If you’re looking to buy or sell an equestrian property in Yamhill County or anywhere in Oregon, Bella Casa Real Estate Group brings plenty of expertise and knowledge of how to market your property or help you find what you need. We understand what horse people value, whether it’s to find the right type of pasture with good fencing, or the need to emphasize the type and size of the arena or barn you’re trying to sell. Whatever your needs or desires from a horse property standpoint, we have the experience in the industry to help you achieve your goals. The following are several examples of equestrian opportunities found in the Willamette Valley, Oregon:
Horse Shows
During show season, you’ll find some of the biggest and most attended horse shows in the Northwest. For example, every year in July, DevonWood Equestrian Center hosts Dressage at DevonWood, one of the largest and best attended dressage competitions on the west coast. DevonWood, owned by Ginny and Justin Rattner and located in Sherwood, is a world-class dressage training and showing barn and is definitely one of the most gorgeous and expansive equestrian facilities you will ever see in your life. Visit www.devonwoodec.com for more information.
Training Barns
DevonWood is just one of several big, beautiful, accomplished dressage training barns in the Willamette Valley. Year round, there are opportunities to attend a show or audit a clinic taught by an internationally recognized competitor or coach. The Willamette Valley also boasts an impressive variety of large, successful, and yes – once again- internationally recognized hunter/jumper barns and trainers.
Rich Fellers, aboard the famed Irish Sporthorse stallion, Flexible, has competed and won all over the globe in the Grand Prix jumper arena. His training operation is located at the prestigious Whip ‘N Spur farm in Wilsonville, owned by Rebekah and JR Swan. For more information about this beautiful and well-known facility, please visit www.swantraining.net. The drive out to Whip ‘N Spur alone will amaze you with some impressive scenery, including the peaceful, winding road, aptly named Wilsonville Road and of course, the huge number of even more big, beautiful barns.
In fact, it just so happens that on this same road, only about a mile down from Whip ‘N Spur, you will find Hunter Creek, a gorgeous hunter/jumper show venue, which hosts the majority of the big hunter/jumper shows that take place in this area. A large competition takes place just about every weekend during show season at Hunter Creek, most notably The Country Classic, which is attended by people from all over the West Coast.
Breeding
If equine breeding holds your interest, the Northwest offers some high octane breeders as well.  Oakhurst Equine, a Thoroughbred racehorse breeding, training, and veterinary operation in Newberg, Oregon stands the stallion, Grindstone, the 1996 Kentucky Derby winner. Dr. Jack Root, head veterinarian and owner, breeds hundreds of mares every year, not only for the sake of his passion for horse racing, but also for clients who participate in a variety of sport horse disciplines. Another major player in the risky, yet rewarding game of breeding is Wild Turkey Farm in Wilsonville, also located on Wilsonville Road. Wild Turkey stands six exceptional Holsteiner stallions, who represent some of the most successful European jumper bloodlines in the world. Wild Turkey’s facility alone, impresses with gorgeous barns and acres of pastoral pasture land.
All of these exceptional barns, trainers, breeders, and opportunities truly represent only a tiny fraction of what the Willamette Valley has to offer to horse lovers of every persuasion. For news, updates, great articles, and a comprehensive directory of sporthorse-related businesses, including barns and trainers in the area, please refer to Flying Changes magazine.
Published on:Â Nov 30, 2012