fie learned to care tor horses at Jim Bill

fie learned to care tor horses at Jim Bill Fletchers Thornton Hill farm where Moody moved with his family when he was two years old. Back then workhorses still worked on the farm so Moody as a young boy would ask to ride them back to the stables. Soon he was training horses and taking them to the Rappahannock Hunt to hunt foxes accompanied with dozens of hounds and dozens of riders.

Moody Aylor started his stable in a partnership with Bill Lane in 1965. Mr. Lane came down from Chicago and bought 18,000 acres of land. He got into the horse business and asked Moody if he would like to be a partner because he noticed that the horses Moody trained at Thornton Hill were well-behaved.

Their plan was to buy horses, train them, and then sell them. But Mr. Lane grew tired of the horse business and found it different from what he expected. Knowing that Moody had put much time and effort into the business he asked Moody if he would like to rent a

Eortion of the Lane farm and keep the orse business going.

“Before he got the words out of his mouth, I said, “Yes’”, recalls Moody.

Moody’s business grew then as it does now by word of mouth. People would come to him saying they heard he was good with horses and ask him to teach them how to ride. One day someone came and asked him if he would board a horse. Moody’s plan was “anything in the horse world that you needed, I could take care of you”.

As Moody sits in his office lined with newspaper clippings, ribbons and photographs of races won he relates his life story and explains his philosophy of teaching riders and training horses. His approach to riding is a conservative one that stresses safety.

“You have to pay attention to learn,” says Moody. “Take your time and put your mind to it. People have a tendency to just want to do it.”

Safety is one reason why Beth