The house is nearing completion and looking wonderful. Again, I have to say Paul is a genius with the details of crafting this house.
The sod is in.
Clinch Mountain view from the driveway.
The outdoor count rumford fireplace is finished.
The kitchen should be finished by Friday--we'll see.
Arched window in family room overlooking Clinch Mountain.
View from upstairs bedroom overlooking lots 10 & 11.
This summer I have been thinking a lot about the 14 years I have spent with my horse Burke. It seems like a long time, with a million memories to show for each and every year. But at the same time it has raced by, and as he ages I can’t help but feel anxious wondering how many more great memories will we create? It was in this reflective mood that I started browsing through old pictures. I realized that even though we’ve been together for so long there were surprisingly few photographs to cherish. So, I decided to hire an equine photographer to come to the farm and take some portraits of my boy. I have to say it was one of the best things I have ever done!
After some searching I found a photographer who does equestrian work on the local East Tennessee Hunter/Jumper circuit. Julie Poole is a Knoxville resident who specializes in horse and dog photography. She really captures the spirit of the animal, be it a head shot of your prized stallion or a photo finish of your racing whippet! She had a spring special going on that waived the farm call fee if there were three or more participants, so I just had to get boarders Nikki and Kim to join in.
The scheduled day arrived. After much horse bathing and clipping, we three girls finally headed down to the house to shower and get ready. The afternoon was hot and hazy, worsened by the drought this summer. Sure enough, as we prepped for the shoot a thunderstorm rolled in and rained like crazy. When Julie called to reschedule we were forlorn. It turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise, because the very next day we proceeded with the shoot under a brilliant, freshly washed blue sky.
The day was perfect. Julie started the afternoon with head shots under the leafy trees. Then we moved on to riding and jumping in the ring. Since Julie was able to enter the arena (unlike at a horse show), she was able to get some really unique artistic shots. She used various lenses to get wide angle effects, and she was even game enough to crouch next to the landing side of a 3’6” vertical to capture Kim and Gracie landing in grand prix style. That shot will make Gracie’s sale ad for sure!
The grand finale was held in the rolling Tralee fields at sunset. As we loped bareback into the sunset and lolled across our horses sun-kissed necks, Julie captured what we all agree are our favorite moments. I am so glad to have the photos of my boy. His golden chestnut coat and chocolate eye sparkling in the sun shows that horse that I love—one that has a frosting of grey hairs to mark the years we have spent together. Even better, Kim and Nikki got to avoid the mistake I made. They now have top quality photos of themselves and their horses, young and in their prime, which I am sure they will treasure as the years go by. To see all the images from that day, go to www.juliepoole.com, and click on “The Farm at Tralee” in the gallery link.
Knoxville, being one of Tennessee’s four largest cities and the largest city in the region, is home to a number of heath systems that extend their services to East Tennesseans through their major medical centers as well as the placement of branch centers and specialty clinics around Knox and its surrounding counties. As a result, East Tennessee residents have long been the beneficiaries of cutting-edge medical technologies. With seventeen major hospitals in the area (many of them award-winning), as well as a multitude of specialty clinics, East Tennesseans have access to outstanding healthcare options.
It is hard to understate the importance of the Baptist Health System to the region. Consisting of three major hospitals, the Baptist Hospital for Women, and the Baptist Senior Center, the Baptist Health System specializes in the treatment of senior health, women’s health, as well as cancer, heart, and eye health. Baptist Health System’s flagship hospital, located in downtown Knoxville, has been repeatedly named a Top 100 Hospital and a Top 100 Cardiovascular Hospital. In 2006, renovations on this facility were completed, updating the chapel, the medical surgical unit, intensive care unit, and some waiting areas.
The Covenant Health System consists of several regional hospitals including Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, Parkwest Medical Center (a Top 100 Heart Hospital), Methodist Medical Center of Oak Ridge, Fort Loudon Medical Center, and Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center. The Thompson Cancer Survival Center provides the newest cancer treatments and diagnostics in three area locations; a fourth location is under construction at this time. Covenant Health boasts the delivery of 3,043 babies at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in 2006 (including 66 sets of twins, eight sets of triplets, and a set of quadruplets!). Also in 2006, Parkwest Medical Center graduated the largest class in history from its Peninsula Behavioral Health division.
