Barry’s December Letter
At last, we’re making some serious progress with uses for the conserved back 850 acres.
Towards the end of 2024, we started to develop the concept of the Aiken Trails Club @ Stable View. Now, with increasing Membership and the opportunity to add Events such as Yeti Dark Horse and Battle of the Run Clubs to the existing roster, we're increasing foot traffic while also providing business for The Bistro.
To provide runners, walkers, and joggers with additional routes, we’re in the process of identifying old logging paths and
refurbishing them with the target of increasing our 15 miles of Trails to 17 miles by the end of this year.
Additionally, with the recent appointment of Emma Rogers, we’ve been able to develop a further area of new business for the back 800 acres - that of producing natural medicinal substances such as salves, lotions, balms, and tinctures.
Some readers will recall that Keith Bradley undertook an Audit of Stable View’s flora back in 2019.
Keith, now the South Carolina Botanist, is updating that Audit.
Some of the plants of specific interest in 2018 are not now of special interest, but there are others that are - an updated list of flora at Stable View will be circulated, once completed, in the late summer/fall of 2026.
Meanwhile, there’s a specific focus on identifying a salve, a tincture, a lotion, and a balm. These will be propagated and grown at Stable View with products made here for sale. The pricing point will be $25.
Rider Spotlight: Abigail Sigwald
Abigail Sigwald is a regular competitor at Stable View specifically at the hunter/jumper shows. She began riding practically from the moment she was born. She shared, “My mom and aunt grew up riding so horses have always been in my life. I started taking real lessons when I was around six and I was hooked from there.”
She was quite active throughout her junior career. She competed in the hunters and equitation with her heart horse, Fuzzy. Abigail said, “Once I aged out into an amateur I moved over to the jumpers where Fuzzy got to go back to his roots and show me the ropes. I also did the
equitation and hunters on my young horse, Rowan.” Abigail took the next leap in her career by starting her own farm in June of 2023. She started with a main focus of teaching and has slowly moved into doing sales as well. She said Aiken was the perfect place for her farm and career as she shared, “My favorite part about Aiken is the homey feel it gives off and how inclusive it is to horse people.” Abigail has competed all over and seen many wonderful facilities but said, ‘nothing compares to Stableview.’ She shared, “A goal of mine has always been to progress further in the jumpers. As much as I love the hunters my heart is in the jumper ring. My favorite part about Stable View is how affordable it is and also how inclusive it is to the diff es seeing
Abigail co
Stable View Partnerships: Forestier Sellier Saddlery
Forestier Sellier Saddlery joined the Stable View team earlier this year. The company is one of the oldest brands in France but just arrived in the United States a couple of years ago. Forestier began in Segonzac, France, in 1950. Their workshop is located in Bidart in the Southwest of France.
Guillaume Bernardini is one of Forestier's reps and covers the Aiken area. He says, "My role is to help people to find the perfect saddle for their horse, and themselves. We’ve been working with Stable View after the winter season to promote Forestier in Aiken. Stable View offers us an ideal location in the vendor alley, audio
messages during the show, an XC-sponsored start box, and the possibility to organize an event like Graze & Gaze. In exchange, I need to be set up at a certain number of shows, at least one a month."
Forestier sells both dressage and jumping saddles. Their reps will help you find the saddle best suited to you and your horse. Their saddles are 100% made in France. Guillaume shared, "Our leather is also natural, and we are really lucky to use a natural river that gives our leather all the necessary nutrients to increase the quality of it."
As far as Guillaume's experience with both Forestier and Stable View he said, "At Forestier, we strive to offer you the best of the best for your horse and you. Forestier gave me the opportunity to work with wonderful people and I’m so glad to be in this territory. I want to thank Stable View for exposing a new brand like us."
Forestier has been a strong supporter of Stable View. Last May, they even sponsored the Stable View Alumni Cup, giving each member of the winning team a $2,500 voucher. Stable View is thankful for Forestier Sellier Saddlery’s continued support.
Ring in the New Year at Stable View
Ring in the new year in style by joining Stable View’s New Year’s Eve party. You don’t want to miss the food, drinks, company, dancing, music, or fun. There will be live music provided by Lola Grace and The Night. The fun will take place in the Stable View Pavilion. With both a large indoor space and a wraparound porch, you can bring in the new year in style regardless of the weather. Accommodations are available. Call the office at (484)356-3173 to learn more. Tickets are $100 per person or $750 for a table of eight. Buy your tickets today at the following link.
