(Nov. 27, 2014) The equestrian world can seem a little forbidding to outsiders. Riders often appear straight-faced with perfect posture and pressed uniforms. The horses themselves are mammoth and unfamiliar if you have never been around them – like enormous Labrador retrievers but with hooves and better teeth. Entry into that world, that culture, seems byzantine, not to mention downright expensive.
Autumn Grove Stables in Berlin, however, wants to be the cure for that uneasiness. Unpretentious and loose, the 115-acre facility pushes fun above formality, yet still manages to take home its fair share of ribbons, trophies and plaques during competition season.
Twin sisters Kristie Naughton and Katie Naughton-Dykes opened Autumn Grove in 2002. Both began riding at age 7.
“My neighbor had a horse and I sat on it once, and then my sister and I begged our dad for a horse,” Naughton said. “He was like, ‘Absolutely not. You’re going to play basketball and lacrosse.’ We were like, ‘yeah – no. We’re going to get a pony.’”
Naughton maintained persistent attitude while finishing her business degree at Salisbury University.
“My dad said, ‘Okay, well you’re a senior. You’ve gotta get a job now.’ I said, ‘Okay, well I’m going to buy a farm,’” she said.
Naughton wrote a business plan as part of an assignment and marched into the bank.
“It was kind of funny doing that and asking for all this money,” she said. “They’re like, ‘You need over a million dollars for what?’”
The farm began with a small barn and four horses. Today the facility draws more than 100 year-round riders and includes stables for more than 50 horses as well as trails, two outdoor sand arenas, one grass arena and a heated 250-by 100-foot indoor sand arena.
Year-round riding lessons pay most of the bills. A bus drops children off at the farm after school, and many of the kids ride as much as five times a week. Competitions generally take place during the weekend.
“We’ll ship out on a Friday and take campers and trailers, all the horses, all their bedding, shavings, fans, coolers, and all their clothing,” Naughton said.
In August, Autumn Grove took home several awards during the Black-Eyed Susan Show in Herndon, Va., including High-Point Trainer for Naughton.
The stable also took home Barn Night honors at Washington International Horse Show in October, winning Best Group Video for their “All About that Bass” parody of renowned trainer George Morris.
“If you knew George Morris, he wouldn’t like it at all,” Naughton said. “He’s a stickler for being neat and clean and he’d probably be like, ‘God, all your riders they can’t dance and they weren’t choreographed.’ We just did it as a funny kind of thing.”
As the farm continues to expand and add elements, including working with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program to add new horse trails, Naughton said her focus would remain local.
“The sport can get really, really expensive,” she said. “Our clients don’t really have access to the $150,000 horses and stuff like that, so we kind of keep it local and go to the local finals and try to get noticed doing that. We want to stay with our little ponies and show mainly in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
“We kind of stay focused on just teaching the kids how to ride,” Naughton continued. “We’re just trying to inspire the sport and keep it going. It’s a really neat sport where your teammate is a living, breathing animal. It’s a lot different than just picking up a soccer ball.”
The location also has its advantages.
“We have to travel 250 miles to a lot of competitions whereas most people only travel 20 minutes, but at the end of the day you get to go home to the beach,” Naughton said.
Autumn Grove Stables is located on 11026 Sinepuxent Road in Berlin. For more information call 410-430-9072 or 443-235-0257, or visit www.autumngrovestables.net.
Autumn Grove Stables in Berlin, however, wants to be the cure for that uneasiness. Unpretentious and loose, the 115-acre facility pushes fun above formality, yet still manages to take home its fair share of ribbons, trophies and plaques during competition season.
Twin sisters Kristie Naughton and Katie Naughton-Dykes opened Autumn Grove in 2002. Both began riding at age 7.
“My neighbor had a horse and I sat on it once, and then my sister and I begged our dad for a horse,” Naughton said. “He was like, ‘Absolutely not. You’re going to play basketball and lacrosse.’ We were like, ‘yeah – no. We’re going to get a pony.’”
Naughton maintained persistent attitude while finishing her business degree at Salisbury University.
“My dad said, ‘Okay, well you’re a senior. You’ve gotta get a job now.’ I said, ‘Okay, well I’m going to buy a farm,’” she said.
Naughton wrote a business plan as part of an assignment and marched into the bank.
“It was kind of funny doing that and asking for all this money,” she said. “They’re like, ‘You need over a million dollars for what?’”
The farm began with a small barn and four horses. Today the facility draws more than 100 year-round riders and includes stables for more than 50 horses as well as trails, two outdoor sand arenas, one grass arena and a heated 250-by 100-foot indoor sand arena.
Year-round riding lessons pay most of the bills. A bus drops children off at the farm after school, and many of the kids ride as much as five times a week. Competitions generally take place during the weekend.
“We’ll ship out on a Friday and take campers and trailers, all the horses, all their bedding, shavings, fans, coolers, and all their clothing,” Naughton said.
In August, Autumn Grove took home several awards during the Black-Eyed Susan Show in Herndon, Va., including High-Point Trainer for Naughton.
The stable also took home Barn Night honors at Washington International Horse Show in October, winning Best Group Video for their “All About that Bass” parody of renowned trainer George Morris.
“If you knew George Morris, he wouldn’t like it at all,” Naughton said. “He’s a stickler for being neat and clean and he’d probably be like, ‘God, all your riders they can’t dance and they weren’t choreographed.’ We just did it as a funny kind of thing.”
As the farm continues to expand and add elements, including working with the Maryland Coastal Bays Program to add new horse trails, Naughton said her focus would remain local.
“The sport can get really, really expensive,” she said. “Our clients don’t really have access to the $150,000 horses and stuff like that, so we kind of keep it local and go to the local finals and try to get noticed doing that. We want to stay with our little ponies and show mainly in Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
“We kind of stay focused on just teaching the kids how to ride,” Naughton continued. “We’re just trying to inspire the sport and keep it going. It’s a really neat sport where your teammate is a living, breathing animal. It’s a lot different than just picking up a soccer ball.”
The location also has its advantages.
“We have to travel 250 miles to a lot of competitions whereas most people only travel 20 minutes, but at the end of the day you get to go home to the beach,” Naughton said.
Autumn Grove Stables is located on 11026 Sinepuxent Road in Berlin. For more information call 410-430-9072 or 443-235-0257, or visit www.autumngrovestables.net.