St. Mary’s Health System includes four hospitals and a number of centers throughout East Tennessee; its flagship Medical Center has served the region for nearly 75 years providing women’s services, cancer care, orthopedics, and cardiac care, among others. A Top 100 Hospital, St. Mary’s Medical Center provides quality care with five star ratings from HealthGrades in a number of service areas. For 2007, major improvements to the System include the addition of a 72-bed acute-care facility to its North Campus, scheduled to open this fall. Also, St. Mary’s flagship campus will undergo renovations along with the new construction of a $100 million patient tower.
The University of Tennessee Medical Center (UTMC) serves as the region’s Level I Trauma Center. An academic hospital in the University Health System, Inc., UTMC employees focus on education, including research and discovery of new and emerging treatments. The UTMC is but one of several centers in a regional network. Other centers include the Brain and Spine Institute, the Cancer Institute, the Heart Lung Vascular Institute, and the Center for Women’s Health. In 2006, UTMC opened its Heart and Stroke Center, as well as the Tom and Katherine Black neonatal intensive care unit. This $4.8 million unit added 29 private rooms for East Tennessee’s tiniest and most fragile citizens.
For more information on East Tennessee’s medical facilities, including a comprehensive list of major medical centers, click here.
Tonight on Live at Five, Russell Biven did a great job of covering the story that we have been sharing here, here, and here. As you can see in the video, the roofers are hammering in the final pieces of slate. With a few final touches, the bridge will be done. During filming, Jeremy said that he will be finishing the Part IV of the bridge installment soon, so check back for the latest updates.
Construction of the model home is underway on Lot 35. The foundation was completed last week and the framing of the model begins today. From the back yard patio, this beautiful home site boasts miles and miles of a thousand shades of green rising into the peaks of House and Clinch mountains. Construction is projected to take approximately 6 months to complete.
Lot 23 contains one of the most spectacular views of Mt. LeConte, which is part of the reason that Talbott chose this site for his future home. To match these spectacular views, he has selected Greenwich, Connecticut based Shope, Reno, Wharton to design his home. Below is a picture of one of their designs, which fits nicely with other designs used in The Farm at Tralee.
Listed in Architectural Digest's Top Architects and Designers, Shope, Reno, Wharton carefully crafts their home designs to match the landscape where the home is built. One of their principle design goals is to integrate the residential experience with the home's natural surroundings.
Talbott intends to begin construction after the Equestrian Center is completed and relocated.
11 Miles from The Farm at Tralee, sits one of the nation's best classic golf courses. Holston Hills C.C. was built in 1927 and designed by Donald Ross. It is widely considered to be one of the more original Donald Ross designs left in the
Holston Hills C.C.
5200 Holston Hills Rd
Knoxville, TN 37914
(865) 523-4119
There are several other options for equestrians in Knoxville beyond what I’ve already mentioned. Believe it or not, Knoxville has a local polo club called the Sassafras Polo Club. They practice and play tournaments in the summers, and it is a thrilling game to watch.
Knoxville also boasts a local foxhunting club, the Tennessee Valley Hunt Club. Not only do we have great coverts in east Tennessee, but we are also located within a day’s drive of some of America’s most famous hunt country in Virginia. For children, nothing quite compares to the United States Pony Club, an organization that encourages young riders to grow as horsepeople.
The Pony Club has different levels that a rider advances through by taking tests. The tests involve not only mounted skills, but general horse care and barn management skills. Plus, the camaraderie and friendships are hard to beat. Once you are over the age of 18, pony clubs are not an option. However, riders going to college often choose to attend a school that hosts an Intercollegiate Equestrian Team. Regional schools that have an equestrian team include the University of Tennessee, Maryville College, University of the South, and more. For those of you who prefer to be out of the arena, Knoxville and the surrounding areas also have a community of trail riders, competitive trail riders, and endurance riders. Last but not least, there many horse lovers who are no longer riding, perhaps because of time, convenience, or an old injury. For riders and non-riders alike, volunteering with local horse organizations provides a way to share your knowledge and spend quality time with wonderful equines and people.
Non-profit organizations like Shangri-La Therapeutic Academy of Riding, or STAR, offer a tremendous service to our community by providing a unique therapy opportunity for disabled children. Horse Haven of Tennessee (www.horsehavenoftn.com) is a non-profit dedicated to rescuing neglected or abused equines. These organizations need support from our community to keep up their good work.
With so much to do in east Tennessee, it’s a wonder the stalls ever get cleaned! And to think that I’ve only scratched the surface…after all, there is a whole other “Western” world out there.
