Paradise Farm Gets Big Turnout

Elizabeth Fite was among the more than 100 entries who competed Saturday at the United States Equestrian Federation and United States Eventing Association-recognized Horse Trials at Lellie Ward’s Paradise Farm. The eventer from Athens, Ga., entered her 14-year-old Thoroughbred Thurman in the preliminary level.

The tandem has enjoyed success at the training level and thought Saturday would be a good time to test themselves and get additional experience by doing the preliminary level.

“I got him when he was about 9 or 10,” said Fite. “He hadn’t really done anything. He had been sitting out in the pasture for four years, babysitting horses. Someone had sent him down to the farm where I had been riding. I needed a horse I could jump with and didn’t have any intention of buying him. I started jumping him and working on my Pony Club ratings with him, and we just really clicked.”…

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Date: 9-19-2009
By: www.aikenstandard.com