Larkin Steele of Equine Rescue of Aiken says she is looking for some experienced riders to help ride and school the horses at the facility.
“We have horses of lots of different types,” she says, “And we need some experienced riders to volunteer to ride them so that we can make them more adoptable. If we can get the horses we have here adopted out, then we will have more room to take in horses that need help.”
Larkin stresses that the horses that need riding aren’t rank. Some are green, and some do need retraining. They all need exercise and attention. There are also lots of nice horses available for adoption or fostering. Fostering could be a great solution for someone who is only in town seasonally, or who would like to have and care for a horse, but can’t commit to owning one long-term.
Check out the website: www.aikenequinerescue.com or call 803.643.1850.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Equine Summit in Aiken
After commissioning a study that showed that the Aiken equestrian community contributes over 71 million dollars a year to the local economy, the Aiken Chamber of Commerce knows that horses are an economic force. The Chamber wants horse people to start exercising their political clout, too. To this end, they asked Samantha Charles, who is a member of the Chamber board, chair of the Chamber’s Equine Steering Committee and the publisher of Sidelines magazine, to organize a meeting of horse people from various disciplines. The purpose of the meeting was to talk about the current state of the industry, and to discuss ways that things can be improved in the future.
The meeting, which took place February 24 at the Aiken Chamber headquarters on Richland Avenue, included 20 representatives from the horse community, as well as several members of the Chamber who were not involved in the horse industry. Liz Stewart, a facilitator, divided the people into three sub groups, each of which was asked to brainstorm about a particular question. One group was asked to identify factors that can help keep the horse industry healthy. The second group was asked to identify what barriers there might be to strengthening the industry, while the third came up with examples from other communities that might be useful in ensuring that the Aiken community as a whole continues to support the horse community. Afterwards, each subgroup presented its ideas.
In the second part of the meeting, the subgroups discussed the pros and cons of pursuing the idea of building a large, state-supported horse park in Aiken. Finally, the discussion turned to the possibility of organizing an Equine Summit for the fourth quarter of 2009. The idea for the Equine Summit, tentatively entitled “Horses – Past, Present and Future,” is in an embryonic stage. In the coming months, another meeting (or two) at the Chamber will clarify what the summit will be about, who will be invited, and even whether there will be a summit at all.
In the first two parts of the meeting, the various groups came up with several interesting ideas, and there were a number of differing opinions about the hottest topic of the day, the potential horse park. Proponents of a horse park would like to see one built somewhere close to Route 20, perhaps along Route 1. They see a horse park as an economic boon that would ensure the survival of the equestrian industry in Aiken. Those who spoke against a horse park said, essentially, that Aiken itself is a horse park, and that we don’t need to encourage the horse industry in Aiken to grow any larger than it already is.
“Aiken’s horse industry already contributes 71 million dollars to the economy,” said Tom Uskup, who was there as one of the representatives of the polo community. “How much more do we need? How much is enough?”
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Equine Divine Welcomes New Partner
If you are at the Aiken Spring Classic Horse Show this April, be sure to stop by the Equine Divine booth to see a sample of what’s in the store. Or better yet, stop by the store itself in the Holley Building on Laurens Street downtown. Since its opening in 2004, Equine Divine has established itself as one of the “must go” destinations for horse people living in or visiting Aiken. The store features a wide selection of original equestrian and sporting art, as well as home decor, jewelry and clothing, all with an equestrian theme.
Taryn Hartnett Eicher recently joined Equine Divine as the new managing partner, and is now working with Lydia del Rossi, the store’s founder. She is bringing in two new lines of jewelry and more clothing, specifically a line called J. McLaughlin. J. McLaughlin clothing is based in New York and sold up and down the East Coast. It features high quality men’s and women’s clothing with “a flair for bold colors and signature prints combined with unexpected design twists,” according to the website. Taryn says that there will be a trunk show to promote the clothing at the store during the week of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, April 6 through 11.
Taryn, a horsewoman from a well-established equestrian family, has spent the last 12 years in the banking industry. Although she has lived in Aiken for several years, she was commuting to Charlotte for work.
“I decided I was ready for a change,” she says. “I wanted to be in Aiken full-time, and I wanted something that was not in the office five days a week. I had heard that Lydia was looking for a partner, we sat down and talked about it and decided that it would be a good fit.”