Beyond Hunter/Jumpers, there are other disciplines that riders at Tralee enjoy. Primarily, 3-Day Eventing (or just Eventing for short) is a fascinating sport that is best compared to an equestrian triathlon. At the most advanced levels, Events take place over the course of 3 days, where each day a different discipline is displayed. A horse and rider have to be very versatile and connected as a team to excel in this sport. Day 1 is a test of precision, obedience, grace, harmony, and athletic skill as horse and rider complete what is known as a dressage test. Dressage is a sport all its own, and it is ridden in an arena without any jumps involved. Dressage is like dancing with your horse—a display of different gaits, patterns, and movements meant to show the judge the natural beauty and ability of the horse. Horses playing together in a field can display breathtaking grace and energy, trotting powerfully with their back legs engaging deeply under their bodies, their front legs seemingly skimming the ground, their necks arched high and their backs round and supple. This comes natural to the horse! However, it can take a lifetime or longer to achieve the communication with your horse such that he can produce these qualities on command. Dressage is a French word that literally translates as “training”, and many riders would agree that dressage is without doubt the foundation of all other riding.
However, the task does not end there for Eventers! Instead, the same pair that showed delicate grace on day 1 now has to complete the tasks of day 2: the cross country course. Cross country jumping is the heart and soul of Eventing. Riders gallop full speed across fields and through woods, jumping solid and natural type obstacles. The stakes are high—if your horse hangs a leg on a fence, it does not fall down as in Jumpers…instead you are the one who might fall. Horses must splash through water, plunge down vertical banks, and jump over uneven terrain at high speeds. Once again, the successful pairs will do all this with no refusals or falls, and do so within a prescribed time.
On day 3, the often tired and achy pair must again show obedience, precision, and athleticism over a Jumper course in the arena, designed to test how well the horse listens to the rider and provides its best effort after a trying cross country course the day before.
Eventing is thrilling to compete in, and also thrilling to watch. At the highest levels, it is truly incredible to observe such multi-talented riders and horses. Tralee is a fortunate place for Eventers for two reasons. First, many Events are held close by, including at River Glen Equestrian Park a mere 20 minutes away. Moreover, we are a couple hours from the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Events are ranked in difficulty based on a star system, with 4 stars being the highest level. There are only three 4 star Event in the world, two in England and one (the Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event) in Lexington (www.rk3de.org). We usually gather up a group and make an annual trip to watch Rolex at the end of April. If you have a chance to go, it is a spectacle to behold!
Well, Dressage, Eventing, Hunters, and Jumpers are the disciplines I love. However, there is even more to do in Knoxville, and I will wrap up this thread with my last installment on some other English disciplines to enjoy in this area.
The Farm at Tralee announced today that it proudly welcomes Anita and David Hasbury-Snogles of England to ride its trails March 12-14, 2007—one stop during their cross-country trek deemed Horse Quest USA. After liquidating their assets for this cross country adventure, their visit to Tralee is one of the couple’s only stops in East Tennessee.
Through sponsorships and the proceeds from the sale of their house, Anita and David have arranged to spend one year riding from sea to sea, even to Hawaii, riding trails in each state. Along the way, their adventures are being captured in HDTV for broadcast Horse and Country TV, RFDTV, and Best of America by Horseback.
In addition, Anita and David will be raising money for three of their favorite charities: The British Horse Society, International League for the Protection of Horses, and Brooke Hospital For Animals. The couple will both track their progress and accept donations to their charities at their website: www.horsquestusa.com.
During the couple’s short visit, they will begin by riding through the lush pastures at Tralee, and they will also ride a variety of East Tennessee’s trails. Tralee’s resident horse trainer, Katie Settlage, will direct them through their journey through the area’s horse trails.
The Farm at Tralee, developed by Holrob-Smiddy partnership, represents East Tennessee’s premier gated equestrian community located in Strawberry Plains, Tennessee. The planned community was designed to preserve the area’s lush beauty with more than 100 acres of common area in the 200 acre community. With a premier equestrian center, concierge service, and luxurious details, The Farm at Tralee is home to a privileged few.
