BARN ENVY

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Surrounded by verdant green pastures that stretch to the horizon, with wide-open skies sprawling overhead, one has a palpable sense of the “terroir” that inspired Barbara Ellison in the design and construction of her new Wild Turkey Farm facility in the Willamette Valley wine country town of Wilsonville, Oregon.

The farm’s 215 rolling acres of former Filbert orchard are flanked to the south by a lazy stretch of the Willamette River and straddle the main artery of Oregon’s horse country, Wilsonville Road, with Rich Fellers Stables and other premiere equestrian facilities located just a few miles down the road.

Ellison, a native of the Pacific Northwest, had always maintained fond memories of a childhood riding with Wheylan Meyers and Jay and Claudia Campf, and later, working as a trail guide on Oregon’s beaches. As Wild Turkey Farm, and specifically the stallion operation, began to outgrow its farm in Woodside, California, a return to Oregon, with its tranquility and pristine farmland so close to the “big city” of Portland, made perfect sense.

Wild Turkey Farm Spreads Its Wings

by Molly Knottphotography by Jeff Lennan

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A statue of Wild Turkey Farm’s stallion Liocalyon graces the

entrance to the Training Barn.

After purchasing the Wilsonville property in 2001, Ellison’s top priority was the construction of her retirement horse facilities on the 40-acre riverfront section of the farm. Here, her former show horses and retired broodmares live the good life in the comfort of a gorgeous 15-stall barn and 17 pastures.

The retirement farm is indeed a stunning facility, but Ellison’s real opus unfolds on the other side of Wilsonville Road.

Behind the impressive main gates (custom designed to Ellison’s specifications by Stratford Gates,) the facilities that house Wild Turkey Farm’s breeding and training programs unfurl into the gently sloping distance: three (and counting) enormous barns, an international sized indoor arena, an outdoor arena, two covered Eurocizers,and miles of split rail fencing that stretch for as far as the eye can see.

Just inside the gates, the farm’s welcoming committee is a herd of delightfully curious young “turkeys” - the two-year-old horses,

donning their finest Oregon-grade winter coats. Ellison believes firmly in letting them grow up naturally, with space for play and the opportunity to learn herd dynamics, so the group spends the year living in an 7 acre pasture with a giant 68’ x 72’ communal shelter.

Around 50 or so head of horses are spread between Ellison’s broodmare, stallion, and training barns. That Oregon terroir is evident again in the barns’ display of traditional Pacific Northwest architecture. On the exterior, the massive timber and field stone construction, punctuated with sharp, windowed peaks, echo the local materials and Arts and Crafts lines of the iconic Timberline Lodge on nearby Mt. Hood.

Inside, rich, knotty pine paneling soars to light-filled cupolas, earthy bronze hardware graces every door and fixture, vintage-style industrial lighting lines the aisle ways, and multi-paned picture windows offer emerald, tree-filled views in every direction.

But, while all three barns possess a relaxing, retreat-like feel, each is also a picture of meticulous organization and attention to detail, tailored to its specific activities.

The broodmare barn is situated on an especially quiet portion of the property – near the shaggy two year olds but far from the stallion and training barns – and is loaded with features to accommodate the needs of Wild Turkey’s very special mothers and babies.

When the magic of foaling season takes place each spring, the barn’s 24 stalls are converted to double size, draft-protection panels are slipped into the open-front stall doors, and breeding manager Darlene Mardock spends many nights in the apartment upstairs.

Just beyond Mardock’s office, a custom-designed, fully-equipped mare station, including two palpation/breeding stocks, creates a safe environment for insemination and ultrasound procedures.

In each barn, the aisles and breezeways are either colored, stamped concrete or wall-to-wall rubber bricks. Every stall is attached to an all-weather paddock and has a Nelson waterer and pull out feeder. For convenience, every barn also has its own feed room. (Even the feed rooms will evoke barn envy amongst humans and horses alike, with slide-out, under-cabinet feed canisters and floor to ceiling stacks of treats!)

Some very well-known horses call the stallion barn home, including foundation stallion Liocalyon and Wild Turkey’s newest resident, Gail Morey’s recently-retired Crown Affair. For this 6-stall barn, Ellison upped the standard five foot paddock fencing to six feet for added safety. One entire wing of the barn is dedicated to a state-of-the-art 1,500 square foot breeding shed and lab that Mardock and Ellison designed together.

A short distance away, the 22-stall training barn includes a treadmill area, spacious grooming stations with leg-level lighting, a separate drive-up farrier area, and a dedicated veterinary room for Dr. Scott Hansen of Columbia Equine Hospital. Farm Manager/Assistant Rider Kelli Johnston and Head Trainer Soehnke Theymann also have offices in the training barn.

The attractive red floors in the farm’s numerous offices and rooms aren’t just for looks; they are heated– an especially nice feature for Oregon’s cold, damp winters.

The training barn is attached by covered breezeway to the 125’ x 250’ indoor arena, which boasts east and west facing walls of semi-opaque

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This page: Video cameras being watched on an iMac; the international sized indoor arena.

Opposite page, clockwise from top: Barbara Ellison and Roxy; showjumping superstar mare Summer and her first baby WT Captivate at the AHHA Approvals held at Wild Turkey in 2011. Photo © Mary Cornelius; pull-out Nelson feeders; the main aisle of the Broodmare Barn.

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skylights and giant shuttered windows that can be fully opened or closed depending on weather conditions.

Tom Buckingham of Buckingham Resources, Ltd. served as builder for the project. When the construction was completed – the stallions and competition horses arrived in January of 2011 – a second phase of work began. Operating a facility of this scope and scale is an undertaking not

unlike the proverbial painting of the Golden Gate Bridge and, powered by her passion, Ellison is immensely “hands on” in joining the staff in virtually every aspect of the farm.

On a late winter’s day, this includes removing turnout blankets during a warm mid-day sun break, flagging pastures for maintenance, and supervising a construction crew in the arena. Ellison also rides every day and is deeply involved in the breeding operation, from collection and foaling to registries and sales, and handles all of the business administration for the farm.

Ellison’s Silicon Valley roots shine through, too. Behind a paneled door in the broodmare barn, a rack of servers and switches hum with activity (how many barns have that?) Throughout the facility, a network of 59 cameras provides 24/7 oversight of the stalls and aisle ways. Ellison watches them on an iMac, but the system runs on Windows and, true to form, she can tell you all about it.

The entire facility is without a doubt the realization of a bold and big vision. It is enormous, but never ostentatious, marked by attention to detail and an obvious appreciation for the Pacific Northwest. But, above all, it’s easy to see that each and every aspect of Wild Turkey Farm is inspired by Ellison’s abiding love for the animals.

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From top: The farm’s main gates along Wilsonville Road; youngsters enjoying the pasture; treadmill in the Training Barn.