RICHMONDVILLE — Sunday, October 5th, marked Fairbanks Stable's 20th anniversary in business. Built from the ground up by Faye Benedict Smith and her husband Kenneth Smith, Fairbanks Stable is a horse boarding and training facility in Richmondville, New York. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, they wanted to share the history of the land it was built on and how it still remains relevant in the farm that stands there today.
The story of the farm begins over 200 years ago, when John Richmond was born in Lancashire, England, and emigrated to America around 1800 with his wife, Mary Chorlton, and five children. They lived in Linlithgo, Columbia County, where he established Richmond's Farm. Eventually moving to the area, he bought this farm in 1815 and was an early postmaster of the town, which would later be named after him and be called "Richmondville". John passed in 1829 and left the farm to his son-in-law, Thomas Fairbanks, and his daughter, Jane Richmond. They called it Fairbanks Farm - the earliest name on record.
Thomas Fairbanks farmed and ran a mill on the land until he died in 1840. Both John Richmond and Thomas Fairbanks were buried on the farm.
In 1945, Leslie Bailey purchased the farm, which his son Bill Bailey inherited upon his death. Bill was often seen enjoying driving his pair of grey ponies up and down the dirt road.
In 1966, it was then sold to A. Mackey and changed hands several times until the Benedict Family purchased it in 2002.
When the Benedict Family moved from Dutchess County to Richmondville, Benedict Smith, the eldest of two children, decided to make her love and talent for training horses into a lifelong career. A few years later, she opened Bear Gulch Equestrian Center in 2005.
After a year, Benedict Smith made a name change inspired by the 1840s farm to what is now known as "Fairbanks Stable."
The Benedict family members and Faye's now-husband, Kenneth Smith, erected every structure on the property by hand. Beginning with a stand-alone indoor arena, the horses were stalled in the dairy barn beside the farmhouse until new barns were built. In the following years, a single 12-stall barn was erected, followed by a second one. Since 2020, an additional 12 stalls have been added to the existing barns, and around 60 horses reside on the farm today.
Over the last twenty years, hundreds of horses have been trained and born on the farm, with just as many riders of all ages joining the riding program to learn how to become effective and ethical riders and equestrians under Faye's guidance. Training riders of all riding levels, and horses of all types, Fairbanks Stable has also been highly sought after
since it opened, by SUNY Cobleskill's college students, given its close proximity to campus and its long-standing, positively regarded reputation for high-quality care and Benedict Smith's knowledgeable training.
Today, we thank all the horses and riders who have been a part of this journey over the past twenty years. It has been awe-inspiring to see the growth of the business and all that it has become.
For more information about Fairbanks Stable, visit our website at
FairbanksStables.com.
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