Schneider Family Buys Chagrin Valley Farms

September 14, 2017 by Ann Wishart

One of Geauga County’s best-known equestrian facilities will be seeing updates and improvements at the hands of its new owners.

Eric Schneider said his family, which owns Schneider Saddlery, recently purchased 85-acre Chagrin Valley Farms in Bainbridge Township from long-time horsewoman Linda Lybarger Joseph.

Schneider, president of the third-generation family business, said plans for the “equestrian campus” are evolving.

“We see a lot of opportunities to improve it and make it a better facility,” he said, adding they are interested in discovering what the community wants and needs to reenergize its equestrian culture.

“New riders are critical to the future of the horse industry in Northeast Ohio, where we have experienced a decrease in horse shows and equestrian activities in recent years,” Schneider said. “Initially, we’ll invest in the renovation of existing facilities and continue the horse show schedule, riding lessons and camp programs.

“Linda Joseph and her team will continue working with us through the transition and beyond, as we plan to explore further expansion of the facility as an equestrian campus.”

Joseph, who began building CVF in 1982, said in a press release she had been looking for a buyer for CVF for a few years.

“When I was approached by the Schneiders, the opportunity fit perfectly. They share a vision I had when I created CVF and wanted an equestrian center that offered a full range of riding and competition for beginners just getting into the sport for the first time,” she said.

Schneider Saddlery, located in Bainbridge Township, has been a home-grown retail operation specializing in equestrian equipment for much of Northeast Ohio for decades and has an enormous online presence, as well.

Schneider said CVF has been an important facility, historically, and he didn’t want to see it deteriorate or become a housing development, as happens to many farms.

Additionally, Schneider and Joseph want the same future for the Ohio horse community.

“Her vision and ours aligned,” he said, and Joseph agreed.

“After years in the horse business as a retailer, (Schneiders) wanted to help continue to support and build the Northeast Ohio horse industry. I would never want to see the farm turn into a development and that is always a concern when horse properties change hands.”

CVF has 75,000 square feet under roof including 200 horse stalls and two indoor arenas. The structures are surrounded by four outdoor rings, pastures for turn-out and riding trails. It has been instrumental in building the local equine industry through its riding lessons for all levels of children and adults and year-around shows. Joseph’s full summer camp program has been popular for ages 4 through 16.

Over the decades, many of those riders have advanced from schooling shows at CVF to competing in recognized shows across the region.

The farm also has hosted top-level, A-rated shows, attracting hunter, jumper and dressage competitors from around the country. In the 1990s, the Chagrin Valley Professional Horsemen’s Association Horse Show and the Cleveland Grand Prix were held there.

Geauga County and the wider Chagrin Valley have been home to a huge horse population over the decades and Schneider said expansion of CVF can revitalize that culture.

“We view this new equestrian campus as a way to make riding both accessible and more affordable to people in the community,” he said. “A natural outgrowth of increasing community involvement in horseback riding will be that other area businesses such as veterinarians, farriers, tack shops, farms and trainers will grow, too.”