Public will get rare glimpse of horse farms

COLTS NECK — The Colts Neck BusinessAssociation will host its first Barn and Winery Tour on Sept. 12.

This event is a rare opportunity to visit exclusive farms and stables in Colts Neck where champion hunter jumpers and thoroughbreds are raised and trained.

The stables on the tour include Colts Neck Stables, Stillwell Stables, Stonehenge Stables, Wellsprings Stables and Beacon Hill Stables.

The tour will culminate with a visit to Four JG’s Vineyards in Colts Neck, where attendees will taste the fine wines of this gold-medal winning winery.

Representatives from the Colts Neck Historical Society will serve as tour guides on the buses, indicating points of interest throughout town between barn locations. Veterinary students from Rutgers University will be at each barn location to explain the workings of the farms and the equine industry.

Tour buses will depart promptly at 1 p.m. from the parking lot of the Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission building (the old Atlantic School), which is near the corner of Route 537 and Route 34 in Colts Neck. The buses will bring ticket holders to each of the five barns on the tour.

The Colts Neck Business Association barn tour committee, headed by Anthony Abbatiello, a member of the State Racing Commission and owner of Five Point Farm in Colts Neck, also includes Colts Neck businessmen Sal Barbagallo, Sil Lutkewitte, Mario Geneve, Vince Cerullo, Tom Orgo and Art Goodwin.

Abbatiello said, “This event will give people an opportunity to visit some of the most exclusive farms in New Jersey — farms that are not opened to the public. Our committee has been working diligently on making this an extraordinary event. One of the intents of the barn tour is to expose beautiful Colts Neck and its many amenities and horse disciplines. We are creating an event program that will include the history of the barns along with other things relating to the horse industry. Certainly, Colts Neck is the place to be if you are interested in horses.”

According to a press release, proceeds from the Sept. 12 event will benefit the Ashley Lauren Foundation, which provides assistance to children throughout New Jersey who have cancer through financial, material and emotional assistance.

Proceeds will also benefit Someone Special Needs You, which provides a social, recreational and creative outlet where children with special needs can express themselves along with a support system for families with special needs children.

Tickets for the day are $30 and can be purchased by calling Sal Barbagallo at 732- 614-5105 or Sil Lutkewitte at 732-580- 9314.

“The demand for tickets is very strong and seats are limited,” Abbatiello said.

The Colts Neck Business Association is lead by president Glen J. Dalakian, vice presidents Sarah Bandy and Raymond Shebell, secretaries Timothy Schwartz and Monica Vermeulen and treasurer/founder Sal Barbagallo.

The group is advised by Colts Neck residents and Colts Neck Business Association founders Mario Geneve and Silvan Lutkewitte.

The Colts Neck Business Association meets for an hour on the second Wednesday of every month at 8 a.m. at the Colts Neck Library, 1 Winthrop Drive. Anyone who has an interest in Colts Neck is encouraged to attend a meeting.

For additional information, visit www.coltsneckbusiness.com.