East Tennessee is blessed with one of the best farriers in the country. Frank Cifaldi is a master at his craft. For him, shoeing horses began in high school when he apprenticed himself to a farrier in Florida for a school project on the various carriers to be had. Frank had always been involved with horses, but like most of us, he had never tried his hand at shoeing until that fateful day. He had a natural talent for working with his hands, crafting a horse hoof with precision. His apprenticeship continued after the project was complete, and his educational journey had really just begun. Years of working on racetracks and broodmare farms gave him the volume of experience that he eventually began to apply to some to the top performance horses on the east coast. Frank works with all types of performance horses, but many of his clients are Hunter/Jumpers and Dressage horses. His skill at correcting faulty shoeing and less-than-perfect hooves have given him such a dedicated following that when he gave up life on the road for a home-based shoeing business, his clientele never wavered. Frank is known as a perfectionist that always strives to better himself. He has won every shoeing competition in the southeast at least once, and one year he won them all. Frank has worked wonders on my horse Burke, who had severely contracted heels and a diagnosis of navicular. He is still going strong, thanks to my vets and my farrier. Thank you Frank!
I hired Mr. Kelley Hunter to help with building these massive arches on Monday, February 5th. Kelley and Adam started setting up shop in the hay storage shed on-site. I helped them along with getting the form built and my mind was jumping with anticipation as I could see those arches in my head even more clearly now that the form was ready to go! When we started milling lumber we soon realized that our power source was inadequate so we used the help of a fine electrician, Mr. Ken, and he set us up nicely to continue full steam ahead.
After what seemed to be endless preparation on our shop, we finally were ready to begin lamination of the arches. We had made a makeshift clamping system and on Wednesday, February 14th, it was finally tested and we had our first two laminations glued and clamped. There was a sense of excitement and anticipation as we saw the oak being placed on the form. A little more tweaking and the system was ready for full production.
The arches, when complete, will reach a mere 48 feet and four inches. With four arches total, we have a total of 193 feet and four inches of arch to laminate. There will be over 3200 lineal feet of 1 X 8 red oak totaling around 8000 pounds of oak arches! We are using 16 laminations to reach our 12 inch thickness.
The first arch was ready to be removed from the form after three days of work but remained until I was able to have a forklift delivered on-site. The beam reacted superbly when it was lifted, keeping its form quite well and no cracking was herd. On February the twenty first, we placed the beam on benches for prep.
We have missed seeing Sarah at the farm lately. Sarah is one of the “regulars”, but lately she has been having sinus headaches that just won’t go away! She has had to take a break from riding and stay out of this nasty weather, but hopefully she’ll be better soon. Here is a beautiful picture of Sarah and Gracie this fall…they are sooo cute together it should be criminal!
Last week, Kim, Nikki, and I joined my friend Buff Cavender for a trial ride at Big South Fork. It was a first for Kim and Decadence, and for Cadbury as well. All went well and the horses were great. The day started off freezing, but it warmed up nicely throughout the 17 mile ride. Buff is a trail riding expert. She knows all the trails in the area, and Big South Fork is one of her favorite destinations.
Knoxville
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Decadence is new to crossing water, but the trail offered many confidence-building opportunities to cross some small inviting creeks. Soon she was a pro, and by the time we descended down to the river gorge and met up with dozens of huge iced puddles she was happily crunching her way across them. At one point Nikki took the lead in this area, and she too crunched through the puddles. Then we decided to take advantage of this long flat stretch, and Nikki took up to a canter. Kim and I were right behind, and had a great view as Nikki rounded the corner and approached a large puddle with a large branch arcing across the top of in, smack in the middle of the trail. She and Cadbury just sailed over it, and Kim and I gave each other one quizzical look before it was too late…we all said afterward that it was a bona fide “training moment” and now Nikki can say she has done her first “water complex” with Caddy.
Well, wintertime has arrived, and the horses are bundled up in their blankets. The grass is dormant, but we have some pastures that were not grazed this summer, and they still have quite a bit of grass--albeit sad looking grass! For the time being, the grazing is still pretty good. Winter’s early sunset has been a difficult adjustment, and I have had to do some riding under the arena lights. It is so odd to be riding at 5:30 in the dark and have every fiber of your body screaming that it is NIGHT TIME. We should be eating dinner, reading, and going to bed soon, yet in the summer, I think nothing of riding at 7:30pm! Winter also makes it hard for students who are in school to get out to the barn and ride before dark, and we are all looking forward to days that stay bright a little longer.
