Great Smoky Mountains National Park announced that a dedication ceremony for the new concession facilities recently completed at Sugarlands Riding Stables was held April 9, 2009 in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Following the ceremony, the concessioner provided a tour of the new facilities. Several new structures were built during 2008 and 2009 under the terms of a new 10-year concession contract with Kenny Kear, President of the Sugarlands Riding Stables, Inc. The concession operation provides guided horseback rides in the Smokies backcountry, and the new facilities will allow for expanded visitor services. Horseback rides cost $25 per hour per person.

Park Superintedent Dale Ditmanson and Sugaralnds Riding Stable President Kenny Kear are joined by (from left) General Contractor Gary Shultz, Park Project Manager Ben Dieterle, Kear, Ditmanson, horse stall manufacturer Ted Webster, archtect Mike Hayes, and Park Concession Management Specialist Joel Ossoff in preparing to cut the ribbon to officially open the stable's new state-of-the-art barn.

Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson welcomes a crowd of Park neighbors to the Dedication of the Park's new Sugarlands Riding Stable barn

The concession operation improvements include a modern wood and steel horse barn, an office, hay shed, wash rack, hitch rails and fencing, feed bin, and covered manure pad. The 10,940 square foot barn is the centerpiece of the new facilities and is the first permanent horse barn to be built since the Park began offering horseback riding services in the 1960s. The custom designed barn stalls with sliding dividers and an innovative automated horse watering system are among the many unique design features now located at the Sugarlands Riding Stables. The stall concept, which is only found in a small number of barns in the United States, allows for a highly functional and efficient operation that reduces the time and labor required to maintain the stalls.

Kenny Kear, President of Smoky Mountain Stables, Inc. proposed that this feature be included in the barn and worked closely with a well-established stall manufacturer to develop a new custom design for this barn. “These sliding panel stalls along with the rubber equine mat flooring has dramatically reduced the time and labor required to clean up after 48-52 horses and has improved the stall environment for our horses,” said Kear. Other facilities that contribute to an effective, humane horse operation include a wash rack that allows daily cleaning of horses, a large hay shed, free-standing feed bin, and a covered manure pad. Not only are these attractive, well-constructed facilities, but they are also highly functional, humane facilities for this horse operation.

“While visitors to the stables will not get very close to the new horse facilities, they will receive enhanced services at the new 672 square foot office with attached covered porch and deck area,” Park Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said. The porch and deck will provide a comfortable waiting area for visitors waiting for a ride or waiting for someone to return from a ride. The office includes an interior public area where visitors will be able to purchase souvenir photographs of their ride and other ride-related souvenirs once the concessioner begins offering these authorized services later this season. This new facility is accessible to persons with disabilities.
Of the approximately 70,000 visitors who enjoy a guided horseback ride at the four horse stable concessions located in the park each year, 16,000 visit this stable alone. Superintendent Ditmanson said that, “We are pleased to offer these recreational experiences in the park and are excited about the completion of these new permanent facilities for this popular horseback riding stable. Kenny is a long-time concessions operator who has been running the Smoky Mountain Riding Stables since 1987. He later began managing the Sugarlands Riding Stables under temporary concession contracts during the period 2005-2007. He has continued to provide quality horseback riding services to the public and we appreciate his efforts to oversee the construction of these excellent facilities which were built at no cost to taxpayers.”

These new facilities replace the original McCarter’s Riding Stables facilities that were constructed in the 1960’s and were removed in 2003 following the award of a new concession contract. Since 2003, this stable has operated using several sets of temporary facilities.

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