If We Build It They Will Come

Shoot, they are already starting to come and we have not yet begun to construct the Gwaltney Frontier Farm. Yesterday, with a heat index way over 110, a group from the Gwaltney National Family Reunion capped off their day by coming out to see the type of horses that their original ancestor, Thomas Gwaltney, would have ridden when he established his home site in America in 1668, only about ten miles of our horse lot.

They met Corollas, Shacklefords, Baylis Spanish Goats and even Spicer, my San Clemente billy goat. I showed them where we will build the very modest colonial farm house along with the few outbuildings that a single man recently freed from indentured servitude would have built during the time when Tidewater Virginia was the frontier of the English Empire.

But most importantly, they met Ashley and Samantha. They watched Ashley ride Edward Teach, a wild Corolla stallion that was removed from the island because of his life threatening wounds. They watched as she handled him as if he was a puppy.

They watched Samantha with her 1/2 Corolla colt whose future is boundless. They learned about the offsite breeding program and the need to find more people that will accept the task of breeding and raising these amazing little horses.

But again, the most important ones that they met were Ashley and Samantha. Ashley is ten years old and completed her first 50 mile in one day ride at age nine. Samantha is only seven years old and has a family that is as dedicated to the horses as is she.

Our guests came to learn about the past, but when they watched Ashley and Samantha with the horses what they saw was the future.

(Here is a shot of a few of our Gwaltney guests under our recently constructed artificial shade producing device.)