FENCE to honor Mahlers in 70^th annual Steeplechase

 

By Michael O’Hearn

michael.ohearn@tryondailybulletin.com

“The Tryon Hunting & Riding Club is pleased to run the 70^th annual Block House Steeplechase races in honor of the Mahler family,” Kathryn Cunningham, executive director of the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club, said. “Several generations of the Mahlers have been very generous of their support of TR&HC and FENCE.”

 

When the Block House property was sold to a California developer, the future of the Steeplechase was up in the air during the 1980s as it had held at the Block House property since its inception in 1947 by Carter Brown.

 

“It was important to save the Steeplechase because of the funds it raised for the community,” Pete said, with Nancy adding, “It sometimes brings in as many as 20,000 people a year.”

 

The family’s passion for equestrian activities can be traced back to Ernst Mahler, who was born in Austria in 1887. He then immigrated to Neenah, Wisc. in 1914.

 

While passing through Tryon in 1935 on a trip back to Wisconsin from Florida, Ernst ended up buying 140 acres for the Chinquapin Farm. During his time in Tryon, Ernst became associated with the equestrian organizations in Tryon, having served on the board of the TR&HC.

 

When Ernst passed away in 1967, his children carried on his legacy by continuing their support of local equestrian organizations.

 

After the Block House property changed hands several times during the 1970s, it fell on the Tryon Riding & Hunting Club to find a solution to continue the Steeplechase.

 

Five leaders of the organization, including president Gus Hoffman, came together and asked Pete’s mother, Carol, for assistance. She agreed to donate her land, and the creation of the Foothills Equestrian Nature Center occurred as a result with 117 acres of the Chinquapin Farm donated for the property.

 

According to Norman Powers, author of The Innkeeper, the Steel Man and the Tumbledown Ruin: A Brief History of the Block House Steeplechase, found on the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club website, the Block House ran its first Steeplechase at FENCE, which featured a new track in terrain that resembled a bowl, in 1988.

 

“Through Mrs. Mahler’s generosity and the Tryon Riding and Hunt Club’s determination to secure a future for the Block House races,” Powers wrote, “the Foothills Equestrian and Nature Center was born, featuring a new, six-and-a-half furlong course designed and built by the late Colonel David Sandlin.”

 

Sandlin was a member of FENCE and the Tryon Riding & Hunt Club before his passing in August 1991. The racecourse at FENCE is named in his honor.

 

“I think it means a lot to the community to have FENCE,” Nancy said. “They do a lot for kids, and it’s not just the equestrian side but also the nature side like Go Fly a Kite Day, the summer camps and the Armchair Travelers. They coordinate school curriculum and there’s a lot of stuff that is aimed at kids.”

 

Included with the 117-acre donation was the added stipulation that FENCE becomes a charitable 501c3 organization, and the center serves as an outdoor nature and education center. A 70-acre racecourse exists on one side of Hunting Country Road. On the other side is the nature preserve and education center. FENCE is also the home of Therapeutic Riding of Tryon, or TROT.

 

The Pacolet Area Conservancy also protects FENCE through permanent easements and Carol’s request was that it never be developed. Nancy refers to it as a “community green space.”

 

“I’d like to see it continue right on the same path it is on,” Pete said. “Being diverse is something that the county can be proud of. If FENCE ever goes under, the land will go back to the county to be undeveloped.”

 

The center has since expanded to 384 acres thanks to contributions made by the Mahler family. However, don’t expect the Mahlers to take credit for the work they have contributed to the place since the 1980s.

 

“A lot of what has made FENCE great is the volunteers and the contributions that have come in to help,” Nancy said. “Continuing what it is doing now is what we would like to see after we pass and we’ve been quietly supporting it ever since the beginning.”

 

Although they say they feel honored to be recognized at this year’s Steeplechase, they want to continue flying under the radar. Nancy said she loves seeing the children come out to the event each year in their hats and dresses.

 

“I love seeing the families, teenagers, kids and dogs running around FENCE at Steeplechase each year,” Nancy said. “I especially like the girls in their sundresses. It’s like a zoo, though.”

 

Pete said he hopes to see FENCE remain a part of the community. He and Nancy will continue their support of the center with their family of three children and seven grandchildren.

 

“Having worked there for so long, you begin to get motherly with the place,” Nancy said. “I hope the industry is strong, although I think it took a hit when the recession came. I just think it’s an amazing community that can back the things at FENCE and I hope it continues.”