Schuyler Riley’s Hopes Riding High on New Pennsylvania Show Jumping Facility

Updated June 10, 2005

United States Equestrian Team Foundation - 2005-06-10

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kenneth Kraus for Phelps Media Group, Inc.
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PHOTO CREDIT: Schuyler Riley and Ilian in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Photo by Dirk Caremans. Website: www.hippofoto.be/

Schuyler Riley’s Hopes Riding High on New Pennsylvania Show Jumping Facility

Wellington, Fl – June 10 – Equestrian show jumping star Schuyler Riley, currently ranked as the number two rider in the United States, is planning for a future that hopefully includes the 2006 World Championships in Aachen, Germany, and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

A key part of Riley’s plan includes a brand new training facility, presently under construction in the beautiful countryside of New Hope, Pennsylvania.

Riley is currently based at her farm in Wellington, Florida. Located in Palm Beach County, Wellington is home to the Winter Equestrian Festival and is the show jumping capital of the world during the winter months. However, Florida is not convenient to summer time showing.

Riley made the decision to build Wolfstone Stables North in New Hope, Pennsylvania, because of its proximity to a majority of the important summer competitions in United States. In addition, the location facilitates her commitment to the United States Equestrian Team and her continued focus on competing against the world’s best equestrians in Europe.

Rich in history, the land which is now New Hope was originally owned by William Penn, the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. New Hope is located only a few miles away from Washington's Crossing, the site where George Washington crossed the Delaware River during the Battle of Trenton. A sophisticated country town, New Hope is a successful blend of history and commerce. Founded in 1681, the town's thousand acres contain nearly 250 sites recorded in the National Register of Historical Places.

“I fell in love with the area years ago when I stabled at John Holmes’ barn just prior to the Devon Horse Show,” relates Riley. “I loved the land, the history, the landscape and the local architecture reminded me of where I grew up in Vermont. Big open fields and the rolling hills make it prime horse country.”

The strategic location between New York and Philadelphia attracted Riley to the area. “New Hope is so centrally located,” explains Riley. “The traveling from the local airports of Philadelphia and Newark make it easy for me to get where I need to go easily and it’s very convenient for flying the horses in and out of the country as well. The less travel hassles that I expose my horses to, the better. It’s also a great area for horse care and health care,” Riley adds. “There are two fantastic clinics, Mid-Atlantic and New Bolton, right in the area.”

Riley’s plan is to prepare for the best equestrian competitions in the world. “It’s a private equestrian facility. I’m really pursuing my goals of riding at the very top level of international competitions, as well as bringing along young horses with the goal of reaching that level,” explains Riley. “The 2006 World Cup Finals and the 2006 World Championships are on the horizon. To make it to the World Cup, you have to qualify, and since most of those qualifying grand prix events are in the Northeast, New Hope is the perfect location. It’s also the perfect launching spot for the United States fall indoor tour,” said Riley.

The New Hope project has been a long one because of the concerns for the environment. “It took over nine months to complete the barn. We began working on the project about a year and a half ago and we’ve still got a lot to do,” she said. “The driveway is the next thing on the agenda, but things have been held up. The details of what exactly is needed for the conservancies is complex and we’re working very closely with the township and doing our best to make sure they’re happy,” Riley explained. “We’re concentrating on doing as little to disturb the natural environment as possible.”

“Our barn has the latest and most modern fire detection system, but in order to make that work, we’ve got to have a pond; a water source,” reports Riley. “Part of the process in establishing a pond is making sure that you don’t disturb the natural ecological systems in the area. Which, of course, we don’t want to do! The environment is something that’s very important to me and very important to my family.”

Water is a key issue in the New Hope construction. “Horses and drainage from the property is always a concern and I think we’ve done our very best to make sure that our design will work for us and more importantly, keep the water systems of the area clean and flowing,” Riley confirmed. “We’ve had many of the best consultants in to help us and I think the township is very happy with the design we’ve come up with. Now, it’s a matter of getting the permits issued.”

Ingham Creek is the primary geographic reason why the town of New Hope was developed originally. Ingham Creek, which is also called Aquetong Creek, is fed by the Aquetong Spring that produces three million gallons of clear water every day. The creek runs about two miles from the spring and enters the Delaware River at New Hope.

The Bucks County countryside is perhaps best known nationally and internationally through the paintings of the Pennsylvania impressionists, among them Edward W. Redfield and Daniel Garber, who established an art colony here in the early twentieth century.

Riley is aware of the history of New Hope and the farm’s plan and its construction are being completed with the area and history in mind. “From an aesthetic point of view, we want to dispel any concerns about our additional buildings, too. Obviously, in that area, I’m going to need an indoor riding arena, and they can be quite large,” Riley concedes. “But our plan calls for keeping its design within the historical and architectural guidelines of the area. By using designs that are native to the area, the indoor arena can blend into the property and into the area. In fact, we’ve gone so far as to try to tuck the construction of the indoor facility into the side of a hill to minimize its profile,” she said. “Of course, there too, when you begin working with a hill, you’re digging into the slope and the cutting of that slope can then affect the drainage. So, it’s a constant give and take to come up with the best solutions.”

Riley feels that her training facility and New Hope, Pennsylvania, are compatible and she’s gone above and beyond to secure the trust of the community. “There’s no part of me that wants to do anything to disrupt the natural ecological system. After all, it’s going to be my home as well. In fact, to ensure the natural balance, I’ve placed more than half of my property into conservancy, agreeing that those acres set aside will never see any construction of any kind. One of the main reasons I’ve chosen the New Hope area is that they protect their land. And that’s something I will support forever. What I’m bringing to the area is something that’s good for the environment, and good for the community at large.”

Riley, a vital part of this year’s United States Samsung Super League Team, is just back from three weeks of show jumping in Europe. Following stops in La Baule, France, Rome, Italy and St. Gallen, Switzerland, the team from the United States is in first place. Riley’s double clear performance in France helped the United States earn its first ever Super League victory.

So the present is bright and the future even brighter for Riley. And, with the added benefit of her New Hope facility and a keen focus on Aachen, Germany, in 2006, and Beijing, China in 2008, Schuyler Riley might reward the New Hope community and the Bucks County area with a World Championship or even an Olympic Gold Medal.

PHOTO CREDIT: Schuyler Riley and Ilian in St. Gallen, Switzerland. Photo by Dirk Caremans. Website: www.hippofoto.be/

Image copyrighted: Mary Phelps/Phelpsphotos.com

Article courtesy of EuroDressage.com & Mary Phelps, PhelpsPhoto.com, HorsesDaily.com, DressageDaily.com