Looking Ahead to the New Year:
2025 saw the creation of the Trails Club at Stable View, Bluegrass Series at Stable View, and the growth of the Bistro at Stable View. In addition to the new additions, the hunter/jumper, dressage, eventing, and combined driving programs are continuing to grow.
In 2026, the Hunter/Jumper In & Out Series will take on its third year. To celebrate the continued success a tenth show will be added to the line-up. The series will kick off January 2nd-4th followed by February 13th-15th and March 13th-15th. These are followed by May 29th-31st, June 26th-28th, July 31st-August 2nd, August 28th-30th, September 11th-13th, October 30th-November
Photo by Christine Quinn Photography
1st, and ending December 18th-20th. The Hunter/Jumper Institute Series will continue under the new management of Dana Jensen. Each month that has an In & Out show, the Institute Series has been moved to the Wednesday before these show weekends giving horses and riders optimal schooling opportunities. In the two months without In & Out shows the Institutes are April 22nd and November 25th. Eventing also has a lot to offer in the new year. For the second year in a row the Eventing Academy will offer a Championship Event at the November 20th-22nd Event. Riders can qualify by competing in at least five out of the six shows in the series or by placing firstsixth at one show. In 2026 the normal line up of recognized shows will return with one addition. The Aiken Opener Horse Trials will be January 17th-18th. The April FEI Event will be April 3rd-5th and the May Local Charities Horse Trial will be May 2nd-3rd. This year the USEA Intercollegiate and Interscholastic Eventing Championship will be a stand-alone event May 15th-17th. Alumni will also be invited to compete in the Stable View Alumni Cup. Stay tuned for more information. The Summer Horse Trials will return June 20th21st and the season will end with Oktoberfest September 25th27th.
All the Dressage favorites will also return with a jam packed schedule for both the recognized series as well as the popular Schooling Dressage Collection. For more information about all the events check out the 2026 calendar here: https://svfequestrian.com/2026-calendar-dates/
The Inaugural Stable View Eventing Academy Championship:
The inaugural Stable View Eventing Academy had $20,000 in prizes. Prize sponsors included VTO Saddlery, Hitch & Tow Trailer Sales, Aiken Pest Control, Cowgirl Up With Green, Equine Massage Therapy & Book by local author, SC Shavings, GGT Footing, Ahh Sunshine, Dover Saddlery, Engineered Equine Performance, Equine Network, Christine Quinn Photography, Hallway Feeds, and GriffinBrook. In the Beginner Novice Championship Division, Jessica Schultz and HHS Ruby Tuesday won on their dressage score of 25.9. In the
Sprouts Championship Division Kaitlyn Hartsock and Bellatrix were first on a 37. In the Starter Division Charla Liford and Russell won on a 25.7. In the Training Championship Kate Brown and Summer Rain took top honors on a 29.3. In the Novice Division Katie Cummings and Nature’s Contessa won a 26.1. Alexa Duncan competed in the Starter Championship and placed sixth with her horse, True North. She shared, “Stable View did a great job during the championship at celebrating the work that horses and riders put in all year at their eventing academy’s from great prizes to beautiful courses.” Sydney Shinn competed in the Training Championship division with HSH Crypto. She said, “It is a friendly and competitive environment for horse and rider.” There is time to qualify for the 2026 Eventing Academy Championship. Compete in at least six of the shows this season with the same horse at the same level or finish first-sixth place at one show. Next year is sure to be even better with more prizes on the table and more co titi
The Stable View Eco-Tours Journey:
Over the years, Stable View has steadily increased its Accommodations footprint, and with the addition of 5 new Tiny Homes, Stable View has over twenty Accommodations to offer. Additionally, with the introduction of the Bistro in 2024, a variety of freshly cooked breakfast and lunch items are now available for purchase by visitors and residents. What follows are some of Stable View’s initial Eco-Tour plans for 2026/7. Using the original 2019 Stable View Plant Audit conducted by Keith Bradley as a template, Keith - now South Carolina’s State
Botanist - is updating his Audit. This new Audit will provide greater depth into the biology of Stable View’s conserved land, as well as take account of changed circumstances both natural and man-made. At the last count several weeks ago, Stable View was host to in excess of 500 different plant species. Of these, around 20 are categorized by South Carolina as “critically imperiled” (S1) or “imperiled” (S2). Our intention is to mark these with a number and set them up as observation posts, turning them into a part of an EcoTour. Ultimately, by highlighting these endangered plant species we hope to encourage visitors to protect the Earth, as well as encourage further learning about the environment.
