Economy Farm - Training


			Scott Padgett grew up in Illinois where he helped his father with the breeding barn and driving horses at Temple Farm.

								Deborah Padgett was born in Southern Pines, North Carolina. She grew up on Economy Farm. Her grandmother and mother showed and hunted horses.
	He was taught to ride by some of the dressage riders at the farm, but he was drawn to driving. Scott moved to Southern Pines in 1992. In 1993 he started working at Economy Farm. He was able to drive their paint ponies as a pair, tandem, and four in hand. He broke the farm's Cleveland Bay Saddlebred cross mares to drive and he competed them up and down the East coast at the Preliminary level for a season. In 1994, Scott had the opportunity to drive Dr. Cormac's coach at the Royal Winter Fair. He then went to work for Frank and Gillian Baker of Canada. He drove their Polish Warmbloods and Friesians. He competed them in combined driving at the Advanced level up and down the East coast, Midwest and Canada with both a pair and four in hand. He also competed their horses in pleasure shows and coaching. While working for the Bakers, Scott was able to train with Harry de Ruyter of Holland in Canada. In a way, it was going to college for driving. Scottt started his own business in the summer in 1998. He broke and trained horses to drive, gave lessons and sold horses and carriages to name a few things. In 1999 Anne Bliss of Massachusetts sponsored him with a pair of Dutch warmbloods. He was able to compete them for a couple of years at the advanced level, and then the horses were sold. In 2002, Scott was sponsored by Ron Doan of Georgia with the same pair of horses. He drove Mr. Doan's horses for almost a year at the Preliminary and Advance levels. He was able to train wtih Bill Lower and Joey Darby. He competed with them at Devon's Derby drive and won all three days in May. While he was being sponsored he was able to keep his training business going. In 2003 Scott merged his business with Economy Farm. He is still training and breaking horses, giving lesson and doing clinics.
							Deborah rode her first pony at nine months. She showed and hunted ponies as a child, but at sixteen she started driving. She competed at both combined driving and pleasure driving. She was even able to drive the same pony that she first rode. When she first started to drive she trained with Craig Kellogg and Bill Long. Deborah has been training with her husband Scott for about 10 years now. In 1990, Deborah started driving a pair of Economy Farm’s ponies. She has competed up and down the East coast both in pleasure and combined driving. In 1996, she started to learn how to drive the farm’s four in hand of paint ponies. She has competed in one mini combined driving event and won. For the last few years she has competed them at the Carriage Classic in the Pines Pleasure show where she was Reserve Champion in 2002. Deborah went to college at Harcum Junior College in Pennsylvania where she majored in Veterinary Technology. She did her internship at New Bolton Large Animal Hospital and at the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School for the small animal work. She has worked at a couple of the small animal veterinary hospitals in Southern Pines. Currently she is working at Economy Farm with Scott and their daughter Rebecca. Deborah has groomed and navigated for people for many years but right now she is competing one of the farm’s ponies at the Advanced level.