It’s a sublime morning on Brays Island and the trail is teeming with life. A red fox emerges in search of a meal while an alligator sunbathes on the riverbank. A Mississippi kite banks above the treeline.
Fred and his wife Liz are here, trotting aboard Ely and Cash, their Tennessee Walking Horses. As they rustle through this Lowcountry hideout, they’ve found the natural immersion that keeps them coming back.
“We’re all from different corners of the world, and it’s our love of the island that brings us together,” says Fred of the Brays Island community. Besides a childhood trip to Wyoming, he didn’t have many opportunities to ride as an adult. Liz, on the other hand, grew up on horseback with equestrian as a large part of her New Orleans upbringing. It wasn’t until they stumbled upon Brays Island that they began sharing the experience together.
“No question, Equestrian Director Nicole Palazzo helped make this all possible,” exclaims Liz. “Not only did she help us find Ely and Cash, but she looks after them closely and has inspired us to ride as a couple. Brays Island is lucky to have her.”
Palazzo, a Brays Island fixture, attests to a larger number of couples riding together and credits a mix of encouragement and education. “Industry-wide, we’re seeing a shift to improved safety and teaching methods. With that in mind, it’s been a pleasure seeing Liz, Fred and a handful of other couples refine the proper technique while sharing the joy of trail riding.”
Since the plantation’s earliest beginnings, equestrian has been an important part of life at Brays Island. Today, you’ll find horses grazing in our lush pastures, trotting across 60 miles of well-maintained trails or at the Equestrian Center, which houses 51 stalls.