Separately, certain of the plants have a history — in some cases, over thousands of years — of being used in everyday life. For instance, in lotions, potions, balms, tinctures, and jams. Particularly throughout South Carolina, and North America at large, Indigenous cultures and communities have used specific plants for medicinal purposes, and continue this practice today.
With admiration and respect for the cultural history of Stable View’s land, as well as the belief that natural is good, Stable View intends to research and produce a variety of seasonal, hand-made natural products in small batches for purchase. As an example, berries are
seasonal, and we believe Stable View could produce preserves/jams in small batches from berries picked on-site.
Moving forward, the Red Cockaded Woodpecker’s (RCW) habitat is now well established within Stable View’s conservation land, with approximately 20 birds calling Stable View their home. These RCW habitats are to be marked, with accompanying educational signage, as a part of Stable View’s Eco-Tours.
On the right-hand side of the property there are two very old paths that go from Stable View to Little Horse Creek. Although a more challenging walk, these paths are of very real interest, as they represent the geological subdivision of Stable View. On one side of Little Horse Creek is the Coastal Plain, while the other side represents the start of the Piedmont Region. We’re in the process of joining these paths to form a day's outing. There will be a picnic table at the intersection of the path, at the bridge, near the railroad, and beside Little Horse Creek. This railroad, one of the oldest railroads in South Carolina, connects Augusta to Columbia.
A better view of the change in topography between the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain can be gained by walking North — going left — out of Stable Drive. At the end of the dark green fence, take a left. Follow the path — with the Green Cemetery on your right — to Little Horse Creek. At the bottom of the hill, before the bridge,
straight ahead is the start of the Piedmont Region. However, if you turn left, before the bridge, you remain on the Sandhills, a part of the Coastal Plain.
Starting with 35-way points, we believe that Stable View will be able to offer a total 25 interesting items of local interest that will vary with the seasons. These will include items of architectural, historical, archeological, botanical, astrological, biological, and environmental interest. As an example of the above, at night, even with Bridgestone and a Meta Data Center in the West, the sky above Stable View is full of stars, planets, auroras, meteor showers, and constellations; all visible to the naked eye. That being said, we are in the process of purchasing a telescope to amplify the viewing experience.
For around $500, Stable View’s intention is to offer two nights midweek accommodations. This will include certain meals at the Bistro, access to over 20 miles of trails, as well as all supporting Eco-Tour educational material.
Stable View Spotlight: Emma Rogers
Emma Rogers is the newest addition to the Stable View Office. She began working remotely at the beginning of September and will be relocating from Florida to Aiken and will be starting full time at Stable View in January. She will be taking on the role of marketing. She shared, “My primary responsibility is to enable the continued development of Stable View through a marketing lens. In my day-to-
day, this looks like reviewing written documents, managing responses/messages from social media, helping with digital design and content creation, conducting market research, engaging with visitors, and always brainstorming new ways to help Stable View Grow.”
Emma is from St. Pete, Florida but just finished her Masters Degree in Global Strategy & Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh. She graduated from Florida International University in Miami in 2024 with a Bachelor’s degree in International Business. She studied courses such as international marketing, finance, risk management, and accounting, as well as arts and human rights in the Honors College.
Originally she was born in Ohio. She was surrounded by horses from practically day one. She shared, “My Mom grew up in rural Indiana, with a 4 stall barn in the backyard for the family horses. The oldest of 3 girls, my Mom grew up showing alongside her sisters, with their Father (my Grandfather) training them. So, when I was eventually born, my Mom did not hesitate to plop me straight onto a saddle with her, just as my Grandfather had done when she was a baby. I rode Western consistently for the first 5 years of my life before moving to Florida, where I did some English training. As I grew older, it became more difficult to ride
regularly, but I’ve always taken the opportunity to get back in the saddle when I can; I even volunteered at an Equine therapy farm in High School, just to spend some time around horses.” Emma shared, “The last five years have been quite the ride, especially since I graduated High School and began College in 2020, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. This has been a time of immense growth in my life, and I don’t think I’d be where I am today without experiencing everything that I have—good, bad, and ugly.” She is looking forward to this new chapter. When asked if she has a favorite thing about Stable View so far she said, “There are so many things to love about Stable View, but I think my favorite are the people. I was so nervous coming up in-person to train for the first time, but everyone welcomed me with open arms, and it really helped put my brain at ease. Since then, my appreciation and admiration for the people at Stable View continues to grow, and I’m really excited to see where the future takes us.” Starting in January be sure to welcome Emma to the Stable View Team officially.
