Top Show Ponies At New Hunter Stable "Find what works for them, not just the same formula for all horses, and keep them happy.” By Nancy Brannon The drive down tree-canopied Nuckolls Road to Heritage Park stable near Rossville, TN provides an impressive entrance to an elegant barn that could be any child’s Disney dream come true. This brand new hunter/jumper stable currently houses several fancy show ponies for Bailey Clark, 12-year-old daughter of Camille and Steve Clark. After Bailey won the Zone Championship in 2007 on Paint by Number, Camille decided that if her daughter were going to make a career showing ponies, she needed a proper facility and trainer. Camille has six children but Bailey is the only one who rides. The Clarks started building the stable about two years ago. It has 20 stalls and all the amenities one could want for a horse. The arena is downhill from the main barn and is surrounded by trees. “People can’t believe that this is really a cool place to ride in the summer,” Camille said. But the actual cooler temperatures are a result of the “mini-clime” in the woods. The stable is inhabited by mostly hunter show ponies at present, and training emphasizes hunter/ jumpers for local schooling shows and traveling the “A” Circuit. There are also a few horses stabled here and Camille hopes to attract more boarders and students. Frank Hernandez of New Jersey is the primary trainer who works with riders at all levels. He brings with him a reputation for making winning ponies. He trained for over 20 years in Allentown, NJ and had several horses who won Zone championships, qualified for Devon, and riders taking first and second in Marshall & Sterling Medals. He made the cover of the January/February 2003 issue of Equestrian Talk. The article described his unlikely combination of “green and green” which usually “don’t make blue,” but in the case of 4-year-old Loyalis, they did make many blues for 12-year-old rider Kristin Cavores. More recently, another student of Hernandez, Evie Jaeckle, was Medium Pony Circuit Champion with Palace Guard at Gulfport, and the pony qualified for Devon. That’s only one of others who have great show success stories. Hernandez worked at Beacon Hill for three years, and has done clinics with George Morris. Shelbie Owen trains the beginner riders and takes them to the local schooling shows. She has been riding since she was five years old and is 18 now. She’s been showing locally and has brought along some green horses and ponies. She’s been teaching for three years, mainly beginners and short stirrup riders. With her jumper, she has done the Mini Prix and has plans to move up to the Grand Prix level. Frank’s approach to training is seemingly simple, but not always easy to achieve: “Horses need to love their job. Find what works for them, not just the same formula for all horses, and keep them happy.” He is meticulous about barn and horse cleanliness and care. “Horses need to be well cared for, clean, especially their manes and ears. Riders need the right tack, especially the right bridle. Polish them! And the children need to do it themselves. I want to see a horse polished, clean, and neat, with good fitting tack. It should be a daily routine: horses ridden daily, but we don’t jump them more than they need; we don’t pound them.” Hernandez supervises the feeding program, too. “Put them on a routine and make them easy to maintain.” He feeds multi-pellets and beet pulp. “Don’t put them on a high protein diet; put oil in their diet, and give them bran once a week.” He likes ponies to be fat and lazy. Camille has lived in Memphis all her life, and recently moved to Fayette County, where her parents live on the property. “Frank keeps a steady stream of ponies coming in,” she said. She hopes more horses and riders will stream in and benefit from Frank’s show expertise. For information about boarding and training, call Camille Clark at 901-626-3515 or Frank Hernandez at 732-539-8093.