By: Ken Weingartner
There is a saying, attributed to 18th century British statesman Lord Palmerston, that the best thing for the inside of a man is the outside of a horse. Alle Lamphier believes it to be true.
Mr. Lamphier is the owner of Stone Tavern Ranch on East Branch Road in Upper Freehold Township. There, he and his wife, Jeanie, board pleasure horses in addition to hosting an annual barrel racing series.
The third race in the National Barrel Horse Association-approved series will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 24. The final round is Oct. 22.
A native of Meriden, Conn., Mr. Lamphier first was introduced to horses by his father, a funeral director.
"He had horses for years," Mr. Lamphier said. "That was his get-away, to get out on the back of a horse. He loved horses and always wanted to have a place like we have now.
"Getting away from the stress of dealing with people at their most bereaved moments was something he really looked forward to. An hour out by himself going through the woods was what satisfied him."
Such activities satisfied Mr. Lamphier, at least initially. But his adventurous spirit wanted a little more. He found it when a rodeo came to town.
"It was one of those things where someone said if you could ride this bucking horse for 10 seconds you’ll get $20 or $25," Mr. Lamphier said. "I’ll do anything. On the second jump, and I was eating dirt. But I was hooked on that."
During a stint in the Navy, Mr. Lamphier was stationed at the Lakehurst Naval Air Station. It was then, he discovered the Cowtown rodeo in South Jersey. In the mid-1950s, he was transferred to Florida.
"And Florida is a hotbed of rodeo," Mr. Lamphier said. "I got involved in rodeo down there. I rode barebacks, I rode broncs, I rode bulls. I was interested, I was consistent, but I was not championship caliber. I’ll admit that up front."
He didn’t make it unscathed through competition, either. Once, after completing a successful ride, Mr. Lamphier was injured when the bucking horse he was riding separated from the pick-up horse for which he was trying to reach. He landed on a large rock, and did enough damage to spend 28 days in the hospital. Another time he was thrown over the head of a bull, suffering a gash near his eye that required 21 stitches.
"If you had told me all these stories before we got married we wouldn’t have ended up getting married," Mrs. Lamphier said with a laugh.
Mr. Lamphier said, "The good Lord was looking over me and (the Navy) sent me out on a detachment with a carrier. Of course, there ain’t no bucking horses in the middle of the Mediterranean. When I got back from that, I got out of the Navy and went to work as a civilian at Lakehurst.
"Lakehurst frowned on people doing (rodeo)," he added. "You had to make a commitment to your career or to rodeo. I made the commitment to the career, which lasted 34 years."
In 1985, Mr. Lamphier and his wife bought Stone Tavern Ranch, which is approximately 24 acres. Four years later, they built their house on the property. Previously, the couple lived in Toms River.
"Riding opportunities were very diminished there and growing smaller all the time," Mr. Lamphier said. "We kept looking for another place. It’s turned out beautiful."
Mr. Lamphier still wanted to participate in rodeo to some degree, so for a while the couple raised rodeo-type cattle.
"They were lovely," he said. "We really enjoyed them. But we had to decide whether to maintain the cattle or go all with horses, because horses paid the bills. We went with horses. They’re easier to handle."
Stone Tavern Ranch offers pasture boarding, meaning there are no stables. Each of the farm’s five pastures has a building to offer protection. He has 14 horses boarded at the facility.
Mr. Lamphier said he encourages "natural horsemanship" at the ranch. "The better handling of the horse on the ground leads to better handling in the saddle," he said.
Mr. Lamphier got into hosting barrel races because one of his boarders was interested in the sport. He started by running one event in 1996 and now has the four-race series.
"I already had an outdoor arena for training purposes and she asked if I would consider hosting an event," Mr. Lamphier said. "I had never been to a barrel race before, so I went to one and figured I could do it. It was very well-received. I learned a lot."
Mr. Lamphier, who noted it takes a full week to prepare the arena for an event, said the races average 80 to 90 open riders and 30 to 40 youth riders. The series’ high-point participant in each division receives a buckle. In addition, there is a senior class. Spectators are invited to attend.
"Spectators make it nice," Mr. Lamphier said. "They yell a lot. Everyone has a better time with encouragement."
Mr. Lamphier is the announcer for the races. He also announces at other area events, including steer wrestling.
"That’s very rewarding because you’re participating by keeping other people informed of what is happening and helping them enjoy what they’re looking at," Mr. Lamphier said.
For more information about Stone Tavern Ranch, or the barrel races, call (609) 259-0770.
