Anne Neil – daughter of Blythewood co-founders David and Bess Mayfield Neil – has spent her life continuing her family’s passion at their lovely farm near Cleveland, Tenn., where the Neils remodeled a stable in 1942 and methodically went about raising some of the finest American Saddlebred horses in the world. The famous green and white-striped barn doors with the distinctive Blythewood logo slide open to reveal the “factory” that has produced 84 years of top-performing show horses, stallions and broodmares. The annals of show horse history would be remiss if not for the inclusion of Blythewood Farms LLC’s successes that have represented the family for generations.
On Saturday, March 28, Anne and her niece Key Everhart Waller will open those doors to load more than 65 beautifully bred Saddlebred horses onto trailers bound for the nearby Tri-State Exhibition Center, where they will be auctioned to highest bidders by Robertson Equine Sales LLC, under the direction of multi-generational horseman Jimmy Robertson. They’ll be presented in the Bess Neil Arena, named for Anne’s mother in appreciation for her tireless work to plan and establish the first-rate regional equine event center. The tack sale will be held on Friday, March 27.
“It would take pages to name all of the famous horses that got their start at Blythewood,” Robertson said. “We are honored by the interest of Saddlebred enthusiasts in our sale, and look forward to seeing all at the upcoming auction. Every listed horse will sell – without reserve prices – along with lots of tack and equipment. All horses at Blythewood will go through the sale except a few retirees including WC At Night who will live out his days at the farm.”
Sale details will be posted at RobertsonEquineSales.com.