Carolinas Horsemen's Hall of Fame Inductees
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Editor’s note: The following presentations were made during the recent North Carolina State Championship Horse in Raleigh.
Nancy Boone
Born in Winnsboro, S.C., our honoree tonight is a name well known to all, Nancy Boone. Nancy moved to Concord, N.C., after her marriage, and was in the retail furniture business. Her unlikely beginning in the horse business was the result of a horse that was traded for a down payment on a dining room suit.
This led to a move to the country to the present Boone’s Farm location to accommodate this horse. The next thing everyone knew, there were many more horses. These first horses were trail horses, which the whole family enjoyed. Youngest son, Paul, soon wanted to show. This led to participating at local horse shows and an interest in Saddlebreds. Being a horse show mom soon led her to leadership in 4-H. Nancy was the leader of one of the largest 4-H clubs, which participated in horse bowls at the national level.
When the farm became a professional Saddlebred training operation, Nancy’s leadership and volunteer efforts were quickly recognized and utilized by the American Saddlebred Association of the Carolinas (ASAC). Nancy soon served on various committees and held many appointed positions within ASAC. This led to her current calling as treasurer of ASAC, a position she has held for nearly 15 years. As anyone in ASAC can tell you, Nancy fiercely guards the ASAC bank account to assure the organization had funding for its programs. Anyone that has worked with ASAC can tell you they think long and hard before making a motion to frivolously spend ASAC’s money! She not only guards the ASAC funds but helps raise those funds through her job as chair of their highly successful auction.
Her tireless efforts with ASAC led to her current appointment on the American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) Board of Directors, where she serves on the pleasure horse and various other committees. She is devoted to this appointment and makes it a point that the Carolinas are well represented “up the road.” Nancy has also been a UPHA Associate Member for many years.
Nancy has been an important part of the Charlotte Charity Horse Show, which is an all-volunteer show that benefits a local church.
Strong in her convictions and an outspoken member of any organization in which she volunteers, she firmly believes in “right is right and wrong is wrong.” She feels that everyone involved in Saddlebreds should “give back” a small part for the betterment of the breed and our industry. True to what she believes in, Nancy has worked tirelessly to do just that. . . give back.
Nancy enjoys all aspects of the Saddlebred industry, from the academy programs to raising young horses. She handles day-to-day jobs at Boone’s Farm, including keeping the books, making horse show entries and keeping a watchful eye out her office on the barn’s “comings and goings.” She is known to kids young and old as “Mona” for she is as young at heart as they are. . . for proof, just watch her on the dance floor!
Nancy’s efforts and devotion to the Saddlebred industry locally, regionally and nationally has naturally led to this well-deserved Carolinas Horsemen's Hall of Fame induction.
As Nancy is joined tonight by friends, family and UPHA Chapter 12 members, please help us congratulate her on this honor.
R. Neil Scruggs
This person was born in Haywood County, N.C., to a sawmiller and his wife on Sept. 7, 1939. The story is that the first word spoken by the young toddler was “horse” even though he was pointing at a nearby cow. Thank goodness his love of horses allowed him to grow and be able to recognize the difference. His first contact with horses came with the large draft horses used by his father in the logging industry. He loved to ride the back of the large horses while in the woods of Northern Georgia where his family lived just after the War. It was not long before they moved back to Western North Carolina where he was raised and eventually graduated from Hudson High School. Shortly thereafter he began to raise a family.
He began his business life in the cotton mill, but eventually wound up in the banking industry where he stayed for many years. This success allowed him to act upon his true dream of being a horseman someday when he purchased a black and white paint horse with a colt by its side. Even in those early days, he understood the economics of the horse business. Two horses for one. What a deal! It was not long before it was time to upgrade and he traded the two horses for a white Saddlebred named “King.” This transaction transformed him into a trainer-in-waiting and we have been waiting a long time. He and the white horse could be found in the mountains of North Carolina riding on trails one weekend and showing at the local charity horse show circuit in the racking horse classes the next. He was instrumental in growing the small show circuit that thrived at the time in the Carolinas, and he will still pass you if he can. Just ask Claude Shiflet and Lewis Eckard.
The exposure to the local show circuit introduced him to a man that would help shape his knowledge of the way a horse moves and travels on his feet - a first-hand knowledge from the legendary blacksmith, “Pop Houser.” He and Pop traveled the show circuit for many years honing his knowledge and learning the secrets of the American Saddlebred for which he would find his home among some of the horse world’s greats. It was not long before he hung up his tongs and slid the anvil aside for the reins of the American Saddlebred show horse.
In 1968, he leased a farm in Lenoir, N.C., which he would later buy with his partners; June and Ralph Triplett of Lenoir. This was the beginning of what would become known as Hibriten Stables. Later on he would buy out the Tripletts and become the sole owner and trainer. While training at Hibriten Stables, he was blessed to ride and train such horses as High Range, a two-year-old five-gaited world champion; Bewitched, a 15.2 and under three-gaited world champion; Only The Best, a two-year-old three-gaited reserve world champion; Apollo’s Angel, reserve world champion five-gaited mare; A Savannah Night, a reserve world champion amateur and open five-gaited mare; and The Winston Cup, a reserve world champion roadster to bike and world champion under saddle road horse. The list of good and great show horses that have felt the hands of this great trainer goes on and on. We would be here all night to name them. The location of the stables has changed but little else has. He still trains horses, teaches riding lessons and judges horse shows after more than 38 years at Hibriten Stables, now located in Hickory, N.C.
During his tenure at Hibriten Stables, he has become friends and acquaintances with some if the industries great trainers such as Garland Bradshaw, Dave Clark, Glen Lanning, Lewis Eckard, Claude Shiflet, Ted Foreman, Ray Pittman, Johnny Lucas, Carol Greenwell, Steve Allred, Bill Becker and his friend Don Stafford. He and the others worked hard to establish the American Saddlebred deep into the framework of the horse industry of North Carolina. During this time he served three years as the secretary/treasurer and three years as chairman of Chapter 12 of the United Professional Horsemen’s Association.
At this time I would like to hear a hand for our next inductee into the Carolinas Horsemen’s Hall of Fame, Roscoe Neil Scruggs.
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