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A
Change of Reins for Knoll Farm
The
farm dates back to 1891, when Dr. William Ross, who operated the
Ross Sanitarium, owned it. Norman Gribbons purchased the property
in 1945. Before, during and after World War II, the farm's cows,
chickens, pigs and vegetables provided food for residents of the
sanitarium. In 1961 the sanitarium was sold and the farm shut down.
A local horseman, John O'Connor, boarded horses there for a while,
but David Gribbons, Norman's son, was too preoccupied with other
business endeavors to consider the farm's profit-making possibilities. The
land lay fallow when Anne Gribbons first saw it in 1967. She had
come to the United States as a college student, where she met David.
The two were married in 1969. Anne, who rode in her native Sweden,
remembers asking, "Wouldn't it be nice to keep a horse here?"
That innocent remark was the start of what was to become a lifestyle.
David named the farm for a little rise in one of the fields, a rarity
on the notoriously flat terrain of Long Island. The horse farm started
as a hobby and evolved into a uniquely successful business offering
a lesson program, boarding, training and, later, breeding. It was
incorporated in 1969 under the name Knoll Farm of Suffolk County.
"For the first six years, I was the chief cook and bottle washer,"
Anne recalled. She was also going to school to obtain a Master's
degree in English and philosophy (Anne did her undergraduate work
at Post and received her Master's from Adelphi). When running the
farm became too much for her, David stepped in. With his business
knowledge and experience and Anne's riding and training abilities,
the Knoll Farm developed into a leading equestrian center. PIONEERS
Anne and David Gribbons were pioneers in the Long Island equestrian
community. Anne was classically trained in dressage in Europe, but
the discipline was virtually unknown, or at least misunderstood,
in the New York area when she began to compete in dressage and combined
training with a thoroughbred called Mid-night Sun. The farm had
the first set of dressage letters on Long Island, and when Anne
practiced, she was watched with amusement and skepticism. "People
couldn't under-stand the letters," she recalled. "They
laughed at me." In
those days the Long Island hunter jumper folks thought of dressage
as "circus," or a catchall for horses that couldn't jump.
Anne and David became founding members of the Long Island Dressage
and Combined Training Association, which introduced the first dressage,
shows and promoted education. In the early 1970's Anne bought her
first F.E.I. (International level) dressage horse, a thoroughbred
called Tappan Zee. With the help of trainer Mike Miller, she trained
him to Grand Prix and was invited to try out for the 1976 Olympics. The
American Trakehner Association, of which the Gribbon's were also
founding members, was headquartered at the Knoll Farm for its first
nine years. Anne and David introduced European warmbloods to Long
Island, starting with two Trakehner weanlings purchased in Virginia:
Bagatelle, who became their breeding stallion, and Batosta, a mare
that competed in dressage and eventing and died, tragically, of
an aneurysm at age six. When
they were able to start importing horses, Swedish Warmbloods were
a natural choice. "I grew up with Anne
and David built one of the first indoor arenas in the area, which
still stands today. The first recognized Knoll Farm Dressage Show
was held in 1973. In 1980 the Knoll Farm was designated a selection
show for the 1980 Olympics, although a political boycott resulted
in the substitute Olympics in Goodwood, England. Newsday ran a headline
July 20, 1980: "A Day at Knoll Farm Instead of Moscow."
