By Jane Meggitt, Special Writer
On a perfect June Sunday afternoon, hundreds of people visited Fair Winds Farm’s open house to celebrate the Month of the Horse.
This year, 75 foals were born at this major Upper Freehold breeding farm, which is also home to Dr. Patricia Hogan’s surgical equine clinic.
Visitors could tour the farm and “meet and greet” broodmares, foals and standardbred racehorses.
Dr. Hogan gave tours of her clinic, which services 2,000 horses annually.
While the open house featured exhibits and demonstrations by various state equine organizations, the star of the show was White Bliss, a 2-year-old colt who was born at Fair Winds. He’s a rare white standardbred, a 1 in 200,000 occurrence, according to the U.S. Trotting Association. A celebrity since birth, White Bliss cavorted in his paddock, wearing a white halter.
Assemblyman Ron Dancer, son of harness racing legend Stanley Dancer, said the open house event was “bittersweet.” He explained that it was bitter because on June 26, the legislature in Trenton did not authorize a question to appear on the November ballot for public voting regarding funding for open space and farmland preservation. He said he was genuinely concerned about the future of farming and the racing industry. He has introduced Assembly bill A3194, which would authorize slot machine gambling at horse racetracks, dedicating the state’s share of revenues for open space preservation, “specifically the acquisition and development of lands for recreation and conservation purposes, for preservation of farmland for agricultural or horticultural use and production, and for historic preservation.”
Millstone Township Committeewoman Nancy Grbelja, a standardbred racehorse owner, noted that there were many young adults and children in attendance.
”Parents, get your child involved with horses. Working with horses will develop attributes in your child that no other activity can match,” she said.
Ms. Grbelja said that working with horses develops responsibility, commitment, sensitivity, compassion and a great work ethic.
”Learning to communicate with horses develops a valuable skill that can be used in every other facet of your life. Horses become a product of your nurturing and care,” she said, adding that she wishes she had the opportunity to interact with equines much earlier in her life.
Joanna Ricci, 15, Upper Freehold, has had the opportunity to interact with horses all of her life, and intends to make it her life’s work. Joanna, who will enter her sophomore year at Allentown High School (AHS) in September, has already competed in the top levels of American saddlebred showing. Now, she wants to work with standardbreds. Her grandmother, Dorothy Hock, is a longtime standardbred owner and breeder whose Upper Freehold farm is permanently preserved. Joanna, who is active in FFA at AHS, intends to become a standardbred trainer, driver and breeder.
Organizations participating in the event included the Rutgers Equine Science Center; the Harness Horse Youth Foundation; the New Jersey Farm Bureau; the New Jersey Horse Council; the Allentown/Upper Freehold FFA; the Knight Riders and Hearts and Horseshoes 4-H Clubs, and local U.S. Pony Club chapters.

