There is a rich and extensive equestrian history in the Gathering Farm area of Bridge Street in Hamilton. From the early 1900’s through the 1960’s, the Clark Family owned the mansion, stables and antique buildings that comprised this estate property . As a successful racing facility, the original farm sat on over 100 acres of land and was home to a mile long race track and several breeding and training barns. In the 1970’s the US Equestrian Team (USET) moved their headquarters to the farm. Under the tutelage of the famous Jack LeGeoff, riders from all over the country came to Gathering Farm to train in the sport of eventing.
In the mid-1980s, the original 100 acres was subdivided into 20 parcels, including equestrian and non-equestrian properties. Unfortunately, during this subdivision process, the equestrian trails were not protected with trail easements. For many years, riders continued to enjoy the use of these trails under the informal “handshake agreement” between neighbors. One of the favorite places to visit has been “Yellow House Field,” a private property located just north of Gathering Farm that includes soccer fields and old steeplechase jumps.
At the end of 2012, a section of the trail between the Gathering Farm area and Yellow House Field was permanently closed. Although neighbors & riders assumed that this trail was protected by an easement, research into the original subdivision deed revealed that this was not the case. After unsuccessful attempts to negotiate the re-opening of the original trail, ECTA began work with neighbors on adjacent properties to develop a viable alternative route for this important trail link.
Extensive landowner negotiations have resulted in a permanent equestrian trail easement extending all the way from Bridge Street to the “Magic Trail,” and an agreement from an adjacent landowner to allow equestrian access from the Brackenside driveway to this trail easement. So a solution was reached…but it had a significant price tag attached to it. The trail easement will involve brush clearing, trail resurfacing, new signage and the relocation and extension of fencing. Creating access from the driveway will require cutting two passage ways in a massive mortared stone wall and the installation of new fencing.
With our limited funding for trail work, ECTA must prioritize our expenditures. Trails that are accessible to the public are highest priority, followed by those that are protected by a permanent trail easement, and finally those that are located on private property or are only open to a limited group of trail users. Fortunately, ECTA applied for & received a grant from the American Quarter Horse Association & Tractor Supply Company (The AQHA Step Grant) for $5,000 toward this equestrian trail project. We looked to the neighborhood to close the gap on the remaining deficit.
A neighborhood party, hosted by Liz & Bill Wheaton, brought trail users and landowners together to celebrate our successes on the project thus far, and yielded pledges and donations which brought us very close to the total needed for this extensive trail work.
We broke ground on this project in early December and hope to continue work, weather permitting, through the winter and early spring so that the trail can be opened in time for spring trail use. We would like to thank all of the contributors and our generous landowners who have committed to restoring this crucial link in the trail network. Without the collaboration of ECTA, donors and landowners, trail projects like this would not be possible! If you would like to contribute specifically towards the completion of the Yellow House Field project please contact Ray Denis in the office of Development at 978-468-1133 or Ray@ectaonline.org.