We are pleased to publish this sneak preview of the Chattahoochee Hills Eventing facility as it it gears up for its first show later this month. Holly Breaux, DVM visited the location recently and this report is published courtesy of Collected Remarks the Membership publication of the GDCTA.
I set up an interview with Ritchard Temple regarding Chattahoochee Hills Farm for two reasons. First I was hoping to help spread the word and give you all something fun to read. Secondly, and more importantly, I was curious! I had heard that Chattahoochee Hills was to be a PREMIER equestrian facility and I wanted to see it for myself. So… I set up the interview and set out on my way to Fairburn, GA.
I will say that it should have been an easy ride. Should being the key word. However, I am spatially challenged and blonde and managed to get myself turned around and lost not once, but twice… on the way there! You’d think I would manage to make it home then, but no… I got lost once on the way home too. However, for the normal people out there, Chattahoochee Hills is an easy hour ride from Conyers. It should also be an easy ride for the horses.
I arrived (finally!) at Chattahoochee Hills and met Mr. Ritchard Temple, who is a very nice and funny guy. We arrived at the “behind the scenes” area of the farm. This was where the jumps were being made. The first jump I saw was a huge table… HUGE! 
And Mr. Ritchard Temple, after graciously asking me about myself and my horses and learning that I was just moving up to Training Level, informed me that the table was a training level table. It only took me about 2 seconds to realize he was kidding (remember I am blonde!) and then he informed me that it was actually Advanced. Or maybe it was Intermediate…something above my capabilities at any rate! Once the initial shock wore off …I realized the beauty of the jumps. Mr. Temple informed me that all of the cross country jumps were made from wood off the farm.
What a gorgeous bunch of jumps. They are all natural and beautifully designed to be very inviting to the horse and rider – provided you are looking at the appropriate jump for your level. I was then shown the “real” training level jumps. For someone who is just moving up to training level the jumps looked inviting and reasonable. They were all maxed out height and width wise but did not seem nearly as intimidating as one might think. We discussed the cross country course and the plan is to make the jumps inviting and good “gallop” jumps, but they will be maxed out size wise. I also got to see the stadium jumps that were being built and they were of the same quality as the cross country jumps. Chattahoochee Hills should easily have enough jumps to make at least 2 full stadium courses.
The next part of the tour was to drive to the cross country course. During the short drive we talked about the farm itself. Chattahoochee Hills consists of over 8400 acres with 300 acres of lakes and 12 miles of Chattahoochee river frontage. How’s that for premier!? The place is just beautiful. There are gentle rolling hills, flat lands, more impressive hills, and large tree groves. The footing was incredible and should make for fantastic cross country travel. We even revved the car along the riverfront which really made me wish I had brought my horse along for a little gallop. So back to the most important part – the cross country course! There will be two cross country courses. They will have the FEI sanctioned competition course and a separate schooling area set on 150 acres. The schooling area will be open daily for cross country schooling and will be set up so your coach won’t have to run all over the place. The competition course will also have a warm-up area which will include some natural obstacles such as a ditch, as opposed to just stadium fences.
Again, the course itself will be fun, forward, and inviting with fantastic footing and scenery! The lay-out of the farm is great because the cross country course will be set along the river with the stabling area set back up against the tree groves. The horses will have a spectacular view from the stalls. For the first two shows there will be temporary stabling, but after that there will be two permanent barns. One barn will house the competition horses and the other will house Carl Bouckaert’s horses. The stadium rings will likely be set up between the stables and the cross country course and there will be a 300 foot by 450 foot grand prix arena. This arena will be complete with a lounge area and scoring area. If needed, a second jumping arena will be set up also. The dressage arenas will be grass footing and can be set up pretty much anywhere as there is plenty of flat even land.
So the horses will be living the life of luxury with the incredible views. What about us? There will be 100 camper/RV hook-ups in convenient areas and there are some gorgeous guest cabins. In addition, there are plenty of places in Fairburn that are a short drive to the barns.
I think that Chattahoochee Hills will be a gorgeous facility that will put on a fantastic show! They plan to host the recognized horse trials in addition to some fun schooling shows and possibly some clinics. Do your best to come out and join in the fun. As always, volunteers will be needed. What a better way to spend your day than volunteering on the riverfront watching nice horses compete. Aside from competing that is! Unfortunately there will be no “boarding”, which you’ll wish there was once you see the place! But don’t fret, as you can still partake in the beauty that Chattahoochee Hills has to offer.
For those that are interested, they will be open for schooling daily in the future. Cross Country schooling will take place on the 150 acre schooling course. However, they will not have schooling until after their first show. If you are trying to decide whether or not to show, you may come walk the course after March 15th. The course should be 80% complete at that time. And I strongly encourage you to come show. It should be a blast!
More information can be obtained at www.chatthillseventing.com
Holly Breaux DVM