“We’re so excited about Taryn coming in as managing partner,” says Lydia. “She brings such life, energy and enthusiasm to the store. I had taken Equine Divine as far as I was able, and I think she will be able to take it to a whole new level, a higher level. I feel like I have sent my child off to college.”
Equine Divine will continue to represent the artists that Aiken’s horsemen have come to identify with the store, including Susan Easton Burns, Anne Amrich, Anne Lattimore and Beth Carlson. New artists include Lynn Carlisle, an Aiken resident who is known for her exquisite portraits of dogs. Other new artists will soon be represented in the store, which will also have a new logo and a new website.
Taryn Hartnett Eicher recently joined Equine Divine as the new managing partner, and is now working with Lydia del Rossi, the store’s founder. She is bringing in two new lines of jewelry and more clothing, specifically a line called J. McLaughlin. J. McLaughlin clothing is based in New York and sold up and down the East Coast. It features high quality men’s and women’s clothing with “a flair for bold colors and signature prints combined with unexpected design twists,” according to the website. Taryn says that there will be a trunk show to promote the clothing at the store during the week of the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta, April 6 through 11.
Taryn, a horsewoman from a well-established equestrian family, has spent the last 12 years in the banking industry. Although she has lived in Aiken for several years, she was commuting to Charlotte for work.
“I decided I was ready for a change,” she says. “I wanted to be in Aiken full-time, and I wanted something that was not in the office five days a week. I had heard that Lydia was looking for a partner, we sat down and talked about it and decided that it would be a good fit.”
“We’re so excited about Taryn coming in as managing partner,” says Lydia. “She brings such life, energy and enthusiasm to the store. I had taken Equine Divine as far as I was able, and I think she will be able to take it to a whole new level, a higher level. I feel like I have sent my child off to college.”
Equine Divine will continue to represent the artists that Aiken’s horsemen have come to identify with the store, including Susan Easton Burns, Anne Amrich, Anne Lattimore and Beth Carlson. New artists include Lynn Carlisle, an Aiken resident who is known for her exquisite portraits of dogs. Other new artists will soon be represented in the store, which will also have a new logo and a new website.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Pennfield promises
The eventing season in Aiken attracted more than just horses and riders. It also brought various officials from the United States Equestrian Team and several evening events and parties, including a well attended United States Equestrian Foundation benefit gala at Phillip Dutton’s Red Oak Farm in the Bridle Creek Equestrian Community.
One of the most talked about evening events was the “That’s a Promise” Tour, put on by Pennfield Feeds. Pennfield Feeds, based in Pennsylvania, is the brand used by many upper-level event riders who have their home bases in the mid-Atlantic states. After being selected as the official feed for the United States Equestrian Team at the 2008 Olympics, Pennfield began pursuing a higher profile nationally. The “That’s a Promise” Tour was conceived as an evening of talks about equine nutrition, combined with a chance to meet some of the top riders (and drivers) that rely on Pennfield Feeds, including Olympians such as Karen and David O’Connor, Bruce Davidson and Phillip Dutton. The tour also raised money for the USEF Young Rider program. Attendees could participate in a silent auction and competed for a chance to win a training session with one of the upper-level riders. There were, of course, drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
The tour started on February 8 in Wellington, Fla., and will hit eight cities on the East Coast, ending up in Gladstone, N.J. on October 7. Aiken was the third stop on the tour. The March 10 event was, according to Pennfield representatives, the most successful so far, bringing out a large and enthusiastic crowd. Of course, this is no surprise, because in Aiken, everyone loves a party, and what better than a party combined with the chance to win something? Pennfield Feeds itself is gaining a following in town. It can be found at Aiken Saddlery and Aiken Country Farm Supply.
One of the most talked about evening events was the “That’s a Promise” Tour, put on by Pennfield Feeds. Pennfield Feeds, based in Pennsylvania, is the brand used by many upper-level event riders who have their home bases in the mid-Atlantic states. After being selected as the official feed for the United States Equestrian Team at the 2008 Olympics, Pennfield began pursuing a higher profile nationally. The “That’s a Promise” Tour was conceived as an evening of talks about equine nutrition, combined with a chance to meet some of the top riders (and drivers) that rely on Pennfield Feeds, including Olympians such as Karen and David O’Connor, Bruce Davidson and Phillip Dutton. The tour also raised money for the USEF Young Rider program. Attendees could participate in a silent auction and competed for a chance to win a training session with one of the upper-level riders. There were, of course, drinks and hors d’oeuvres.
