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Starland Farm
In the early 1950's, Lloyd Patrick (L.P.)
Tate eloped with tobacco and textile heiress
Anne Cannon Reynolds. The newly Mrs. Tate
purchased 457 acres of the James Barber
Estate on which they built and operated a
horse training center and racetrack. L.P.
called it Starland Farm, as he liked to
think of all his horses as stars. The
entrance with its stone pillars and a
Starland Farm sign was located just behind
the #2 tee box on Longleaf's golf course.
A 1974 photograph of Starland Farm shows a
one-mile long flat track, which had been
built on the original steeplechase track,
and a three-quarter mile turf race course
with a show ring in the center. Today, some
of the hedge and water jumps can still be
seen on the #1 and #8 fairways. The #9 tee
box also has a portion of the track fence in
tact which serves as a back drop for the
front nine holes.
L.P. Tate enjoyed training many
thoroughbreds at Starland Farm. Up to thirty
horses were stabled there during the winter
season. The twenty stall stucco horse barn
with it's blue roof was designed by R.E.
(Rassie) Wicker, a Pinehurst cartographer,
local historian and self-made "engineer". A
local builder by the name of A.B. Sally
constructed the horse barn. As demand for
space increased, Tate expanded the
stable
west of the barn.
Among the horses trained at Starland Farm
was the winner of the 1983 Preakness and
Deputed Testimony. Jean Baptiste, one of
Tate's favorite horses, won the 1955 Albany
Stakes at Belmont Park and ran in the 1956
Kentucky Derby.
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