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Sunny Hill Farm is currently seeking an additional
hunter/jumper or dressage trainer
with an established small business. |
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In the midst of the East Bay Area’s ever-spiraling development, Jennifer Grubb-Reed has preserved a little piece of countryside horse heaven with Sunny Hill Farm. Thirty lucky horses and their owners get to share in the pleasant environs of what Jennifer describes as a “boutique” training barn. It is located in Walnut Creek, in the foothills of Contra Costa County’s Mt. Diablo. Sunny Hill Farm has all the amenities: two covered rings, one featuring full-width mirrors, an outdoor jumping ring, grazing areas, a round pen and 10 turn-out paddocks, including all-weather and grass, are just a few of its features. Sunny Hill’s top attractions, Jennifer says, are the Canadian geese that fly over every morning, the cattle grazing on the “sunny hill” above the facility and the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the stable. Deer, wild turkeys, quail and other wildlife are frequent visitors.
Familiar to Bay Area old-timers as the site of Chris and Peggy Borba’s Tailgate Farm, the property was extensively remodeled after Jennifer and her parents, Ed and Patti, bought it. Despite the quiet, there’s a lot going on. It is home to three exceptional trainers, Jennifer’s dressage breeding stallion Glenn Livit F and the Northern California office for her husband Aaron Reed’s Rockridge Farm Horse Transport. “The small size of our facility is a great marketing advantage,” says Jennifer, who grew up competing on the hunter/jumper circuit throughout California. “People who visit like the intimacy of it and the fact that the property backs up to open space.” The size also enables Jennifer to indulge her passion for managing all the details involved in running a first-rate facility. Jennifer credits her father for having the vision that Sunny Hill could fill a void in the area for a high-end training barn. A horseman for most of his life who owns a cattle ranch in Northern California’s Redding, the now-retired Ed Grubb is a familiar presence at Sunny Hill, where he tinkers around with he and his daughter’s dream- come-true.
The family feel embraces Sunny Hill’s resident trainers and their clients. Laura Dwyer offers dressage and hunter/jumper training and Joy Parker specializes in the hunter/jumper discipline. Jennifer and Laura Dwyer met in the hunter/jumper community 15 years ago and have since switched to dressage. “Laura’s specialty is really listening to the horses,” observes Jennifer, who has entrusted Glenn Livit’s dressage training to Laura. “She makes sure they enjoy their jobs and she preserves their mind, body and spirit.” Joy Parker’s hunter/jumper training operation has been based at Sunny Hill since Jennifer opened for business. “She is an excellent trainer and instructor and a delight to work with,” the stable owner explains. “Her passion for horses and compassion for people give her a unique ability to help riders get the most out of their horses at home and at shows throughout Northern California.” Happy Horses Because it’s a relatively small facility, coupled with the fact that Jennifer and her husband live on the property, trainer spots at Sunny Hill are not awarded lightly. “One of the things that is really great here is that everybody is very easy to get along with,” she comments. “They are fun. Our trainers are great and our horses are happy.” One of those happy horses is Jennifer’s stallion Glenn Livit F. The famously good-tempered Trakehner is a down to earth guy. “He is part of our family,” the owner says. “He’s a really special stallion and a delight to work with.” His record is making him a bit the celebrity in sporthorse breeding circles. Glenn Livit’s filly Glenn Morangie, out of Jennifer’s premium mare, Showgirl, is the highest scoring foal in all of the ISR/Oldenburg North American registry’s inspections this year. At her own inspection, Glenn Morangie earned a total score of 8.8, including a 9 for movement. “The registry’s breeding director, Dr. Christian Schacht, said it was the first time he’s ever given a 9 in an inspection,” Jennifer reports with pride.
“Glenn Morangie” 2008 High Scoring Premium Oldenburg Filly by “Glenn Livit.” Scored a 9 on movement, owned by Jennifer Grubb-Reed. Glenn Morangie will stay in the family, but her full brother Glenn Fiddich is for sale. He was recommended as a stallion prospect during the inspection, although he has since been gelded. The siblings are both International Hunter Futurity nominated and seem destined to follow their father’s footsteps to success in dressage and/or the hunter/jumper world. Glenn Livit is best known as a dressage sire, but he is equally adept over fences, as Hap Hansen demonstrated for a period of time on the A hunter/jumper circuit. Although his career is mainly focused on breeding these days, Glenn Livit still competes occasionally, with Laura Dwyer in the irons. Jennifer rides him at home when time allows. Managing the stable and Glenn Livit’s breeding endeavors has required Jennifer to put her own competitive career on the back-burner for now, and she is fine with that. “I am enjoying these new directions,” she comments. Jennifer met her husband Aaron Reed when his company, Rockridge Farm Horse Transportation, hauled her horses to shows in Southern California. They’ve been married for two-and-a-half years and Aaron has added a Walnut Creek office to Rockridge’s location in San Diego County’s Rancho Santa Fe, where the company has been based for over 20 years. Aaron was well known on the circuit before the wildfires of 2007, but he became even better known and greatly appreciated for his efforts to evacuate horses throughout Southern California during those trying times. His company is best known for employing horse people as handlers and drivers. In the 14 years he’s owned Rockridge, the company has established a great reputation for working with everything from youngsters to problem horses. In between, there are many miles of hauling top show horses throughout the United States and Canada. In addition to horses, Rockridge also transports pipe corrals, jumps and tack sheds on flat bed trailers and handles logistics for several retail vendors at horse shows nationwide. Even though there’s a lot going on at Sunny Hill Farm, the atmosphere remains quiet, peaceful and, above all, conducive to the common denominator in all the Farm’s endeavors: quality time with great horses and great people.
For information on Sunny Hill Farm and training, visit www.shfarm.com or call Jennifer Grubb-Reed at 925-997-2151.
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