Aiken. Lara Anderson: 803. 215.6590, fullgallopfarm@yahoo.com, Fullgallopfarm.com

The Aiken Horse

Business Cards

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

Outﬁtting Southeastern Farriers for Over 30 years

GREAT SERVICE AND QUALITY FARRIER SUPPLIES ARE OUR PRIORITY

Aiken, SC

803.685.5101

Columbus, NC 828.894.0280

www.monettafarrier.com

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse

Index of Advertisers ADVERTISER Aiken County Farm Supply Aiken Equine Rescue Aiken Fine Homes and Land Aiken Horse Park Foundation Aiken Horsemanship Academy Aiken Luxury Rentals Aiken Polo Club Aiken Saddlery, Inc. Aiken Tack Exchange American National Insurance Auto Tech Barnware Be Fly Free Best of the West Best of the West Biddle Realty Bridle Creek Carolina Company RE Carolina Company RE, Murray CHAPS Crown B Ranch DFG Stables Epona Equine Divine Estrella Equine Farm Detail FITS Equestrian FOTAS Aiken G L Williams and Daughter Greystone Properties Greystone Properties

SECTION 3 3 1 1 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 1 1 3 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 3 2 2 1

PAGE 83 71 15 5 39 18 26 20 39 49 38 48 48 18 45 31 32 84 14 44 49 48 19 14 18 40 27 62 44 35 12-13

The Aiken Horse

ADVERTISER

SECTION

Highfields Jill Diaz Polo Jumps for sale Keller Williams Stinson Keller Williams- Gutierrez Lightning Protection Systems Mark Lexton Meybohm RE (Sullivan/Turner) Meybohm RE Haslup Meybohm RE Vaillancourt Moorefield Farm New Bridge Polo Club NibbleNet Oak Manor Saddlery Pacified Pony Progressive Show Jumping, Inc Redman International Horse Transport Retired Racehorse Project Shane Doyle South Carolina Equine Park Southern Equine Service SPCA Albrecht Center Stable View, LLC Standlee Subscriptions Teddi Ismond The Kneaded Edge The Kneaded Edge The Tack Room The Willcox Tryon Equine Law

2 3 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 2 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 3 2 1 2 2 1 2

PAGE 34 74 39 4 19 39 19 6-7 3 2 45 30 44 39 25 21 39 57 60 49 41 58 28-29 59 81 45 24 44 38 27 44

August-September 2021

AIKEN COUNTY FARM SUPPLY

SERVING AIKEN COUNTY FOR OVER 50 YEARS

803-649-2987

1933 Park Ave. Aiken, South Carolina 29801

August-September 2021

The Aiken Horse