Lucky us! In 2001, when the township purchased 72 acres of land for the purpose of building a park, that land happened to be a former horse farm. It even had an indoor riding arena. We've searched diligently, but are yet to find another indoor equine facility owned by a municipality in the State of New Jersey. County- owned, yes, but not another township- owned indoor. It's all part of what makes Alexandria exceptionally horse-friendly!
Our indoor, yes our entire park, is a work in progress. And the progress, thus far, has been remarkable! That is attributable, to a great extent, to the volunteer efforts of township residents who have worked tirelessly to help build facilities for baseball, softball, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, pump track cycling, disc golf, bocce ball, camping.... the list goes on. The walking trail surrounding the park, to understate it, is quite popular.
One can't help but harken back to the early days of what was to become Alexandria Park. It was, shall we be kind and say, a neglected property? Everything needed to be done! But, a town-wide party was in the brew! Two township farmers, AEA members both, arrived with their tractors and razed old run-in sheds to form a giant pile of scrap lumber. Bonfire, anyone? A grand time was had by all!!
AEA has long been the stewards of the indoor riding arena, members having contributed sweat and dollars to its maintenance for years now. This is not to say that our Township Committee and Park & Recreation Commission hasn't championed the cause, either. Thanks to all.
The indoor arena, in the course of a year, is typically the host location for a variety of equine events. Games on horseback, the proverbial Gymkhanas, are regular favorites. The American Saddlebred Assoc. of N.J. holds very robust shows at the park usually twice a year. In 2013 and 2014, we are adding a winter dressage schooling show series. So, some weekend it's altogether possible when driving by the park that you'll see a big banner displayed on the posts near the driveway that read "HORSE EVENT TODAY". Stop in next time! They are all free to the public!
