Looking back, the story of the Carolina Horse Park likely began in the early 1980s, when Karen Stives, a U.S. Equestrian Team (USET) event rider, purchased property on Youngs Road in Southern Pines, North Carolina; though she had no way of knowing it at the time.
Other eventers soon followed, and before long there was significant eventing interest in the area, enough that, in the early 1990s, a group approached the Walthour-Moss Foundation Board of Directors to ask about using a portion of the Foundation land as a competition site.
It was never a completely comfortable arrangement. Having cross-country jumps installed and setting aside days for competitions created tension in a space originally established for forest conservation and fox hunting. Some of us began to sense that eventing’s days there might be limited.
The obvious question became: Where else in Southern Pines was there enough land to support a full-scale cross-country course?
The short answer?
There wasn’t one.
So a few of us, including Roger Secrist, Lefreda Williams, and myself, began tossing around other options. Around that time, I was speaking with David O’Brien, who mentioned hearing about affordable farmland available in nearby Hoke County.
On a whim, I decided to drive out to the Five Points area just to look around.
There, I saw a large open field with a power line crossing it and a For Sale sign stapled to a telephone pole with the owner’s name and phone number.
I called the owner and arranged to meet him at the property. As I recall, the tract included roughly 180 acres. Although the land was rough, with old junk cars in the woods, scattered debris, beer bottles, and other trash—it offered enormous galloping potential across mostly level terrain.
I contacted Roger and Lefreda, who agreed that the property showed real promise. Soon afterward, we met with several of Lefreda’s well-heeled neighbors, who became excited about the vision and stepped forward with generous financial support.
Roger negotiated the purchase terms with the owner, established a nonprofit organization to hold the land, and completed the purchase of the original tract.
We now owned land, nearly 180 acres in Hoke County, just under 20 miles from Southern Pines, but owning land was only the beginning.
The next question was simple:
Now what?
The next blog in this series, “Foundations: Building Carolina Horse Park,” will be available soon!
Follow our social media to stay up to date on the next release date.
The Carolina Horse Park is a 501(c)(3) charitable Nonprofit Corporation located in the Sandhills of North Carolina. Dedicated to conserving open space and providing a world-class venue for sport, the Park hosts a diverse calendar of national and international competitions while remaining deeply rooted in community, education, and access for all.
Edward E. “Denny” Emerson graduated from Dartmouth College and began his career teaching high school English before moving into real estate in his native Vermont. A lifelong fascination with horses eventually led him to the sport of eventing. Riding his small but tough part-Morgan horse, Victor Dakin, Emerson earned selection to represent the United States at the 1974 World Championships, where he helped the U.S. team secure a gold medal on British soil.
Following that success, Emerson remained an active competitor with several horses over the years. He was named Rider of the Year in 1972 and went on to compete in 53 seasons, including 45 consecutive seasons of eventing at the Preliminary level or above—a remarkable record of longevity in the sport.
In addition to his competitive accomplishments, Emerson became widely respected as a teacher and mentor. Known for his energy and dedication, he has been in demand as a clinician across the United States. His gymnastic jumping exercises are considered foundational by many eventers. One of his former students, Kelli Temple, credited Emerson as a major influence on her success, noting that his motivation, work ethic, and commitment to the sport were truly inspirational.
Throughout his career, Emerson has been recognized by numerous organizations for his contributions to eventing and horsemanship. Among his honors are the USEA Wofford Cup for lifetime service to eventing, the American Riding Instructors Certification Program (ARICP) Lifetime Achievement Award, and the inaugural Ayers-Hammett Awardfrom the American Medical Equestrian Association in recognition of his efforts to promote safer horsemanship. He also received the inaugural Equestrian Land Conservation Resource Leadership Award, reflecting his deep commitment to land conservation.
That passion for land stewardship has been evident through his leadership roles with several organizations. Emerson has served as trustee and President of the Green Mountain Horse Association in Vermont, as trustee of the Carolina Horse Park in North Carolina, and as trustee of the Equestrian Land Conservation Resource.
Emerson also contributed extensively to the governance and growth of the sport. He served as President of the United States Eventing Association (USEA) from 1982 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 1992. During his leadership, the sport experienced significant growth and modernization, including the formal recognition of the Novice level (formerly Pre-Training) and the realignment of competition guidelines across all levels. He also served as Vice President of Eventing for the United States Equestrian Team (USET) for seven years, was a member of the USEF Executive Committee, and chaired the Breeders Committee of the American Horse Shows Association (AHSA).
In later years, Emerson developed a passion for endurance riding, successfully competing in 100-mile rides, including the renowned Tevis Cup. He and his wife, May, operate Tamarack Hill Farm in Strafford, Vermont. Together, they have two sons, Rett and Jamie.
A few weeks ago, CCI5* winner and Tokyo Olympic traveling reserve Tamie Smith packed up 16 horses between her own and those of some students and drove for three days to reach their temporary home for the next few months.
Brody Robertson’s show jumping track exerted its influence on Friday at the Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International CCI & H.T.
