65 horses compete in Judged Trail Ride at Horse Park of NJ
By Jane Meggitt, Special Writer
UPPER FREEHOLD —When a horse and rider are out on the trails, they never know what they’ll encounter.
While the odds that they’ll run into any of the over-the-top obstacles at the Horse Park of New Jersey’s (HPNJ) 7th Annual Judged Trail Ride are rather remote, good trail horses must be ready for anything — even plastic alligators being dragged through the water.
Speed and pedigree don’t matter in an untimed trail ride, where horses and riders are judged on the ease and accuracy they demonstrate in negotiating obstacles. The event’s organizers strive to devise new and unusual obstacles for each competition and this year’s series was a credit to their brainstorming.
The obstacle stations included: the Old Bag Drag, in which riders must drag bags containing cans; the Car Wash, in which horses must go through the long “noodles” used in these facilities; and the Piñata, which riders had to hit with a bat.
At other spots along the trail the riders had to hit a target with a lance; carry a ball on a racquet through a maze; toss an apple into a bucket; and navigate the rope gate. At the rope gate, the rider must remove one end of a rope that is stretched between two standards, pass through, and then re-attach the rope.
Nancy Wolek, of Millstone, who helped organize Sunday’s ride, said 65 horses participated in the event, which helps raise funds for improvements at the Horse Park. Fourteen volunteers served as the judges.
The three division winners were Rachel Vandermark (Teen Division for ages 13 to 19); Nancy Matthews (Prime Division for ages 20 to 49); and Steve Luoni (Jack Benny Division for ages 50 and over).
”The winner in each division will get a horsehair anklet, bracelet, bridle ornament or bookmark made by Janine Howley,” said organizer Ricki Neuberg, owner of Nearaway Farms in Millstone. “The winners may pick something pre-made or have it made up from their own horse’s tail hair.”
At a tailgate party afterward, Nancy Murray, of Lanoka Harbor, said this was her third year competing in the event with her Missouri Fox Trotter, The Liberator, from Nearaway Farms.
”He was my first horse, and I bought him when I was 56,” Ms. Murray said. Her 9-year-old chestnut gelding just gets better every year, but he did have a little trouble with the rope gate.
Ms. Murray said her horse had practiced on a similar-looking obstacle at home to get ready for the competition. But when The Liberator got to the Horse Park, “he acted like he never saw if before,” she said.
The Panther, owned by Sue Garvey, of Bayville, may have been an alternate for the Canadian eventing team at the 2006 Pan-Am Games, but he’d never been at a judged trail ride before.
The 16-year-old, 17.1 hand black Thoroughbred gelding, whom Ms. Garvey has owned for four years, did very well, even though “he wanted to jump everything,” Ms. Garvey said.
The Panther also didn’t care for the rope gate, and tried to jump it, she said.
The British-born Ms. Garvey called the course, “fantastic,” adding that the entire event was well organized. “I can’t wait until next year,” Ms. Garvey said.
Last month, Anna Sucar, 14, of Forked River, was at the Horse Park riding in the New Jersey State 4-H Show. She and her 16-year-old bay gelding, Lucky, a Morgan/Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse cross, placed second in the Introductory Level Dressage Test B at the show, but Lucky is more comfortable in the dressage arena than he is facing plastic alligators.
”He was scared of the alligator,” she said. “He got over it.”
Lucky also wasn’t keen on the Car Wash obstacle either, even though they had practiced it beforehand, she said. In the end, Anna had to dismount and walk Lucky through those noodles.

