Dressage Facility Offers the Best

Sunflower Farms is a private dressage facility located on 50 acres of pristine land near Bristol, WI. For equine enthusiasts dwelling nearby, the facility is a haven to appreciate their passion for horses and the disciplined beauty of dressage. “Some of our clientele drive an hour and a half to get here because of the surroundings and services we offer,” says Phillip May, general manager.

To attract clientele, Sunflower’s investment and management team researched every aspect of the facility requirements and expectations of horse and rider. Great pride was given to create the beautiful surroundings and conveniences to meet the most discreet tastes. “We have about 10 acres of pasture land so horses are able to be out on grass most of the year which is important for horses. The value of these horses can range from $3,000 to $200,000 apiece,” says May.

To provide the convenience and safeguard for sudden weather changes, the Sunflower management team researched numerous types of indoor riding arena buildings. “During our research, we toured numerous equine facilities. In the tornado belt of Oklahoma, we viewed a number of conventional buildings that were blown down or blown off their foundations by a tornado but their Cover-All buildings remained standing through the whole thing,” says May. “The interior environment of the Cover-All arenas was so different than the conventional arenas we viewed. When it came time to build our indoor riding arena, we decided it was going to be a Cover-All.”

Prior to constructing the indoor riding arena, eight inches of limestone screenings were put down for the base of the footing. When the base surface was complete, construction of the Cover-All® riding arena was ready to begin. Cover-All of Wisconsin worked with Sunflower Farms in the design and engineering of a 72’ wide x 200’ long Cover-All® Legend® building. Once the building arrived on site, it took about 10 days to install the building. “The Sunflower Farms project had some unique customizations,” says Darnell Leffell, president, Cover-All of Wisconsin. “The motorized side wall curtains allow the riders and horses to feel like they’re outside even though they’re inside. We also designed the Cover-All arena to have four foot eaves which keep rain and snow away from the sides of the building and eliminate the need for a drainage system to keep water away from the building.” Once the installation of the Cover-All building was complete, kick boards were constructed to keep horses away from the rail and to make it easy to grade the surface and pull the sand off.

Of course, the convenience of having an indoor riding arena allows equine enthusiasts to ride in any type of weather, but what makes the Cover-All® Legend® riding arena unique is the pristine environment it provides to horse and rider in every type of weather. “It doesn’t seem to matter if it’s really sunny or if it’s raining, it’s always nice in the Cover-All,” says May. “No matter how hot it is outside, the building is always cool and there’s always plenty of natural light. During the summer we can have the Cover-All sidewalls rolled up and it’s just like having an outdoor arena with a cover on it. I think it’s a lot better than just having a solid wall indoor arena because the horses can see the outside activity just as if they were in the show ring. The footing has stayed wonderful, all the dressage people really like it,” says May. “We really think that Cover-All is the building of the future.”