The tour started on February 8 in Wellington, Fla., and will hit eight cities on the East Coast, ending up in Gladstone, N.J. on October 7. Aiken was the third stop on the tour. The March 10 event was, according to Pennfield representatives, the most successful so far, bringing out a large and enthusiastic crowd. Of course, this is no surprise, because in Aiken, everyone loves a party, and what better than a party combined with the chance to win something? Pennfield Feeds itself is gaining a following in town. It can be found at Aiken Saddlery and Aiken Country Farm Supply.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Polo Pony Race at the Aiken Trials
The Aiken Trials, Aiken's day of races for young horses, will feature a race for polo ponies this year. The ponies, which are required to be playing horses, will run 300 yards from a standing start to compete for the title of "Fastest Polo Pony in Aiken."
The Aiken Trials will be held on Saturday, March 14. The card has six races, four of them for untried 2-year-old race horses, one for seasoned horses of racing age, and the polo pony race, which will be the fourth of the day. Although members of Aiken's old Winter Colony probably raced polo ponies in Aiken before World War II, this is the first time that the Aiken Trials will include a race for polo ponies.
There are six polo ponies entered in the race. They are:
1-Eli Yale, 6 year old chestnut gelding, owned, trained and ridden by Pam Gleason
2-Jasmine, 9 year old chestnut mare, owned, trained and ridden by Theresa King
3-Do What, 6 year old bay gelding, owned, trained and ridden by Tom Uskup
4-Elegant Matter, 7 year old bay mare, owned, trained and ridden by Ben Gregoncza
5-Aztec, 9 year old chestnut gelding, owned by the Aiken Horse LLC, trained by Gary Knoll and ridden by Salvador Torres.
6-Sabrina, 9 year old bay mare, owned, trained and ridden by Edgar Cato III.
The polo pony race is sponsored by The Aiken Horse.
The Aiken Trials will be held on Saturday, March 14. The card has six races, four of them for untried 2-year-old race horses, one for seasoned horses of racing age, and the polo pony race, which will be the fourth of the day. Although members of Aiken's old Winter Colony probably raced polo ponies in Aiken before World War II, this is the first time that the Aiken Trials will include a race for polo ponies.
There are six polo ponies entered in the race. They are:
1-Eli Yale, 6 year old chestnut gelding, owned, trained and ridden by Pam Gleason
2-Jasmine, 9 year old chestnut mare, owned, trained and ridden by Theresa King
3-Do What, 6 year old bay gelding, owned, trained and ridden by Tom Uskup
4-Elegant Matter, 7 year old bay mare, owned, trained and ridden by Ben Gregoncza
5-Aztec, 9 year old chestnut gelding, owned by the Aiken Horse LLC, trained by Gary Knoll and ridden by Salvador Torres.
6-Sabrina, 9 year old bay mare, owned, trained and ridden by Edgar Cato III.
The polo pony race is sponsored by The Aiken Horse.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Southern Saddlery Closes
After 18 years of serving Aiken’s equestrians, Southern Saddlery closed this February.
Susan Henderson, the store’s owner and founder, says that she is retiring from the retail trade to pursue other interests.
“I’m very thankful for the years of support the store has gotten from Aiken’s horse people,” she says.
On Friday, February 20, Susan made the announcement that the store would close at the end of the month after a going-out-of-business sale. Word spread rapidly, and Southern Saddlery was soon flooded with customers. People bought so much and so quickly, that the store was essentially empty in a couple of days, closing its doors by Thursday, February 26, two days ahead of schedule. An Aiken horse community icon, Southern Saddlery will be missed.
Susan Henderson, the store’s owner and founder, says that she is retiring from the retail trade to pursue other interests.
“I’m very thankful for the years of support the store has gotten from Aiken’s horse people,” she says.
