Paradise Farm gets big turnout

Elizabeth Fite was among the more than 100 entries who competed Saturday at the United States Equestrian Federation and United States Eventing Association-recognized Horse Trials at Lellie Ward's Paradise Farm. The eventer from Athens, Ga., entered her 14-year-old Thoroughbred Thurman in the preliminary level.

The tandem has enjoyed success at the training level and thought Saturday would be a good time to test themselves and get additional experience by doing the preliminary level.

"I got him when he was about 9 or 10," said Fite. "He hadn't really done anything. He had been sitting out in the pasture for four years, babysitting horses. Someone had sent him down to the farm where I had been riding. I needed a horse I could jump with and didn't have any intention of buying him. I started jumping him and working on my Pony Club ratings with him, and we just really clicked."

Fite and Thurman directed their energies toward eventing as the Thoroughbred gelding seems to be better suited toward the three phases that compose the sport - dressage, stadium jumping and cross country, she said.

"I started dabbling in cross country, and he loves it," said Fite. "I kind of thought that was our niche. He absolutely loves his job."

Christy MacKaness contested the training level with her Oldenburg-Thoroughbred cross Kingpin, who has been eventing for about three years. MacKaness has ridden with Lellie Ward for the past 16 years and came in from John's Island for the Horse Trials.

"She (Ward) has such a great event; it's a great venue and always runs well," said MacKaness. "He (Kingpin) is running training. Hopefully, we'll be doing preliminary in the spring. If he has a good training season, we'll move him up. He has some green stuff he has to work on."

Ward has a very European and British background and the eventer, organizer, trainer, coach, instructor, clinician views the sport of eventing in an old-fashioned way, she said. A number of riders who competed Saturday had not been to the Paradise Farm Horse Trials in some time and were very pleased with the course.

Advanced level riders Michael and Natalie Pollard, who are friends of Ward, were among those competing.

"This farm is meant to encourage big, bold galloping and jumping," said Ward. "The courses are built for the horses. I always hear from the riders that it's a really big track and a serious event. It's set to a very high standard."

Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.