Gadsden Equestrian facility hosts Monticello Horse Community Event

Patricia Smith
ECB Publishing, Inc.

A new equestrian facility has opened with the opportunity for Jefferson and surrounding counties' hunter/jumper horse riders to compete in Gadsden County.
The Forgotten Coast Horse Shows are a locally developed community horse show series by Dacia Johnson, owner of Monticello’s First Flight Farm LLC., her daughter Riley Haines, and Alice Buford, the owner of Coventry Farms in Tallahassee. On Saturday, Dec. 11, all three horsewomen hit the road and headed to Harley’s Hollow located in Chattahoochee, Fla., where Harley’s Hollow hosted their first equestrian event and jumper show for the Forgotten Coast community.
Harley’s Hollow Farm is a new equestrian facility owned by Steve and Sarah “Harley” Bolinder, who also own the Chop Barber Shop franchise they started in 2015 that quickly became a popular success. The equestrian facility has a deep-rooted family history for Sarah. When she and Steve discovered the farm was being marketed for sale, they quickly made the purchase. Sarah’s parents owned the old farmhouse, barns, and 72 acres of land where equestrian events were once hosted, but her father passed away in 2002. The sadness of his untimely death was more than her mother could bear and the facility was sold, leaving a legacy of memories behind for Sarah and her family.
Steve and Sarah have been working nonstop, day and night, putting in hard hours to restore the property, build jumps, and do all the planning that goes with holding successful horse show events. They are thankful for guidance from Dacia Johnson, who has been in constant contact with them assuring them that the community riders would love it.
The large grass arena was spacious and many of the competitor’s expressed how thankful they were to have been able to experience it with intentions of registering for future horse shows at the newly opened farm.
Sarah is passionate about her and Steve’s newfound lifestyle. There are times when she glances out toward a pasture remembering lost times, “My father’s dream and legacy have lived to fight another day.”
Steve and Sarah have three children of their own and look forward to adding new family memories to the old ones for the long-standing legacy that her father has left behind.