Due to family, considering job options in SC. Greenville, Spartanburg, and Columbia… I love the mountains and I know Landrum is growing but of those three, any insights into dressage options? Worst case, I’ll haul to Aiken;) Thanks!
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I have no actually useful input as I moved away from SC in 1993, but I grew up in Greenville and the hottest and most miserable horse show I’ve ever competed in was a dressage show in Columbia. So I would put that lowest on the list. Lol.
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I guess I’d pick Greenville.
Yes you know Landrum is growing. Man, I lived there ten years ago and thought it was a super horse scene then. The trails were magnificent. I could hack to a grass gallop track. Nifty as heck.
The Greenville/Spartanburg area would give you access to Tryon - exceptional vets, big name trainers (JJ Tate, Julio Mendoza, etc), and of course, the international equestrian center. Add to that a milder climate and the mountain scenery and it’s the obvious choice.
Columbia isn’t the end of the world though. It’s hot but the central location is actually pretty nice. 30 minutes from Camden, an hour from Aiken and 2 hours from Tryon. You are only 2 hours away from both the beach and the mountains which make day trips and quick vacations easy. You could lesson/board in Blythewood or Camden and haul to Aiken for shows and clinics.
A friend moved from north Atlanta to Landrum a few years ago and loves it there but she is retired so didn’t need to consider proximity to a bigger city for commuting purposes.
If you need to be close to a “city” for job options, Greenville and Spartanburg will put you closer to TIEC than Columbia. If you get on the north side of them, you could be at TIEC in under an hour. And less than 45 minutes to Landrum where JJ Tate is located.
I’d argue landrum has been a bigger dressage site than Aiken for some time. There are probably half a dozen international or former international riders who also train and then another dozen or so trainers who can bring people somewhere up the levels. Fence, tryon, conyers are a reasonable drive. I would put it light years beyond columbia.
Greenville and spartanburg are essentially the same thing in terms of driving to horse country. 40 minutes between the two downtowns without traffic and about the same to landrum either way.
