By Nate Jones

Staff Writer 

While some fathers buy their daughters a pony, Cape Elizabeth resident Victor Banzon decided to buy the entire horse farm. Despite having no experience with horses, farming or agriculture in general, Banzon will operate Walnut Hill Equestrian Center, formerly Walnut Hill Stables, on Ocean House Road.

“I saw it once and fell in love with it,” he said. “The peace that horses can bring to your life is just incredible.”

Banzon, who is trained as a pulmonary critical care physician and is working as a hospitalist at Maine Medical Center in Portland, has partnered with seasoned equestrian Heidi Whitten in hopes of providing much more for South Portland and Cape Elizabeth residents than just a place to keep a saddlebred.

“Our goal is to give something back to the community,” Banzon said.

A few weeks after purchasing the property in February, Banzon and Whitten traveled to New Jersey to purchase four saddlebred horses that had been rescued by the Saddlebred Rescue organization.

“These are horses that went to auction and were bid on by Canadian meat companies to be slaughtered,” Whitten said. “Saddlebred Rescue outbids [the Canadian companies] and sells the horses for pretty much what they bought them for. They just want to save more horses.”

Of the four rescued horses, the saddlebred named Telly (short for Donatello, as in the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles television show), is what Whitten called “bomb proof,” having been raised by the Amish to pull their buggies along the side of busy roads.

“She’s as docile and as sweet as can be,” Banzon said. 

Whitten is currently working with Telly and three other rescued horses; Prince, Will and Tory, to prepare them for future indoor riding lessons at Walnut Hill. 

In addition to being a strong supporter of the Saddlebred Rescue organization, Walnut Hill has become a member of the Cape Farm Alliance and has become something of an agricultural center for Cape Elizabeth farmers, Banzon said.

“We provide manure for the Tibbets Farm right here in Cape Elizabeth,” he said. “It’s really a productive place.”

Banzon said he hopes to work with the Make-A-Wish foundation in the future.

“We’ll see what we can do for kids’ dreams down the road,” he said.

Banzon described the stables and the surrounding eight acres as a “rejuvenating place” for horse owners and himself.

“It’s a place away from the hustle bustle of work. When people ride, it’s a special time, almost like a holy time, he said.

Originally from Washington D.C., Banzon moved to Cape Elizabeth in 1998 to pursue his career in medicine. Nowadays he tries to devote as much time to the stables as he does his medical profession. 

“When you get a place like this you really feel like a part of South Portland and Cape Elizabeth,” Banzon said. “Four years ago I wouldn’t have necessarily considered myself a part of the community.”

Although he does not ride yet, Banzon said he plans on moving into the ranch house on the Walnut Hill property so he can be close to the stables all the time.

“Victor is going to ride whether he likes it or not,” Whitten said.

Whitten knows the Walnut Hill facility well, as she was an assistant trainer there from 1999 to 2004. After working as a social worker, Whitten said she felt “burned out,” and began working at the stables in an effort to reconnect with what really mattered in life. 

“I never missed a day,” she said. “I fell in love with a youngling, raised and trained her. We even won blue ribbons.”

In 2004, Whitten was injured in a car accident and was unable to ride.

She said she made the tough decision to sell the mare she had raised at Walnut Hill after the accident.

“I sold her to young girl who had dreams of owning Black Beauty,” Whitten said. 

Even after she was physically able to ride again, Whitten avoided Walnut Hill because of the emotional strain she felt whenever she considered returning.

“All my friends said ‘You’ve got to come back, it will be OK,’” Whitten said. 

After staying away from Walnut Hill and horses altogether for nearly four years, Whitten said she finally found a reason to return to the stables when she received Banzon’s offer to help manage the Walnut Hill Equestrian Center.

“The timing couldn’t have been better,” Banzon said. “We both wanted to rejuvenate this place with renewed energy.” 

Whitten said now she rides nearly every day.

Banzon and Whitten are not relying on new blood to run the facility, however, as the Walnut Hill stable hand Jon Towle said he could remember working at the stables nearly 30 years ago.

“When I retired I asked myself what I wanted to do with my life,” he said. “I learn something new every day; it’s a lot of fun.”

Walnut Hill was built nearly 50 years ago, Banzon said. Whitten said some horse owners have been keeping their saddlebreds at the stables for nearly 20 years.

“There does seem to be something special about it,” Towle said.

In addition to the five horse paddocks surrounding the 20-stall stable building, the facility features a heated tack room and an indoor riding ring. The indoor ring is meticulously watered and grated daily, Whitten said.

Banzon and Whitten said they hope to offer a variety of programs including indoor riding lessons and clinics on the many aspects of owning a horse, including grooming and caretaking in the weeks to come.

“The potential here is just staggering,” Banzon said. 

Horses aren’t the only livestock at Walnut Hill these days.

“Right in the middle of city suburban life we have a gang of chickens roaming around,” Banson said. “It doesn’t get much better than that.”

Like every good barn, Walnut Hill also has its own dog, Wagsey, who roams about the facility all day, Whitten said. 

For more information about Walnut Hill Stables and their upcoming programs visit their Web site www.WalnutHillOnline.com or call 207-799-0937.