The U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation is headquartered at the famous Hamilton Farm in Gladstone, New Jersey. The legacy of the historic venue is incomparable in American equestrian sports. “The sport grew because of what happened here,” said Sally Ilk
The headquarters for the USET is based at Hamilton Farm and in the equestrian world, it’s known as Gladstone which is synonymous with the Olympic medals, training, education, and the funding of the sport. “My first memory of it is walking into the rotunda on my dad’s shoulders when I was about five years old,” says Philip Richter, a trustee and Treasurer for the USET foundation. “I remember seeing all these plaques from Aachen, and Rotterdam, and all these places.”
“I was gobsmacked by this property and the scope of it,” says Sally Ike, who rode on the Olympic team in the 1968 games held in Mexico. “We trained right here in Gladstone, and I was the only woman.” She describes her experience of the equestrian sport with reverence. As the only sport where men and women compete equally, she was just one of the team and they worked together to win.
The historic venue was built and designed by many of the same architects and builders that built Grand Central. Today, the venue hosts many high level events throughout the year. On the walls and in the trophy room stand countless reminders of the riders, trainers, and horses that have passed through the farm on their way to victory, from A Touch of Class, ridden by Joe Fargis in the 1984 Olympics, to William Steinkraus who took gold in 1968 aboard Snowbound at the games in Mexico.
Original article: Gladstone and Hamilton Farm: A Legacy of Equestrian Excellence – Equestrian Living (eqliving.com)
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