During the 1980s the farm hosted three selection shows and attracted
such prominent riders as John Winnett, Hilda Gurney, Jessica Ransehausen,
Sandy Howard, Kay Meredith, Edith Master and others. Knoll Farm
became well known throughout the industry for the horses bred and
trained there, the success of its students and Anne's contributions
to the sport as rider, trainer, judge and member of numerous committees. Looking back on their accomplishments, David Gribbons said, "Anne and I have done something that I wish our fathers were alive to see. Neither one thought we could make a success of this business. We are extremely proud. We are leaving a legacy to the new owners." Metallic and Other Horses
Anne Gribbons cites Metallic, whom she rode to a silver team medal
at the 1995 Pan Am Games, as her most famous dressage horse. When
a tumor on the inside of her leg curtailed her riding, she leased
the gray Dutch Warmblood to Robert Dover, under the sponsorship
of Jane Clark. Dover and Metallic were members of the bronze medal
team at the 1986 Olympics in Atlanta. Metallic,
who was basically unbeaten from first level through Grand Prix in
his career, is presently retired on Martha's Vineyard. "He
was unique in that he went from the Pan Am Games directly to the
Olympics," said Anne. "He was capable of all the Grand
Prix movements when he went to the Pan Am Games. Very few horses
can make that step." She pointed out that Metallic went to
three major team trials with three different riders. Leonardo II, a Holsteiner, competed in Europe and was a Pan Am alternate. Among Anne's fondest memories is a winning freestyle at Devon on Amazonas, a Trakehner that made a miraculous recovery from a rare ear infection and went on to compete again. Anne learned from the many horses she worked with and has trained at least a dozen to Grand Prix level. With a horse called Genius, Anne performed musical exhibitions at Belmont and Gulfstream Parks and at a Mozart festival on Long Island. She enjoys freestyle and looks upon it as a way of introducing classical horsemanship to the public. THE FUTURE LOOKS BRIGHT FOR THE KNOLL FARM
Andrea
Mercier has a hunter jumper background and is studying dressage
with Anne, who describes her as "brave, talented, enthusiastic
and passionate." Andrea received her first introductions to
dressage while residing at Verden Park, a European horse import
and breeding farm in Maryland. There she was under the guidance
and tutelage of Lida Schmegerlatt, an Australian who was placed
on the "long list " in dressage for the 2000 Olympic games
in Sydney, with her horse Fenton. She also received instruction
from Rainer Schmergerlatt. Rainer was on the U.S. Grand Prix jumper
scene for some time but moved back to his original home, Germany.
Andrea has recently purchased Don Extra, a hanovarian that is on
the USET's Grand Prix list, from Anne Gribbons. She plans on purchasing
a younger Grand Prix prospect, debuting with Don Extra at the shows
next spring 2002 and traveling to the Florida shows with Anne. The
Gribbons barn houses several impressive horses: Christine Graf's
Nicolai, a Swedish Warmblood starting Grand Prix; Aureate, a talented,
golden-colored Swedish Warmblood; Kathy Dargo's Peconic, working
at fourth level and Prix St. Georges; Hanita Rosenboim's Sundance,
also at Grand Prix; Terri Stantman's Cassique, a relative of Don
Extra; and Nordic, a three-year-old Danish Warmblood stallion just
being broken, who is related to Leonardo. The
17.1-acre farm is an oasis in the middle of Brentwood. It stands
as a testimony to the survival of the horse in suburbia and Author's note: In 1980 I was invited to officiate as Technical Delegate at the Knoll Farm selection show. Having just been granted my license, I had trepidations. When I called the American Horse Shows Association to ask if I should bow out, I was told, "Don't worry. The Knoll Farm always runs a perfect show." It turned out to be true, and it was a wonderful experience for me. |
The
sale of the Knoll Farm in May 2001 did not break a longtime tradition.
The landmark farm in Brentwood, changed ownership as smoothly as
a Grand Prix horse executes a flying lead change. "We want
to continue the history of Knoll Farm and operate a premier dressage
facility on Long Island," said Andrea Mercier. Her parents
Pete and Bonnie Mercier, have partnered for ownership of the farm
with Andrea assisting them as a trainer and instructor.. Anne and
David Gribbons will remain on the scene, as they have leased a ten-stall
barn under the name Knoll Dressage and will divide their time between
Long Island and Florida.
Swedish
horses," said Anne, "but I've ridden horses of many breeds."
By 1974 Knoll Farm was breeding warmbloods, standing 15 stallions
over the years. Among them was the Trakehner Malachit, whom Anne
showed in hand at Devon to win three grand championships in a row.
Knoll Farm became the first on the east coast to do artificial insemination
in the late 1970s.
The
future looks bright for the Knoll Farm. Pete Mercier says he would
like to maintain the integrity of Knoll Farm while making improvements
and positive complimentary changes. The Mercier's planned to build
a spacious apartment over the hayloft of the original barn. 
to the efforts of Anne and David Gribbons. "David and I will
miss the farm, which was our creation, but we are delighted that
it has been taken over by people who will continue along our lines,"
said Anne. "We will support them in any way we can."