On Friday, February 20, Susan made the announcement that the store would close at the end of the month after a going-out-of-business sale. Word spread rapidly, and Southern Saddlery was soon flooded with customers. People bought so much and so quickly, that the store was essentially empty in a couple of days, closing its doors by Thursday, February 26, two days ahead of schedule. An Aiken horse community icon, Southern Saddlery will be missed.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A Horse Park for Aiken?
On Wednesday afternoon January 21, word spread like a line of flame through the horse community: there was to be an open forum at the University of South Carolina Aiken Convocation Center, to discuss the construction of a large-scale, international-quality horse park in the city. Numerous horsemen from the show, event, hunt and driving worlds joined realtors and other people connected with Aiken’s equestrian world. The meeting room suddenly didn’t have quite enough chairs.
“Only around 30 people R.S.V.P’d,” apologized one of the organizers, Mary Ann Keisler, who is director of tourism at Thoroughbred Country, an organization dedicated to promoting the hospitality industry in western South Carolina. “And there are many more of you here than we expected.”
It turned out that the meeting wasn’t about a horse park. Rather, it was a forum conducted by Robert Cleverdon, director of an Ireland-based company called Tourism Development International, to solicit ideas and opinions about how to promote Aiken and Edgefield Counties as tourist destinations. Tourism Development International is a consulting firm that was hired by South Carolina’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to create a comprehensive tourism plan for the state. One option in that plan calls for solidifying Aiken’s reputation as an equestrian destination by making it the location of a horse park that could be used for shows, clinics and other equestrian events.
Robert Cleverdon had an agenda that he tried to follow during the meeting. That agenda included identifying various things other than the equestrian life that might attract tourists. The meeting was also intended to address potential tourist attractions in Edgefield County. Several people had made the trip to USCA from Edgefield, and they may have been eager to discuss historic houses, Native American archeological sites and bike trails in their neighborhoods. However, the overwhelming majority of attendees were horse people from Aiken. They had come to talk about a horse park, and that is what they did.
Cleverdon, an Englishman, didn’t appear to understand exactly what was happening. He would ask if people in Aiken wanted more museums, and someone would reply that they thought a horse park would be good for the area because it would complement the many great equestrian facilities we already have. He would suggest that we could develop our waterways to attract more tourists, and someone else would answer that they worried that the horse park might detract from the charm of Aiken. Although a horse park was, indeed, one of the official topics of discussion, after a few rounds on the subject, Mr. Cleverdon tried, with little success, to get people to stop bringing it up. The end result was perhaps a bit disappointing for horsemen and Englishmen alike, since neither got to explore the topics that interested them in any depth.
Tourism Development International will be making recommendations to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and they might even suggest developing a horse park for Aiken. However, in the current economic climate, it is unlikely that the state would be able to do anything in the near future. Funds for creating such a facility would have to come from a public-private partnership, and even then, the state would have to be on firmer financial footing before considering such a thing.
What the forum did prove was that Aiken’s horsemen are very eager to talk about a horse park. Following the meeting, Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt, a realtor with Meybohm and a horsewoman, spoke with Representative Tim Young, a state legislator who was eager to pursue the idea further. Several area horsemen are planning to set up meetings that really are about a horse park, both to explore its possible impact on the area and to determine ways that it could be made a reality. Stay for the latest updates.
“Only around 30 people R.S.V.P’d,” apologized one of the organizers, Mary Ann Keisler, who is director of tourism at Thoroughbred Country, an organization dedicated to promoting the hospitality industry in western South Carolina. “And there are many more of you here than we expected.”
It turned out that the meeting wasn’t about a horse park. Rather, it was a forum conducted by Robert Cleverdon, director of an Ireland-based company called Tourism Development International, to solicit ideas and opinions about how to promote Aiken and Edgefield Counties as tourist destinations. Tourism Development International is a consulting firm that was hired by South Carolina’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism to create a comprehensive tourism plan for the state. One option in that plan calls for solidifying Aiken’s reputation as an equestrian destination by making it the location of a horse park that could be used for shows, clinics and other equestrian events.
Robert Cleverdon had an agenda that he tried to follow during the meeting. That agenda included identifying various things other than the equestrian life that might attract tourists. The meeting was also intended to address potential tourist attractions in Edgefield County. Several people had made the trip to USCA from Edgefield, and they may have been eager to discuss historic houses, Native American archeological sites and bike trails in their neighborhoods. However, the overwhelming majority of attendees were horse people from Aiken. They had come to talk about a horse park, and that is what they did.
