We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. There are few better ways to spend Mother’s Day weekend than at Old Salem Farm in North Salem for the Spring Horse Shows.
On a purely social plane, it’s a chance to wander through food and retail booths amid the farm’s undulating verdure and commune with two-legged and four-legged family and friends.
But it’s also an opportunity to see present and future stars in hunter, jumper and equitation events. (Though hunter and jumper both involve navigating obstacles, hunter emphasizes the artistry of horse and rider while jumper is about timed trials that require speed and clean execution. Equitation is all about the rider’s form.)
Among those competing in their own backyards – or close to them – are two-time U.S. Olympic team gold medalist McLain Ward (Brewster), 2018 World Equestrian Games team gold medalist for the United States Adrienne Sternlicht (Greenwich), four-time U.S. Olympian Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, New York), two-time Olympian Daniel Bluman (North Salem), Georgina Bloomberg (North Salem) and Brianne Goutal (New York), who won the 2013 American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm. The farm’s equestrian events are gold to the local economy. A study conducted by the Sport Management Research Institute reported theoverall economic effect to exceed $282 million in the Hudson Valley and beyond per year.)
Events continue through Sunday, May 12 and then May 14 through 19, with the gates opening at 8 a.m. Admission is free Tuesdays through Fridays with tickets starting at $10 on Saturdays and Sundays.
For tickets, a schedule of events and live streaming, visit oldsalemfarm.net.
– Georgette Gouveia