Stable View event salutes Mark Phillips
Sep. 30—One of England's most prominent equestrians now has a place of honor in Aiken County, in the wake of a Friday event at Stable View.
Capt. Mark Phillips, largely known for his excellence in helping both British and U.S. teams to excellence at the international level, was the subject of a salute at the gathering, in "deep appreciation for a decade of outstanding course design," as indicated in a plaque presented to him, accompanied by a hearty round of applause at sunset.
The plaque also acknowledges that his "vision, expertise and dedication have elevated equestrian sport in Aiken and across the globe."
Barry Olliff, a co-owner of the massive equestrian facility, also presented a sign designating "Mark Phillips Arena" as a part of the training facility, which has grown from a campus originally covering 160 acres to incorporate 1,000 now. The outdoor arena is to bear Phillips' name and is used for training and competition in the dressage and hunter jumper disciplines.
Olliff, introducing Phillips, said, "The improvements that have been made over the years ... have really been, to a great extent, down to feedback from riders and feedback from Mark. 'Hey, why don't you do this?' 'Hey, why don't you do that?'"
Phillips, whose career as a competitor for England was in the '70s and '80s, moved on to design cross-country courses and helped lead U.S. teams to accumulate gold, silver and bronze via excellence in Pan American, Olympic and World Equestrian competitions, as noted in his biography as a member of the U.S. Eventing Association Hall of Fame. He turned 75 years old Sept. 22.
The evening's main honoree is from a military family and the "captain" title is from his years in the British army. He is also known as the former husband of Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles III of Great Britain.
Olliff, addressing the gathering at Stable View, noted, "I think there are a lot of people here that have a debt of gratitude to Mark. I think there are some top riders who have learned stuff from him. There are probably a lot of younger riders that have read about stuff that Mark's done over the years."
He expressed thanks for Phillips' decade of support. "It is 10 years, sort of to the day, that we put on our first event, and Mark's been with us for those ... very special 10 years."
Phillips triggered a wave of laughter in referring to another high-profile figure with strong Aiken ties: Phillip Dutton, an Australian-born Olympic-level rider who is the namesake of a stable at Bruce's Field, in Aiken.
"I saw Phillip Dutton just now, and I said, 'You know how this feels like.' Just down the field, at Bruce's Field, he's got a stable named after him, and I've got an arena named after me. He's got a building. I've got some sand."
Listeners laughed and one shouted, "It's big sand! It's Attwood sand!" The material in use is from Attwood Equestrian Surfaces, a maker of high-grade equestrian footing.
Phillips continued, "Phillip's heart and my heart are both in the same place, and that's the future of the sport. Phillip has done a huge amount for the sport in this country, and if I've contributed a little bit as well, thank you."
The evening's main honoree, wrapping up an evening of fellowship, later said, "I've been here for more than 10 years, and we've had 10 years of competitions, and I'm happy to have been part of the development of something that's very special in the Aiken area."
