Valhalla Farm
by Kelly Ann Butterbaugh
Against the rolling fields of Chester County sits a 200-year-old stone farmhouse. Beside the house is an equally aged stone barn, a pond filled with Canadian geese, and pastures filled with grazing horses. This is the tranquility of Valhalla Farm, part of the Pennsylvania equine industry.
Early Days
What started as a dairy farm soon transformed to horse pastures after Marcia and Cesar Solda purchased the property more than twenty years ago. For Marcia, it was love at first sight during their first trip to the farm in Chester Springs.
"It was so beautiful, and I fell in love with it," she says. "I couldn't wait to fill the barn with horses."
First, the barns needed work. They were set up for milking dairy cows not for breeding horses. Yet, Marcia Solda wanted to raise horses.
Horses have long been a part of Marcia's life. She describes them as something that stays in a person's blood, something that is never forgotten. It's that love that she passes on to the girls who ride horses at Valhalla today. Alongside her thoroughbreds are horses that are part of the riding school run by Doreen Innella, a school that teaches girls not only riding but horsemanship and responsibility.
"It's exciting to see how Doreen has imprinted these girls into becoming accomplished and knowledgeable grownups," Marcia brags.
Breeding Thoroughbreds
The main business of Valhalla Farm is breeding thoroughbreds for racing. Several of the horses of Valhalla have gone on to have successful racing careers.
The method of breeding thoroughbreds is a learned one. Marcia researches and studies the bloodlines and conformation of both her mares and the available stallions each season. (It's worth mentioning that one mare in her stable is the great-granddaughter of Secretariat and another is that of Seattle Slew.) Then, she pairs the stallion to her mare accordingly. If she has a small boned mare, she'll pair her with a larger boned stallion for example.
Preventative care breeds better horses, and solid routines produce calmer mares during foaling. When Valhalla's mares are within two months of foaling, Marcia keeps a close watch on them, looking for changes in their behavior to indicate delivery. Cameras mounted in the box stalls allow her to watch the mares on a monitor and alert her to the common late night births. It's important for her to be there to assist her mares and to imprint a human touch and voice on the newborn foals' memories.
These foals remain at Valhalla at least two years and won’t be trained until they pass their third year.
"To start [training] too young leads to future breakdowns on the racetrack," Marcia explains.
The horses of Valhalla are mostly sold through word of mouth. That's the way the equine industry works; people know where to find the good horses.
The Equine Business
Breeding and raising horses is a business that requires a true love of the industry rather than a desire for profit. There are rewards and there are heartbreaks.
Solda keeps track of her horses after they're sold not because it’s her business but because they’re her love. One mare that was sold was later injured during racing; she was offered retirement at the farm. There she remained as what Marcia lovingly refers to as a "lawn ornament."
Now a member of the board of directors for the Chester/Delaware County branch of the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Solda takes pride in her work and works with others to preserve the agriculture that she loves. She joined the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau eight years ago and now serves on the Agriculture Development Council, the Women's Leadership Committee, and the Open Space Conservation.
“The Farm Bureau has enabled me to support the different programs that teach our children about agriculture,” explains Solda from her porch overlooking the pond. “And it has opened many doors to our government leaders to talk about issues pertaining to agriculture."
She also believes that the education provided by the Farm Bureau allows her to better serve the groups in which she is involved. "I feel very fortunate to be able to enjoy and live doing what I love best."
SIDEBAR:
For many, Pennsylvania isn’t the first state to come to mind when talking about racing thoroughbred horses, yet the Pennsylvanian equine industry is substantial. A 2003 study by the PA Dept. of Agriculture declares, “Pennsylvania’s equine economy, in nearly every way, is bigger than Kentucky’s and larger than nearly every other state’s.”
Likewise, in December of 2007 Governor Ed Rendell applauded the Pennsylvania State Horse Racing Commission for 40 years of service, claiming, “The horse racing industry is a significant contributor to Pennsylvania’s economy and lifestyle, ranking in the top 10 nationally for the number of horses and value of sales.”
It is estimated that there are more than 20,000 thoroughbreds in the state, racing and non-racing, and the racing industry adds nearly $2 million of revenue to the state each year. Thoroughbreds are raced at only three tracks in Pennsylvania—Penn National Race Course, Grantville; Philadelphia Park, Bensalem; and Presque Isle Downs, Erie.
As an incentive both to breed and to race thoroughbreds in the state, the Pennsylvania Breeders Fund program offers a prize to breeders of winning horses. If a Pennsylvania bred horse wins, places, or shows in a Pennsylvania race, the breeder receives a cash bonus. The bonus is generated from the state’s slot casinos which donate 12% of their gross revenues to state thoroughbred and harness racing programs.
The Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act was designed to re-invigorate the declining horse racing industry. Now, according to those in the industry, the thoroughbred tracks in the state are seeing better days.