Cleverdon, an Englishman, didn’t appear to understand exactly what was happening. He would ask if people in Aiken wanted more museums, and someone would reply that they thought a horse park would be good for the area because it would complement the many great equestrian facilities we already have. He would suggest that we could develop our waterways to attract more tourists, and someone else would answer that they worried that the horse park might detract from the charm of Aiken. Although a horse park was, indeed, one of the official topics of discussion, after a few rounds on the subject, Mr. Cleverdon tried, with little success, to get people to stop bringing it up. The end result was perhaps a bit disappointing for horsemen and Englishmen alike, since neither got to explore the topics that interested them in any depth.
Tourism Development International will be making recommendations to the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism, and they might even suggest developing a horse park for Aiken. However, in the current economic climate, it is unlikely that the state would be able to do anything in the near future. Funds for creating such a facility would have to come from a public-private partnership, and even then, the state would have to be on firmer financial footing before considering such a thing.
What the forum did prove was that Aiken’s horsemen are very eager to talk about a horse park. Following the meeting, Deirdre Stoker Vaillancourt, a realtor with Meybohm and a horsewoman, spoke with Representative Tim Young, a state legislator who was eager to pursue the idea further. Several area horsemen are planning to set up meetings that really are about a horse park, both to explore its possible impact on the area and to determine ways that it could be made a reality. Stay for the latest updates.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Eventing News
There can be no doubt that Aiken is the place to be this winter if you are an eventer. Not only are there competitions, training and schooling opportunities galore, pretty much everyone is here. This year that includes riders from the United States Equestrian Federation’s winter training list of “Developing” riders as well as a selection of elite riders in consideration for the United States Eventing Team that will compete at international events in the coming years.
The riders will train at Three Runs Plantation, an equestrian development on the Southside. There will be three sessions, held on February 17-21, March 4-6 and March 17-19. On February 18, riders will train over the cross country course at Paradise Farm on route 302 east of town. Captain Mark Phillips, who recently renewed his contract as the U.S. chef d’équipe, will work with the riders. Wayne Raeford, who is the owner and developer of Three Runs, will be holding a V.I.P. brunch at the Three Runs clubhouse on February 19 with proceeds to benefit the USEF.
Other eventing extras this winter include a USEF benefit gala cocktail party and silent auction held at Phillip Dutton’s Red Oak Farm in Bridle Creek on the evening of March 6. This will be the second of five annual parties that Evie Dutton (Phillip’s wife) and Dineen Daniels (Bridle Creek’s co-owner and developer) are organizing in order to assist the USEF. Phillip Dutton will speak about the 2008 Hong Kong Olympics and there will be a silent auction and bountiful hors d’oeuvres. There is also a possibility that Gina Miles, who won the individual silver medal at the Games, will fly in from California. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased at Meybohm Realtors’ downtown office until February 27.
Horsemen might also want to check out the “That’s a Promise” tour, put on by Pennfield Feeds. Pennfield, a Pennsylvania-based company, feeds many of the horses on the U.S. Eventing Team, including horses owned by Phillip Dutton. Another Pennfield-fed horse, Jamaica, a driving horse owned by Chester Weber, was recently named the USEF Horse of the Year. The “That’s a Promise” tour starts in Florida and will be in Aiken on March 10. The evening will include talks about equine nutrition, the chance to meet Olympic riders, sip wine and sample hors d’oeuvres and compete for the opportunity to win a training session with an Olympian. Proceeds will benefit the USEF Young Rider program. For tickets and more information: www.thatsapromisetour.com.
The riders will train at Three Runs Plantation, an equestrian development on the Southside. There will be three sessions, held on February 17-21, March 4-6 and March 17-19. On February 18, riders will train over the cross country course at Paradise Farm on route 302 east of town. Captain Mark Phillips, who recently renewed his contract as the U.S. chef d’équipe, will work with the riders. Wayne Raeford, who is the owner and developer of Three Runs, will be holding a V.I.P. brunch at the Three Runs clubhouse on February 19 with proceeds to benefit the USEF.
