[QUOTE=Tandeelu;3648810]
The original Coker Farms in Greenwhich.
Ahhh…memories.[/QUOTE]
Coker Farm… Greenwich.
Taconic Road.
Let’s see… I remember getting trashed with Kip Connors… on Thanksgiving at Coker in Judy’s living room :lol: Giving me a headache just thinking about it.
In the barn that winter would have been Johnny’s Pocket, Royal Patrick, Best Mistake, Gwynedd Ask Me, Freedom, Frosty Lad, …
Some living on the truck, and some freezing out in the fields…
[QUOTE=ponybreeder;3652879]
No offense taken. I remember the expression “hacking your way to indoors” really well!![/QUOTE]
Like “Reality” did 
[QUOTE=ivy62;3668294]
The neatest thing for me at the National was the fine harness horses. They looked so formal, like one of the dressed up spectators should just go for a ride… [/QUOTE]
LEMON DROP KID. You would have remembered HIM :winkgrin:
Conversely, I remember the current “Coker Farm”, pre Richters, when it was “Running Fox Farm”, a private farm, owned by “Uncle” Harry Gibson, who was MFH of GBH, and bred and raced TBs.
SO MUCH polished brass and marble!!!
I must be an old-timer, since I remember watching McLain riding in his first Grand Prix. I think he was like 11 or so. I remember it being a pretty big deal to everyone. And yes, this was when Barney hadn’t been busted yet. I was working for Beacon Hill at the time. Stacia was a junior and Frank & Bill were ‘Beacon Hill’ then.
I have had the BEST time reading this thread. How fun so many people have re-connected.
I also rode in the late 70’s early 80’s. Back then you moved up faster. They didn’t have all the baby green, short/long stirrup divisions. We jumped real hunt looking fences, not built out verticals. There were walls, coops, straight verticals etc.
I moved up to Jr Hunters and Big Eq at 12-13 years of age, and never looked back. I also successfully did hunters, eq, and sometimes a jumper class all on one horse!
I had an Appendix QH mare to start with, then a Trakehner gelding that won everything in the younger Jr hunters and Eq … yes a Trakehner. Back then nobody knew what he was, and they loved him. In 81 in Calif, there weren’t very many WBs in the hunter divisions, mostly TB’s… and some fabulous ones…
That must make me ancient because I remember McLain winning the medal finals… LOL.
[QUOTE=buryinghill4;3693663]
:lol: http://www.berkshireshowstock.com/index.html[/QUOTE]
Just have to ask, do you know him?
No, I think he did his first grand prix before doing Medal Finals. His first grand prix would have been about 1986-87. I’m too lazy to look it up, though.
Plus, I’m pretty sure I’m older than you. At least I think… No way are you over 44. If so, power to ya, sister!
OK, I broke down and looked. It says he won USET Medal Finals in 90 at 14. So, that would make sense – my seeing him in his first grand prix in Tampa at 11 in 1987.
Dude – I’m old. At least by my standards.
[QUOTE=Janet;3662781]
Does anyone remember Karen Timberman? (or maybe it was Timmerman)[/QUOTE]
I know this is an old thread, but I just happened to stumble accross is…I’ve had horses with Karen for about 5 years and she has been based out of my farm in upstate NY for the past 2 years. She shows mostly AQHA now, although has a few customers that have welsh ponies, so has been doing a little local hunter stuff as well.
[QUOTE=pippy;3643999]
I would love to hear stories about those of you, (including me) who learned to ride the good ole schooling horses, but then…all there was were the HOT TB’s off the track. [/QUOTE]
Uhmmm, that is exactly the type of school horse I am riding right now.
I don’t know if it counts to chime in for someone else here…but I love looking at pictures, and listening to my Grandma’s stories! She joined the circus when she was 18, and did Roman Riding and many other crazy things! After the circus, she began to train in dressage, trained with Captain Heyer and Major Borg (I believe in the late 1960’s), rode and won the Prix St. George. She is now 80 yrs old, and is happy with her quiet life on her farm with many friends and family.
http://www.chronofhorse.com/index.php?cat=40311033489816&ShowArticle_ID=1330204090982458(scroll down to picture)
In this week’s Chronicle. THESE are oldies…
Does anyone remember the OLD tack shop that was in Banksville, NY in the 60’s and 70’s? Right between Greenwich and Bedford. Our mothers would NEVER have driven us all the way to Wilton to shop at The Saddler. That would have been like going to Mars. I can’t remember the name of it now. We used to buy our horse show chokers seperately from our shirts, in quite funky colors. A lot of them were reversible, like solid green on one side and paisley on the other. Sort of a la carte. If you had a choker you liked you wore it with lots of different shirts. I think we called them ratcatchers. We hacked to horse shows all the time: Greenwich Horse Show, Stratford Stables, Alschultz Field, the polo field behind Quaker Ridge Stables, Round Hill Stables, Anderson Hill Rd (where Pepsi is now). We spent all year preparing for about six horse shows. The times we went by van to the Whip & Spur in Bedford and “Troop” (as we called it) in New Canaan felt like the big time. OK, we were pathetic. But had a lot of fun. No fancy horses. “Handsome is as handsome does” was the catch phrase. Those ribbons, any color, meant a lot.
Old time stuff
I’m older than all of you. Grew up in the 40’s and 50’s. Took riding lessons at Clearbrook in Seattle but had to stop because of an appendix operation. My mother said I could never ride again. Too dangerous. We bought 5 acres in Bellevue by Bridle Trails park. My girlfriend and I used to go riding on full moon nights and jump the white jumps in the arena. We all rode TB’s or a few mixed breeds. We did both hunter and jumper classes because there were no divisions then. I read the Chronicle and drooled over the hunters, “Waiting Home” and Duke of Paeonian(sp). Was very jealous when my girlfriend got to go to the National Horse Show and ride in the AHSA Medal rideoff. My mother said if I spent any of her money on horses after she died, she would come back and haunt me. Haven’t seen her yet, but I thank her every time I buy my horse a new piece of equipment or another ton of hay. Both of my daughters ride and all 4 of my grandchildren. Life is great.
[QUOTE=Joy Karr;4013156]
Both of my daughters ride and all 4 of my grandchildren. Life is great.[/QUOTE]
My daughter rides too, and most of my good friends. Yes, the riding life is great.
We always had lots of horses to ride that were TB’s off the track. One in particular, “My Guy Friday” would take off whenever he heard the telephone ring. He thought it was the starting gate bell !!!
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