by Sara Daves, special correspondent

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Just a short drive out of suburban Chesterfield County rests a hidden treasure waiting for horse enthusiasts at Campbell Springs Farm on River Road. Situated on over 400 acres, the farm encompasses natural settings such as ponds, wooded areas and open fields for horseback riding.

Just ask Campbell Springs’ boarder Gigi Amateau, who says she has never seen a more beautiful place. Amateau, and her 15-year-old daughter Judith, have ridden together for over a decade. She explained how her daughter’s hobby developed into a passion for both. She and Judith ride together every chance they get.  “[Judith] looked like she was having so much fun that I started riding too,” she said.  “She’s a much better rider than I am,” Amateau admitted. “Judith [participates in] shows; I just ride for fun.” 

They discovered Campbell Springs Farm about a year ago, and have been more than pleased with the experience during a tough time with their beloved horse Albert. “The people at Campbell Springs have been really wonderful about his care,” she said.

Albert, a geriatric Cremello-Appaloosa, recently won a serious battle with cancer. Last spring, Albert’s eye was surgically removed. It took several months for him to adjust and learn how to compensate, but he found comfort in the close attention he received from the CSF staff, and developed a special friendship with his new best friend – a horse named Winter.

Inspired by Albert’s struggle, Amateau penned a novel called “Chancey of the Maury River.” She recalls the time after Albert’s surgeries when he endured post-surgical care consisting of hot-eye-compresses to be administered five times a day. Even though they were still new to the barn, she noticed a tremendous outpouring of love and support for Albert.

“We live in the city which made it impossible for us to get here that often. But Ken, the barn manager, and other staff members went above and beyond to take care of him. And they were happy to do it,” she said.

With her book tour taking her out of town periodically, she has peace-of-mind.  “Even people I didn’t know very well expressed their concern and care for Albert - and for us. I don’t worry about our horses when I’m gone,” she said.

Owner Wayne Campbell established Campbell Springs Farm in 1993. He has worked diligently to create a warm and positive atmosphere for lessons, training and care.  “I bought the original 109 acres over a decade ago,” he said. “We had a cattle operation, and then switched over to a horse operation with just ten stalls in the South barn.”

Later he added another 20 stalls. By 2005, the North barn was complete with 34 stalls, a full-sized covered arena, dressage ring and outdoor ring. The total cost for the upgrade was over $500,000. “We put in the cross country years ago and didn’t have the instructors on a daily basis, and we now have that,” he said.

He’s also added 13 new jumps in the cross country area. Campbell is steadily getting the word out to eventers and is pleased to add, “Our facility is state-of-the-art to anything in the area.”
Campbell is enjoying watching the growth and positive transformation of his farm. With the 20-acre lay-out for eventing, he says he is ready for the change. “We want to be known as the eventing barn,” he said. “On every corner there is a hunter barn or a jumper barn which are the necessary courses to get to the level of the eventing barn.”
He says the farm’s success has allowed him to recruit the right players, which he describes as God-sent. “We have some pretty outstanding instructors,” he added.

Lauren Hansen, with horse Done Deal, warms up for the cross country portion of Short Course Times held on Sunday, Dec. 7 at Campbell Springs Farm.

One of those key players is Nicole Smith, an instructor and show organizer for the farm. A boarder with CSF for about four years, she slowly began to lend a hand with lesson programs, boarding and consulting.  Today, she teaches lessons regularly and assists with business management. She coordinates more than five on-site shows annually through her business, Riverfield Equestrian, LLC. As an instructor, Smith concentrates on making sure the kids are having a good time while keeping the emphasis on safety. It’s important to her that the students get the basic skills down. “I like to develop a thinking rider and not a rider who just waits for me to tell them what to fix,” she said.

Smith is demanding for that reason. “I want them to progress. I’m not out there to see them do the same thing for a year,” she added.

CSF has a diverse age-range of beginner students. The average age for beginners is between 7 and 10 years old. It’s rare to see young boys take up the sport of horseback riding, but certainly encouraged at CSF.

Why is it such a female dominated sport? “I think girls just love horses. Horses are a fantasy – [girls ask for] a pony for Christmas and some of us are lucky enough to actually get the horse when we’re younger,” Smith said.

Northern Virginia native Dana Bivens fully realized her passion for horses at age 20.  Bivens juggles her position as instructor at CSF with a full-time student schedule at Virginia Commonwealth University. History and Environmental Science drives her studies, but her life-long passion for horseback riding is a gift.  “It takes precedent over studies because the horses are what I want to do for a living,” she said.

As a child, Bivens landed an opportunity to receive lessons from an Olympic trainer for several years.  “[My trainer] taught me so much about communicating with horses in ways that is non-confrontational,” she said.

CSF discovered Bivens through her own self-promotion. She posted up fliers when she got to town, hoping to find an ideal environment to teach riding lessons and board her two horses, Lucky and Lucy.
Bivens teaches ten students on a regular basis and takes calls for the occasional lesson. The most difficult part about teaching for her is that there are a thousand ways to teach the same thing and that sometimes creates a challenge. She continuously strives to make the learning process positive and mutually beneficial to the rider and horse. “Whenever you’re learning something that’s different, it takes a while to become accustomed and for it to start to work,” she said.

Bivens added that it can be tense during the initial period of accommodating the rider and training the horse. “For the most part, all the people I teach are really receptive and haven’t had to go through the transition. Everyone has been eager to learn,” she said.

Bivens is excited to be an integral part of the progression and expansion of the CSF family.  “The goal is to move in the direction of eventing. We have all the facilities here to accommodate event riders,” she explained.

Through competitions and clinics, CSF is quickly building the reputation as an eventing barn and often attracts riders who trailer-in for lessons. “I would love to have some more eventers in the barn. That would be great,” she said.