A
Change of Reins for Knoll Farm
By Paula Rodenas
(Excerpt from Horse Directory, June 2001)
Andrea Mercier
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.
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 
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.
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
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.
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 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."
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.
Andrea Mercier with
her parents Bonnie & Pete Mercier
