Some 300 to 400 visitors toured Fair Winds Farm on Sunday, June 26, as the Standardbred breeding facility welcomed guests for its third annual open house in central New Jersey.
The event coincided with New Jersey’s ‘Month of the Horse’ celebration.
Visitors toured Hogan Equine Clinic, where Standardbred and Thoroughbred athletes are treated by surgeon Dr. Patty Hogan, and got a tour of the breeding farm via horse-drawn wagon.
There were demonstrations on the life of the Standardbred, featuring a young foal and his mother, followed by the appearance of half-million-dollar-earning pacer Mighty Young Joe and his trainer/driver Stacy Chiodo. Other Standardbreds showed their talents in under-saddle disciplines, trail riding and more.
Tom Mulryne demonstrated how to care for a horse’s feet and provided free ‘lucky horseshoes’ for visitors to take home. Other organizations that participated in the event included the Rutgers University’s Equine Science Center, the Harness Horse Youth Foundation, FFA, 4-H, the New Jersey Farm Bureau, the Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association of New Jersey, and the Standardbred Retirement Foundation.
“We’re just doing a community service, letting people from outside the equine world, and particularly the Standardbred world, come and experience what’s going on at a farm,” said Fair Winds Farm Owner Mark Mullen. “From birth until retirement, we’re covering all things Standardbred. It’s just a good-feeling thing to do. I think it’s just a nice atmosphere for everybody.”
This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.