Nevertheless, winter riding can be very enjoyable in several ways. Riders do not to feel the cold much because of all the exercise that we get. Also, trail rides are nice this time of year because you can really see through the woods and get great mountain views and wildlife sightings (if you can spot them! I rode right past a turkey the other day and didn’t see her until we almost stepped on her). Winter riding gives you time to focus on your riding goals and make improvements in preparation for the upcoming show season.
One of the challenges of winter riding is that your horse will often get really sweaty under a full winter coat of hair, and then they get chilled once the ride is over. The solution is to body clip your horse. Body clipping shortens the hair so that the sweat evaporates and your horse stays clean and dry. It is very convenient, but you must blanket a clipped horse. There are several styles of body clipping. Burke has a full clip, in which all but his leg hair is clipped off. Al has a trace clip, which removes the lower half of his body hair and allows him to stay dry without being totally bare.
For the past few weeks, we have enjoyed the comfort of the Count Rumford fireplace at the Pavilion. Every Sunday, Paul has arrived well before any open house visitors to create a masterpiece in the Count Rumford fireplace. With great care, he has laid base logs along the back of the stand and then stacked the front logs vertically to create an inviting, warm fire.
At first, we thought that this style of fire was a Count Rumford, but Paul clarified that the Count Rumford was the fireplace. Wikipedia helped to clarify:
Rumford fireplaces are tall and shallow to reflect more heat, and they have streamlined throats to eliminate turbulence and carry away the smoke with little loss of heated room air.
Rumford fireplaces were common from 1796, when Count Rumford first wrote about them, until about 1850. Jefferson had them built at Monticello, and Thoreau listed them among the modern conveniences that everyone took for granted. There are still many original Rumford fireplaces, often buried behind newer renovations.
Count Rumford, for whom the fireplace is named, was born Benjamin Thompson in Woburn, Massachusetts in 1753 and, because he was a loyalist, he left (abruptly) with the British in 1776. He spent much of his life as an employee of the Bavarian government where he received his title, "Count of the Holy Roman Empire." Rumford is known primarily for the work he did on the nature of heat.
Each homeowner, may enjoy the luxury of the Count Rumford in their own outdoor fireplace. Under the Covenants and Restrictions, each homeowner must build an outdoor fireplace. While this may seem to be an odd restriction, Tralee is largely about developing a community where people enjoy the beauty of the land and the company their neighbors.
The Farm at Tralee currently has a pretty 6-stall barn on the property, and I am happy to say we have 6 beautiful horses to fill each stall. Each horse has a unique story. Today, I would like tell you about the two lesson horses owned by Tralee. Archer and Al are two of the best lesson horses I could anticipate. Both are very experienced and intelligent, but other than that they differ completely.
Archer is a huge bay Holsteiner gelding. He came to us after he suffered a femur injury in a pasture, and his owners knew that this horse that was once so valuable and talented now faced an uncertain future. They wanted to find a good home for him, and Tralee took a chance and bought him hoping he would recover from his injury and be rideable again. In May, Archer went back to the University of Tennessee vet school for his final bone scan, and it showed that he was completely healed! We were so happy for Archer, because he is still young and has a lot of life in him. Now, Archer is back to normal again, and he is a pleasure to ride. Archer has an adorable personality…a bit lazy under saddle, a bit of a ham in the crossties, and a bit demanding about having his itchy places scratched for the full duration of his itchiness.
Al is a 19 year old thoroughbred that is very educated and fun to ride. He has a funny personality—sometimes sensitive and makes little grunts of annoyance if things are not going his way (i.e. if he’s getting into trouble and thinks he might be close to getting spanked…the dreaded spanking!). Al sees dead people…in the bushes, behind the trailer, in the wash stall. He is one of my favorites because he is so funny and is great for teaching many different riders.
Well, this is my first entry for The Farm at
A fairly common question that I have had about The Farm at Tralee is: "How far will I have to drive to get groceries?" The short answer to this, zero miles--have the concierge pick up your milk. While that may seem dreamy in many communities, it is an option at Tralee.
I did, however, think that it would be nice to show on a map the golf, shopping, arts and cultural attractions, and dining that is within a short distance of Tralee. On this Tralee-map, you can see those a collection of those items.
If you have a suggestion, please leave me a comment and I will try to add your suggestion to the map.
A great deal of thought has gone into making Tralee a beautiful place to come home to, starting with this graceful entrance constructed of limestone and brick with gates crafted from Honduran mahogany. Imagine watching these gates swing open and knowing you are home.
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