Other eventing extras this winter include a USEF benefit gala cocktail party and silent auction held at Phillip Dutton’s Red Oak Farm in Bridle Creek on the evening of March 6. This will be the second of five annual parties that Evie Dutton (Phillip’s wife) and Dineen Daniels (Bridle Creek’s co-owner and developer) are organizing in order to assist the USEF. Phillip Dutton will speak about the 2008 Hong Kong Olympics and there will be a silent auction and bountiful hors d’oeuvres. There is also a possibility that Gina Miles, who won the individual silver medal at the Games, will fly in from California. Tickets are $55 and can be purchased at Meybohm Realtors’ downtown office until February 27.
Horsemen might also want to check out the “That’s a Promise” tour, put on by Pennfield Feeds. Pennfield, a Pennsylvania-based company, feeds many of the horses on the U.S. Eventing Team, including horses owned by Phillip Dutton. Another Pennfield-fed horse, Jamaica, a driving horse owned by Chester Weber, was recently named the USEF Horse of the Year. The “That’s a Promise” tour starts in Florida and will be in Aiken on March 10. The evening will include talks about equine nutrition, the chance to meet Olympic riders, sip wine and sample hors d’oeuvres and compete for the opportunity to win a training session with an Olympian. Proceeds will benefit the USEF Young Rider program. For tickets and more information: www.thatsapromisetour.com.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Sharer Dale is Jumping Higher
Sharer Dale, a professional realtor and amateur rider who recently relocated to Aiken from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, has been supplementing her income by outjumping the pros at this winter’s Progressive Show Jumping events. At the Aiken Winter Classic at the end of December, she was fifth in the $10,000 Mini Prix riding her horse Antares, then won the $5,000 Welcome Stake with Antares and took second with her other top jumper Gerry 79. At the Aiken Winter Classic II in early January, she came back to win the $10,000 Mini Prix, again riding Antares. In the jump-off, she bested Daniel Geitner, a top local professional, by nearly six seconds.
“My guys are really good,” says Shari, speaking of her horses. “I bought Antares off a video nine years ago when he was 6. I had told Wilhelm Genn that I needed a horse with a sense of humor, and he picked out Antares for me. Antares was in Germany. The video was of him jumping with a 13-year-old girl riding him. He was obviously so forgiving, with such heart. Every time he came around a corner and saw a fence, his ears would just shoot forward. I knew he was the right horse for me. I could never replace him.”
In addition to her seasoned campaigners, Shari also has two young horses she is excited about. Over the winter she and Sarah Thompson, the Aiken veterinarian, went down to Argentina where they bought three horses from La Tatabra, the best-known breeder of jumping horses in that country. One horse is for Sarah, the other two are for Shari. These horses are just coming 4 this year, so it will be a while before their jumping careers really take off, but watch out for them in the future. Shari keeps her horses at home and rides with Drasius Arkus. When she is not on a horse winning jumper classes, Shari works at Meybohm downtown
“My guys are really good,” says Shari, speaking of her horses. “I bought Antares off a video nine years ago when he was 6. I had told Wilhelm Genn that I needed a horse with a sense of humor, and he picked out Antares for me. Antares was in Germany. The video was of him jumping with a 13-year-old girl riding him. He was obviously so forgiving, with such heart. Every time he came around a corner and saw a fence, his ears would just shoot forward. I knew he was the right horse for me. I could never replace him.”
In addition to her seasoned campaigners, Shari also has two young horses she is excited about. Over the winter she and Sarah Thompson, the Aiken veterinarian, went down to Argentina where they bought three horses from La Tatabra, the best-known breeder of jumping horses in that country. One horse is for Sarah, the other two are for Shari. These horses are just coming 4 this year, so it will be a while before their jumping careers really take off, but watch out for them in the future. Shari keeps her horses at home and rides with Drasius Arkus. When she is not on a horse winning jumper classes, Shari works at Meybohm downtown
Midshipman to Aiken TB Hall of Fame
New Addition to TB Hall of Fame
After a 12-year drought, the Aiken Thoroughbred Hall of Fame will induct a racing champion this spring. Midshipman, a colt owned by Darley and started at the Aiken Training Track under Stonerside’s Tim Jones, won the Eclipse Award for outstanding Juvenile (2-year-old) Colt of 2008. He will be the first horse inducted into the Hall of Fame since Dogwood Stables’ Storm Song won the Eclipse as the outstanding Juvenile Filly of 1996.
