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Somerset
County Continues its Charge as the Heart of
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New
Jersey’s Horse Country with Upcoming Major Events
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The Garden State Horse Show
will Debut in Gladstone in late April;
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Equestrian Renaissance Gaining
Ground, Due in Part to
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Appeal to Families and Broader
Community
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Bridgewater,
NJ – April 2019 / Newsmaker Alert / Although New Jersey is known as
The Garden State, it might be called The Horse State. In 1977, the horse
was designated the official state animal and there are 83,000 horses statewide.
In
the heart of New Jersey, the Somerset Hills area of Somerset
County has a long history as New Jersey’s horse country. Dotted with
horse farms, it is also where owners and their horses reside together on
estates and where four Hambletonian winners were bred. Jacqueline Kennedy
Onassis had a weekend home in Bernardsville, where she owned locally trained
horses. The United States Olympic Equestrian Team (USET) trained in the
Somerset Hills for over 40 years and significant equestrian events are
held annually in Somerset County.
In
fact, this year marks the first time that the Garden State Horse Show will
be held there from April 27 through May 5, 2019 at the USET Foundation
headquarters at Hamilton Farm in Gladstone. The event’s move to Hamilton
Farm reflects the rising popularity and growth of equestrian sports in
Somerset County and a growing awareness of the county’s equestrian activities
among the broader population.
According
to its website, the Garden
State Horse Show is New Jersey’s U.S. Equestrian Premier AA-rated hunter/jumper
horse show; it offers a full range of classes and features classics and
hunter derbies, including a USHJA National Hunter Derby. In addition to
the high level of equestrian competition, the show, which is open to the
public, will give attendees a chance to shop Boutique Row, with a variety
of goods from assorted area vendors. The show has a charitable component
as well through event sponsorships; to date, it has donated over $250,00
to university equestrian programs and local organizations that help people
and animals in need and at risk.
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“Somerset
County is where horse lovers and owners, equestrians and spectators gather
for some of the most important equestrian events on the calendar,” said
Jackie Morales, Somerset County director of tourism. “Bringing this prestigious
event to Somerset County adds additional excitement to our equestrian itineraries
we create every year for visitors and local residents.” Itineraries for
the county’s major equestrian events are at www.VisitSomersetNJ.org/media/horsecountry.
The
USET Foundation also hosts Monmouth
at the Team, New Jersey’s oldest continuously run horse show, which
will be held from August 12-19. The show, which was brought to Gladstone
in 2015 by owners Tucker Ericson and Michael Dowling, drew over 600 horses
and 3,000 spectators to Hamilton Farm over its eight days last year.
Helping
to elevate awareness of equestrian events and lead an equestrian renaissance
in the Somerset Hills is the Gladstone
Equestrian Association (GEA), the not-for-profit organization founded
nearly 35 years ago to promote equestrian clinics and competitions. GEA
began expanding its promotion efforts in 2015 in response to input from
the New Jersey equestrian community and Somerset Hills residents. Its Events
page lists yearly major events and is also accessible through www.SomersetHillsEvents.org,
making it easier for more people to find out about equestrian events in
the area. It also has news stories of interest to the equestrian set.
Awareness
of the county’s equestrian activities gets some horsepower from events
that cater to families with children, such as the Mars-Essex
Horse Trials, June 21-23 at Moorland Farm in Far Hills. In addition
to competitions in dressage, cross country and show jumping, the event
offers a range of family-friendly fun including a market, car show, children’s
activities and a yoga tent.
Also
at Moorland Farm is the Far Hills
Race Meeting, on October 19. The prestigious steeplechase event, which
has been at Moorland Farm since 1916, has VIP options and private tents
as well as tailgate picnic areas, a vendor village and food trucks. Adding
to the excitement is pari-mutuel betting. The Far Hills Race Meeting has
the largest purses in the industry and raises money to support local healthcare
organizations; to date, it has donated over $18 million.
In
southern Somerset County, Hunter Farms North in Skillman is where Princeton
Show Jumping, a 110-acre international show jumping venue, is located.
It holds USEF-rated horse shows from April through October, with Olympic
gold medalists competing among the elite riders. It is also where show
jumping is a family-friendly sporting event.
Spectators
can walk the grounds and see elite professionals compete, teach and train
up close; a vendor boutique is open during the Grand Prix; and every Sunday
is Family Day, with free pony rides and face painting for children. Princeton
Show Jumping also runs a summer hunting, jumping and equitation program,
a young jumpers development program and offers riding lessons.
In
addition to major equestrian events, Somerset County is home to 11 boarding
stables, five hunter jumper stables, 10 lesson stables and four summer
horse riding camps.
One
of those camp programs is at Lord
Stirling Stable in Basking Ridge, owned and managed by the Somerset
County Park Commission. The venue, which is open to the public, offers
lessons and trail rides to riders of all ages and abilities, runs a program
for the disabled community, has a Scout troop program and more. The stable
also hosts many special events for families that center on horseback riding
and trail rides. Lord Stirling Stable holds a junior horse show every spring
and Friends of Lord Stirling Stable sponsors or co-sponsors a range of
equestrian events, including a Dressage Schooling Show on April 14.
In
addition to equestrian itineraries, Somerset County Tourism also offers
itineraries for birding, garden and golf enthusiasts at www.VisitSomersetNJ.org/itineraries.
Custom itineraries and familiarization (FAM) tours can also be arranged
for travel influencers and buyers. Contact Jackie Morales at jackie@visitsomersetnj.org
or 908-218-4300 for more information.
About
Somerset County Tourism
Somerset
County Tourism, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the official destination
marketing organization (DMO) for Somerset County, N.J. and a Division of
the Somerset County Business Partnership.
Its mission is to advance the local economy by sustainably promoting the
area’s outstanding travel products and experiences, and to offer a variety
of useful services to residents, business travelers and leisure visitors.
Somerset County Tourism is an active member of New Jersey Destination Marketing
Organizations and the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association. For more
information visit www.VisitSomersetNJ.org
or call 908-218-4300, ext. 28.
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Media
Contacts:
Jacqueline
Morales
Somerset
County Tourism Director
908-218-4300
Caryn
Starr-Gates
StarrGates
Business Communications
for
Somerset County Tourism
201-791-4694 |
