The Heath Village Fifteenth Annual Horse Show was held on June 11 on the grounds of the Retirement Community in Hackettstown, NJ. The first show at Heath Village was held in 1994 through partnership with the Centenary Equine Program at local Centenary College. The riders from Autumn Acres Equestrian, LLC, in Broadway, NJ have been the performers for this event for the last five years.
It was a perfect day considering that on the previous two days the thermometer read in the high, humid 90s. Residents from Heath Village gathered early to get a good seat both for view and shade. Many commented that they were so happy that the weather improved because they always look forward to this day. The show was followed by a grand “Derby-style” luncheon and entertainment from Fred Miller.
Sashi McDowell, Easton, Pennsylvania, has been the owner/operator of Autumn Acres has for ten years. She is an Alumna of West Morris High School, and coincidentally, is a 1998 graduate of the Equine Studies program at Centenary College through which this event started. She was a member of the jumper team at the college. McDowell was awarded “Trainer of the Year” in 2007 from Snowbird Acres Farm after earning the most competition points throughout the year and has won other similar awards in other horse shows over the years. She has traveled to Holland from where she imported her most current show horse. She said, “I love working with the horses and most of all, mentoring people of all ages at Autumn Acres. I’ve been riding and working with horses for over 25 years and I can’t imagine doing anything else”.
McDowell currently has approximately 45 clients at Autumn Acres and brought along six of her riders, ranging from 11 to 43 years in age, and horses to the Heath Village Horse Show. They included Ashley Pianelli, Phillipsburg, riding Kilkenny Diamond; Kim Fredricks, Oxford, riding World’s Bright Abby; cousins Stephanie Nichols, Easton, Pennsylvania and Rachel Weisel, Stewartsville rode Bonaparte and Shadow Dancer respectively; Hannah Baker, Washington, riding Dress Me in Red; and Monika Connell, Stewartsville, NJ, riding Material Girl. Fredericks and Baker each own the horses they rode and Nichols and Weisel share ownership of Shadow Dancer; McDowell owns the other horses that participated in the show. Each of the riders shared their enthusiasm for riding, as well as the opportunity to participate in the event. McDowell also shared her rider’s excitement, “I am thrilled to have been a part of this annual event for the past five years and look forward to many years at Heath Village. You can see how happy it makes the residents. We all look forward to this each year”. McDowell and her team of riders participate in many local shows, including “A” rated shows in the area.
Heath Village is a full-service retirement community located at 430 Schooley’s Mountain Road in Washington Township, Morris County. A non-profit organization established in 1966, the Village offers retirees as many services and levels of living as a Continuing Care Retirement Community, but with some very important differences. These include, but are not limited to a “no entrance fee” option and “pay-as-you-go” financial arrangements. For further information, please call 908-852-4801.
If you’d like information regarding the Centenary Equine Studies program, contact the College in Hackettstown, NJ at 1-800-236-8679. If you’d like information on Autumn Acres Equestrian, LLC, in Broadway, NJ, contact Sashi McDowell, at 908-797-4593.
