Meet Our Team - Leigh Raymer

My name is Leigh Raymer and I work in Customer Service at Farm House Tack. If you would have told me a year ago I would be here I would have laughed. My family and I moved here in August ‘19 from Delaware. My husband, 5-year-old son, and I had come down a few times for me to show at TIEC. In June we decided to come down for a week to show and take a mini-vacation. We ended up staying two weeks, looking at properties and seriously talking about moving. It seemed like a natural fit. My husband is a farrier, TIEC is my favorite place to show, we love the mountainous scenery and southern charm of the area. It only took 24 hours to sell our home in Delaware and we were able to find a great little farm just minutes from TIEC. Now our little boy can grow up on a farm, I can have my horses in the backyard, and my husband travels less for work.

One of the best parts of coming to Tryon was coming to the infamous Farm House Tack. If you have never been to the store in Landrum, it is a horse-lover’s destination. It is the nicest tack store I have ever been in, so when a job posting was online for the Farm House, I immediately applied. I get to work in an amazing store, show my horses, and homeschool my son.

I have grown up around horses, as both my parents were standardbred racehorse trainers, and my step-mother is a veterinarian. I grew up on my dad and stepmom’s breeding farm in Delaware, foxhunting with Wicomico Hunt Club, showing hunters on the local circuit, and breaking ponies and thoroughbreds as projects. I went to the University of Georgia where I rode on their equestrian team. We turned NCAA my sophomore year and by the time I had graduated, we had won two National Championships. I continued at the University of Georgia to get my Master’s in Public Relations. I was very fortunate that my step-mother flew me down two seasons from Georgia to Wellington every weekend to show with Jack and Josee Stedding.

Since college, I have stayed with the horses. First I started the NCAA team for Delaware State University, and then I led the Marketing and Public Relations divisions for Winbak Farm. I moved to South Dakota State as an Interim NCAA Equestrian Coach and then I met my husband, Tyler.

We met at a horse sale in Harrisburg where he trained standardbred racehorses and was a farrier. Together we had a racehorse barn for seven years. After we had our son Rory, we realized we wanted a little bit more stability. Tyler started as a farrier full-time and I worked in our local school in Delaware as an Early Childhood Paraprofessional. 

Since having my son, the 2’6 Pre-Adult Hunters is where you will find me showing. I have a 13-year-old Oldenburg, After Hours, aka Ralph, who is my saving grace in the world. I just got a jumper too, Warpaint aka Walter, who is a Chestnut/White paint. I’m a little nervous because the last time I was in the jumper ring, I was 16, about 22 years ago.

I outfit my guys in mostly Acavallo. I love their girths and the Hexagel pads. I wish Acavallo made a mattress cover out of their Hexagel. I am also a huge fan of all the Nunn Finer gear. Their leather is amazing and it is all so functional yet classy. And as for me, I love all the RJ Classic show clothes. They have a traditional look, with a modern twist.

Catch me this summer out at TIEC each weekend showing with my boys, or come chat with me at the store! If you need any help, I am here and more than happy to get you outfitted.