Phillip and Evie Dutton hosted a wonderful memorial day open house at True Prospect Farm this past Monday. The farm looked terrific, and clearly it took the whole TPF team to polish up every corner of the property, including their Wordley Martin outdoor ring!
Wise-Equestrian was on hand to showcase their Dutton RZ saddle line, along with Triple Crown Feeds and a whole host of friends, neighbors and supporters who gathered to celebrate the count down to the 2012 summer Olympics!!
The day began with a nice social hour in front of the main barn, where everyone gathered to enjoy drinks and some fantastic food. Phillip then gave a welcoming speech, recognizing the significance of the year memorial to the barn fire while emphasizing how well everyone at TPF, Windurra USA and Woodstock Eventing has moved on with such strength and optimism. We are so lucky to have such a tightly woven horse community here in Unionville.
The procession of upper level horses was a real treat. It was so enjoyable to listen to Phillip’s description of each horse, ranging from comments on their confirmation to their physical and competitive strengths. He truly helped the audience understand why he is such a great horseman and why he chooses specific equine partners so carefully & wisely. He knows each horse’s personality and abilities so well.
We were then treated to a riding demonstration featuring Phillip on his newest super horse, Mystery Whisper, who is owned by Jim and Arden Wildasin. Phillip has taken the reigns on this phenomenal horse throughout his bid for the Olympics, while Heath Ryan has been generous enough to allow Phillip to have this opportunity aboard such a world class horse. Since taking the ride on this horse, they have won The Fork, Red Hills and Jersey Fresh! He showed us a bit of fancy footwork in the outdoor ring, impressing the crowd with some of the movements in their 4* dressage test, then jumping over a few fences to show off his form.
The outdoor ring looked in great shape and many people took a stroll across it after the riding demonstration. It’s been several years since the ring was installed, and it still looks like it was put in yesterday. The Dutton’s take great care maintaining, and it bears the test of time with so many horses being schooled on it each day.
It was a great event and a wonderful way to encourage involvement from the local community. Many thanks to the Duttons & all the hard working staff at TPF for putting on such a great event!!
Enjoy the slideshow of photos. (Photo Credits Lisa Thomas)