The rare white Standardbred White Bliss was the talk of the harness racing industry when he sold for $240,000 in Harrisburg last fall. Now, pending availability, fans will have a shot of meeting him in person.
New Jersey celebrates the ‘Month of the Horse’ in June, and Fair Winds Farm in Cream Ridge is joining the celebration.
The farm will open its gates from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. The farm is located at 74 Red Valley Road in Cream Ridge.
The events of the day are free and will include, pending availability, a chance to see a rare white Standardbred, a two-year-old colt named White Bliss, who was born at Fair Winds in May 2012. White Bliss, whose birth was a 1 in 200,000 occurrence, is now in training and may race this season, but he will return ‘home’ for the day if there is no racing conflict.
Visitors will also get see some of the dozens of foals, baby horses, born each year at Fair Winds and learn how they’re raised and eventually trained to be harness race horses.
Fair Winds is also home to Hogan Equine, a special clinic just for horses, run by Dr. Patricia Hogan. Dr. Hogan will show visitors the workings of the clinic, where hundreds of horses, mostly Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds, are treated each year. Her client list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of horse racing, and includes 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones.
Blacksmith Tom Mulryne will do demonstrations of how horses’ feet are kept healthy by regular trimming and shoeing when needed. There will also be a few friendly horses for visitors to pet and groom.
There will be kids’ activities and information from the NJ Farm Bureau, FFA , Harness Horse Youth Foundation, Pony Club, Rutgers Equine Science Center and the Monmouth County 4H.
Fair Winds is one of New Jersey’s largest and most successful farms, producing champion Standardbreds that compete at Freehold Raceway, the Meadowlands and all over the world.
This is a rain or shine event. Visitors are asked to leave dogs at home and to be aware that there are very few paved surfaces on the farm, so it may be rough going for wheelchairs and strollers.
(With files from Fair Winds Farm)