Building The Park: From The Ground Up

I don’t think that in the late 1990s, when we created a nonprofit organization to purchase the original 180 acres, it was on many people’s radar that this modest tract of land would one day grow into a multi-use equestrian center, complete with full-time staff, permanent buildings, and a sprawling infrastructure.

Others might remember more—please chime in—but at the time, our thinking was fairly simple. We saw the land mainly as a fallback location to host horse trials, assuming that eventually we might lose access to the Walthour-Moss property.

Then someone noticed the huge open meadow beside Horace Walters Road and said, “Hey! What about reviving the Stoneybrook race meeting?”

That idea caught people’s imagination right away.

Before anything else could happen, though, we realized the first step was going to be a major cleanup.

Over many years, the land had been used as a dumping ground. Beer bottles and other trash were scattered everywhere. Junk cars sat rusting away in the woods, and an unsightly power line ran straight down the middle of the open land.

We organized cleanup days and called on volunteers to help. We handed out the same big plastic bags you see used along highways, and slowly—but surely—the property became less of a glass-bottle minefield. It was not glamorous work, but it was necessary, and people showed up.

Somewhere along the way—probably through the efforts of Roger Secrist, who, because of his strong business background, became the unofficial chairman of the board—the power company was convinced to move the line. That alone was a major victory.

At the same time, the land itself needed attention. Fields were mowed, plowed, and reseeded. If memory serves, much of that heavy lifting was done by Rod Lynch, whose work helped transform rough ground into usable space.

The early cross-country lanes began to take shape as well. I can’t recall exactly who designed those first routes, but trails had to be opened, brush cleared, and years of neglect undone. It was a slow process, but each improvement made the vision feel a little more real.

Another major step came with the purchase of additional land on the opposite side of Montrose Road—the area where the stabling stands today. There was a house on the property in poor condition, which was eventually repaired and became the first office, now the staff office. I wish I could recall the precise timeline for these purchases, but that information is likely preserved in the real estate records.

Through all of this, one simple reality hovered over every decision.

Without more fundraising, any long-term plan remained just that—a plan.

Every improvement cost money. Every land purchase stretched resources. The dream was growing, but so were the expenses. So, hat in hand, we began reaching out more broadly to the generous Southern Pines horse community for support.

I remember framing our fundraising message around what I called the three-legged stool of the Southern Pines horse experience.

The first leg was having a place to ride.

The second leg was having a place to fox hunt.

The Walthour-Moss Foundation already provided both of those.

The third leg, however, was a place to hold competitions—and that was what the Carolina Horse Park could offer.

At that time, it was far from a world-class facility. It was simply land—open, promising land—with the possibility that, someday, it might become something truly special.

If the money kept coming in.

And that was always the biggest if.