Member Spotlight

Celebrating Life & Work at New Bridge

By Katie Roth Photos by Shelly Marshall Schmidt

If there is a person that epitomizes #newbridgelife, it could very well be JD Cooper. He lives here, plays polo here, and his company, Cooper Home & Stable, has built many of the homes in New Bridge Polo & Country Club. He is enjoying the life he has built here and has reason to celebrate. This year marks a special occasion as it is JD’s 40th year of playing polo. “I have a lot to be thankful for,” JD remarked. “Polo is an important part of my life and it is very special to be able to live and work in the club where I play.”

JD Cooper, owner of Cooper Home & Stable, is well known for building custom homes and barns all over the Aiken area, including many at New Bridge Polo & Country Club. But many may not know that New Bridge is also the place he chooses to call home. Some may think that a builder would be uncomfortable or under too much pressure to hang his hat amongst the homes he has under construction, but it is the opposite for JD. “It is pretty wonderful to build where you live,” he said. “I’ve found that the people here are welcoming, kind, fair, and friendly. Past clients have even allowed me to show their houses to new clients I am building for,” said JD.

Cooper Home & Stable has a long history with New Bridge, building the first spec house in 2014, and continuing with more spec homes over time. In 2017, JD was leasing a home in Aiken, which became unavailable, so he decided to buy one of the spec houses and call New Bridge home. “I was lucky to get into the neighborhood in the early stages,” said JD.

Most builders focus on either home construction or barn construction, but Cooper Home & Stable’s projects run the gamut of new design and

custom-built homes, renovations of historic properties, and custom-built barns. “Barns go together differently than a residence,” said JD. “Although custom homes are my passion, I saw a unique need in Aiken to be able to offer the ability to build both homes and barns for my clients.”

JD has a wealth of experience in the construction industry. His father was a developer, builder and real estate broker. Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, JD came up through the ranks by working on cleaning crews and framing crews. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Building Technology (an engineering/architecture hybrid), worked for his father for one year, then went out on his own. JD’s company became very successful, building high-end architectural design custom homes and an award-winning golf course and polo development, the Polo Fields Golf & Country Club in Louisville, KY.

JD was raised in the suburbs of Louisville and his childhood home was next to the Rock Creek Riding Club. He took a few riding lessons on their Saddlebred horses, but did not care for it and did not pursue it. At that time, he may not have thought that horses would be a part of his life, but they would become a large part of both his life and his career.

JD’s journey to become a polo player began when he met famed polo pony and racehorse trainer Nick Rennekamp. Nick and JD hit if off, quickly becoming friends and Nick invited JD Shortly after, Nick took a job with a Thoroughbred breeder in Kentucky and started training racehorses. He invited JD to try his hand at playing polo in the arena at The Harmony Landing Country Club and he was hooked.

JD transitioned to grass polo, playing low goal polo in Louisville at the Lexington Horse Park in the early 1980s. He started out with one horse and had to borrow a 2-horse trailer. He fondly remembers when he had finally accumulated a few horses and was able to buy his first steel, gooseneck trailer.

JD played in the Mid States polo league, which was comprised of the Detroit, Columbus, Cincinnati, Dayton, Louisville and Lexington areas. Polo was maturing in that area, giving him the opportunity to play in Pro Am matches when Lexington hosted the U.S. Open with greats such as Tommy Wayman and Bart Evans, former 8-goal player, who is in the National Museum of Polo Hall of Fame. JD recalls meeting a lot of people in the early days, including Bobby Donahey, the patron of the Derry Heir polo team, who would become a long-time friend.

“Bobby brought me to Aiken in 1999 to play in one leg of the 16-goal Triple Crown of Polo with him, Ruben Gracida, and Roberto Gonzalez,” said JD. “I immediately loved Aiken and I never looked back.” JD decided to move from his beloved Kentucky to make Aiken his new home. In 2000, he planted new roots, purchasing a farm on Hatchaway Bridge and Hwy 302.

“I believe that Aiken is reaching its peak now, and it is even better now than it was in the early days. We have numerous fields to play on, there are lots of polo players — and the quality of the players and horses is very high,”

to the U.S. Open at Retama in San Antonio, Texas in the early 1980’s when Nick worked for 9-goal player Benny Gutierrez and 10-goal player Tommy Wayman. “I believe that Aiken is reaching its peak now, and it is even better now than it was in the early days. We have numerous fields to play on, there are lots of polo players — and the quality of the players and horses is very high,” said JD.

No matter where JD is, you’ll find his sidekick, Boots, an Australian Cattle Dog. She was a gift from fellow polo player Eddy Martinez ten years ago. The spry Blue Heeler can always be found at JD’s side, whether he’s on the job site, the polo field, or his front porch. “I don’t believe there is anything comparable to New Bridge,” said JD. “It has such a unique feel and style that is very appealing with the combination of a residential development and a polo club. The fields are the best in Aiken, and you would have to go to Florida to find anything even close to this,” said JD.

When asked how he balances a thriving construction business and playing polo, JD is quick to give accolades to his groom, Rachel Cunningham. “I love my work, and it is critical for me to be able to count on others so that I can play polo,” he said. Rachel has been his groom for the past 20 years, off and on, and the last 12 years continuously. She runs the barn, provides excellent care and conditioning of the horses, and transports them to field for games. “It is very rare to find someone like Rachel and I am very fortunate,” he said. JD currently has seven playing horses and four retired horses. His favorite is China, an Argentine mare he purchased from Dardo Iglesias, that he usually plays in the sixth chukker.

“It has been a great sport for me, and I will play for as long as I can,” said JD. The reasons why he plays have evolved over time. “It is obviously an adrenaline-fueled sport, and when you win, you are on a high for the next 24 hours,” he commented. “But, winning is not the only reason to play, I enjoy developing team strategies and continually learning techniques by playing with some very talented teammates. I like to try to play with everyone that I can, from established players to young talents that are coming up through the ranks,” said JD.

JD is further solidifying his roots at New Bridge by remodeling an existing barn near field 4, where he will keep his horses. “I used to keep my horses a few miles from New Bridge, but now it will be nice to have both my home and barn within the same community,” he said. ■