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60 w i n t e r 2 014 U n tac k e d of Winter place horses. ere was even an article in the march 29, 1976, issue of Sports Illustrated. "at place was years before its time," Beard said. "e people that i hired as very young people, and where they've gone with their lives and what that farm did for them—that's the real story." e field of dreams like so many stories about horses, this one starts with a young girl—Bradley Caine—in love with her four- legged friends. But Bradley's father, James Caine, wasn't just any father. he was a real estate developer who made a tremendous fortune in the beach resort town of ocean City in the '60s. "When he ran out of land, he filled marshes in so that he had more land to sell," Bradley recalled. "he didn't know the first thing about a horse, but my father was very eccentric," she said. "When i was lit- tle and wanted a horse, he bought me a horse and built me a barn behind the house. eventually, that became Winter place. he thought that was what needed to be done, because that's the way he did everything— over the top. he said, 'if my little girl wants to do this, it's going to be the best in the world.' " Bradley showed ponies out of her first small barn behind the house, but when she moved up to horses in 1970, things escalated. e Caines hired trainer Jimmy lee and bought some top-of-the-line junior hunters. lee didn't want to move to maryland, so he sent Beard, who was just in his mid-20s, to the eastern shore to supervise Bradley, then 14, and the horses on a daily basis in 1971. elmore also came on board to help with the riding and showing duties. "it really seemed like the middle of nowhere," Beard recalled. "When i first drove over there, it scared me to death. i thought, 'i'm the only one in town!' " Bradley's horses needed a bigger home, and James was interested in helping Beard create a top show stable. so James and Beard worked together to create Winter place on 1,000 acres right off rt. 50 in salisbury. "i helped him design the barn. it started out with the single building, and as the barn got built, he became very excited with the project, and it got grander and grander," Beard said. Bradley remembers the skyline being lit up by round-the-clock construction at Winter place; with his contractor contacts, James completed the first phases of the project in a matter of months. "my mother's favorite saying was, 'And then there was Winter place,' because it popped up almost over- night," Bradley said. By may of 1972, Winter place was operational. "it was over the top but very functional," said Beard. "i put all the functional parts in, and mr. Caine put all the glamour in. he really enjoyed the building of it, and it was well done in a very tasteful way. it had a very serene look to it. one end of the indoor ring was HistorY "My mother's favorite saying was, 'And then there was Winter Place,' because it popped up almost overnight." —BrAdley CAine Ronnie Beard was the mastermind behind gathering the talented horses and riders who made Winter Place famous. PHoto Courtesy of BrADley CAine

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