Midshipman was sired by Unbridled’s Song, one of the top ten money-earning sires of 2008. His dam, Avenue of Flags, was a multiple graded stakes winning mare from California, who won $631,190 on her way to becoming California’s champion 3-year-old filly of 1997 and champion older female of 1998. Midshipman started his racing career on August 17 with a win at Del Mar (California), followed on September 3 by a win in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity. He was second in the Grade I Norfolk Stakes, and capped his 2-year-old year by winning the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 25. His performance was good enough to make him the overwhelming winner in the Eclipse Award voting, garnering 195 votes, some 160 ahead of his closest competitor.
Midshipman was one of the horses that Bob and Janice McNair sold to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Makhtoum as part of the sheikh’s deal to buy Stonerside Stables back in September. Now a part of Darley Stables and a winner of $1.38 million, he was one of five young horses from that outfit to fly back to Dubai this December, presumably in preparation for a run at the United Arab Emirates Derby in late March. If all goes well, perhaps he will be stateside again on the first Saturday in May. Aiken always loves rooting for an Aiken-connected Kentucky Derby contender.
Induction into the Aiken Thoroughbred Hall of Fame is an honor that has been bestowed upon 39 horses, including Midshipman. To qualify, a horse must be recognized as a champion by winning an Eclipse Award, and must have trained in Aiken at some point in its career. Midshipman was not the only horse with Aiken ties who was up for an Eclipse this year. Another contender was Eight Belles, nominated in the 3-Year-Old Filly category. Eight Belles, who trained at Legacy Stable under Ron Stevens as a 2-year-old, finished second in the Kentucky Derby before breaking down on the racetrack where she was euthanized.
The ceremony honoring Midshipman will be held on Sunday, March 15 at 12:30 p.m. at the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame and Museum in Hopeland Gardens.
After a 12-year drought, the Aiken Thoroughbred Hall of Fame will induct a racing champion this spring. Midshipman, a colt owned by Darley and started at the Aiken Training Track under Stonerside’s Tim Jones, won the Eclipse Award for outstanding Juvenile (2-year-old) Colt of 2008. He will be the first horse inducted into the Hall of Fame since Dogwood Stables’ Storm Song won the Eclipse as the outstanding Juvenile Filly of 1996.
Midshipman was sired by Unbridled’s Song, one of the top ten money-earning sires of 2008. His dam, Avenue of Flags, was a multiple graded stakes winning mare from California, who won $631,190 on her way to becoming California’s champion 3-year-old filly of 1997 and champion older female of 1998. Midshipman started his racing career on August 17 with a win at Del Mar (California), followed on September 3 by a win in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity. He was second in the Grade I Norfolk Stakes, and capped his 2-year-old year by winning the Bessemer Trust Breeders’ Cup Juvenile on October 25. His performance was good enough to make him the overwhelming winner in the Eclipse Award voting, garnering 195 votes, some 160 ahead of his closest competitor.
Midshipman was one of the horses that Bob and Janice McNair sold to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Makhtoum as part of the sheikh’s deal to buy Stonerside Stables back in September. Now a part of Darley Stables and a winner of $1.38 million, he was one of five young horses from that outfit to fly back to Dubai this December, presumably in preparation for a run at the United Arab Emirates Derby in late March. If all goes well, perhaps he will be stateside again on the first Saturday in May. Aiken always loves rooting for an Aiken-connected Kentucky Derby contender.
Induction into the Aiken Thoroughbred Hall of Fame is an honor that has been bestowed upon 39 horses, including Midshipman. To qualify, a horse must be recognized as a champion by winning an Eclipse Award, and must have trained in Aiken at some point in its career. Midshipman was not the only horse with Aiken ties who was up for an Eclipse this year. Another contender was Eight Belles, nominated in the 3-Year-Old Filly category. Eight Belles, who trained at Legacy Stable under Ron Stevens as a 2-year-old, finished second in the Kentucky Derby before breaking down on the racetrack where she was euthanized.
The ceremony honoring Midshipman will be held on Sunday, March 15 at 12:30 p.m. at the Thoroughbred Hall of Fame and Museum in Hopeland Gardens.
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