Should they stay, or should they go?
It's a question that officials of the Aiken Steeplechase Association are pondering as construction crews transform Bruce's Field at the Aiken Horse Park into a major equestrian facility with five permanent show rings with all-weather footing.
Work on the $4 million project began earlier this spring at the 66-acre site, which has a racecourse where the Aiken Spring Steeplechase and the Aiken Fall Steeplechase are run.
"In a letter to our patrons in the programs for our Spring Steeplechase this year, we said we were going to be exploring all options, and that's what we're doing," said Steeplechase Association President Albert Bostwick. "Needless to say, those options include other venues where we can hold our events. We have looked at some, and some of them show promise. One of our options also is to remain where we are. We haven't settled on anything yet."
Tara Bostwick, the vice president of the Aiken Horse Park Foundation, declined to comment.
"Thank you for your ongoing interest," she wrote in an email on April 22. "We are really just focused on our improvement plan at Bruce's Field."
Because of the construction of the permanent rings and other facilities, the Steeplechase Association will lose a large area in the racecourse's infield that was used for parking for spectators.
The Horse Park Foundation prepared a diagram for the Steeplechase Association that shows other areas where parking spaces could be located. That arrangement, however, might not accommodate all the organization's needs, Albert Bostwick said. He and his colleagues still are assessing the impact of the changes being made to Bruce's Field, which formerly was known as Ford Conger Field.
"The property is owned by the Aiken Horse Park Foundation, and it's entirely proper for them to do whatever they want with it," Bostwick said. "But what is good for the Aiken Horse Park Foundation isn't necessarily good for us. We won't be left with any extra space at all in the infield, and its continued suitability for the Aiken Steeplechase Association is very much in question."
According to Bostwick, more than 600 parking spaces used by the Steeplechase Association in the past will be affected. "I'm not saying we would lose them because they (the Horse Park Foundation) have found other places for them, but it will be disruptive," Bostwick said.
Based on his interpretation of the Horse Park Foundation's diagram, areas once used for portable toilets and a command center for law enforcement officials are gone. The parking area for the Guarantor Tent Party would be smaller. And some subscribers could lose the opportunity to have three additional cars parked near their railside spots by paying additional fees.
"This is a challenge that may be insurmountable," Bostwick said. "We're not trying to be confrontational. What we're doing is playing the cards that have been dealt to us."
The first horse shows were scheduled to be held at Bruce's Field next month, but those events have been postponed until next year, according to the Aiken Horse Park Foundation's Facebook page. Still on the calendar are two shows set for September.
As of now, the Steeplechase Association plans conduct the Aiken Fall Steeplechase at Bruce's Field on Oct. 31, but because of the construction and the horse shows, "we have concerns about what the condition of the course will be," Bostwick said. "We will keep track of the modifications (to Bruce's Field) as they progress."
The leaders of the National Steeplechase Association are aware of the Aiken Steeplechase Association's situation and are ready to provide assistance.
"Under the circumstances, because of the construction that is going on, I'm sure we would inspect the course (before the Aiken Fall Steeplechase) to make sure it is safe for horses to run on," said Bill Gallo, the director of racing for the National Steeplechase Association, which is based in Elkton, Maryland. "If they (the Aiken Steeplechase Association) find new property, we can inspect it and help them lay out a racecourse there."