A beloved old stable is reborn in great style

Fifty-one years ago, a poster for the Suburban Essex Riding Club’s Holiday Show in New Jersey proudly proclaimed it was an American Horse Shows Association local member, with a “polo-sized indoor riding hall.”

Those were the days when indoor rings were rare, and even a local show could be considered a special occasion — especially since very few riders took their horses south for the winter.

In the years since, it seems as if everything has changed; even the AHSA has morphed into the U.S. Equestrian Federation. The stable in West Orange, where thousands of people had taken riding lessons and rode in horse shows over the decades, was well past its glory days when it closed in 2022 and was put up for sale. The framed Holiday Show poster lingered forlorn among other bric-a-brac and memories in a dusty room; the horses were long gone.

Located in a residential area and zoned for housing, the stable’s future seemed dim, even though so many had loved it during a history that stretched back for a century or so.

A plan for the township to buy the stable with open space funds and lease it to the Bergen Equestrian Center failed to get support.

Then Manhattan residents Romain Marteau, a real estate developer, and his wife, show jumper/trainer Brianne Goutal Marteau, decided to purchase the property.

“I was very excited about the prospect of being this close to New York City,” said Brianne. Without traffic, it’s a 20-minute drive from the Lincoln Tunnel, and access also is available by train to the Orange station, a five-minute Uber trip.

Brianne knew of the stable while growing up in the city, explaining that in those days, urban youngsters who were interested in riding generally started at either Suburban Essex or Riverdale (in the Bronx).

Brianne was a Riverdale rider before becoming a national equitation champion, so she was excited to finally visit West Orange. But when she arrived, her reaction was far from positive as she examined the aged facility.

“Had it not been for the proximity to New York, I would have looked at him (Romain) and told him he was crazy,” she recounted, then added with a smile, “I think I did, actually.”

Her feeling soon changed.

“When we got to work, once we started kind of envisioning how the whole place could look with a lot of imagination, we were very excited right away.”

As Romain explained their thought process, the question that had to be answered was, “Can we bring it to the level that we think it should be, and also be a practical enterprise, because otherwise, it is not sustainable.

“We need to make money. When you can combine those, restoring a historic facility and bringing a business sense to it, I think it’s a win/win for everybody.”

The stable is what is known as a bank barn, on two levels, like a famous one of the same era built in Gladstone, N.J., by James Cox Brady that now houses the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation.

During its most recent previous iteration, the stable was owned for more than 20 years by Larry Hall, who saw it as “an institution that just needed to continue because it can never be replaced.”

The resident of nearby Verona took over the stable with his daughters in mind.

“The goal I had when I bought it was to give my girls a place to grow up that I knew would be a solid foundation for their future,” he recalled.

Once they were grown and long gone, however, it was time to sell. Remembering the people who used to come in wheelchairs for a last look at the stable where they rode years ago, Larry felt a responsibility.

“How special is this, that this is a place that has those kind of memories?” he asked.

So Larry wanted it to remain a stable.The odds were against finding the right buyer, however. Although Larry never advertised the place, he had two solid offers that would have paid him significantly more than what he got, but revealed, “My heart wasn’t there.”

Then “a white knight” came along, something Larry didn’t think could happen even “in my wildest dreams.”

Romain made him an offer and Larry said, “I’ll take it if you continue to make it a barn and raise your family here, like I did.”

Of Romain, Larry said, “he exceeded, even my greatest of dreams, in what he’s accomplished. It’s amazing.”

The multi-million dollar project, nestled into suburbia, has been crafted thoughtfully with enormous effort into a beautiful state-of-the-art venue, complete with paddocks and an outdoor ring. It goes without saying that the footing is top-flight.

Contractor John Rose called it “a very challenging project because of the location of the property, but we really appreciated the folks in the building department at West Orange helping us navigate through some challenges with zoning and modern issues in a 100-year-old barn.

John said he appreciated being able to do the work.

“It was an absolute honor to be involved in such an iconic New Jersey horse property. Everyone I know in North Jersey has a story about riding at that barn.

“We had to renovate and update the barn within the existing physical structure. To adhere to the rules in New Jersey, we could not alter the footprint of the building in any way. That made renovating the interior a challenge, because the building is made of block and steel.”

John, who had remodeled the stalls at the USET Foundation barn, said the workers who assembled to do the West Orange job comprise “a team I would take anywhere to renovate a barn.”

The facility is now called Montclair Stables, going back to its original name which references an adjacent township.

The building’s historic touches are carefully preserved. Care has been taken with its dramatic frescoes, including one atop the front of the building that depicts a galloping herd. Another by the wash stalls is an artful rendition of a horse jumping a faux brick wall.

“What I love the most is the marriage between the whole traditional historic part of it and the new modern, amazing footing, high level technology. Everything is brand new,” Brianne observed.

“At the same time, we tried to keep as much of the history and tradition alive in the barn. The aesthetic part is all new but the bones are totally original.”

They include the original pavers for the aisle floors, which offer an antique touch below the walls of pale treated pine wood that keep the interior bright.

The original barn had 100 small stalls; now there 60 stalls, 14 feet wide, nearly as roomy as foaling stalls.

“The horses can put out their heads in both the aisle and the outside; we like to give them as much exposure to outside as possible,” said Romain.

Wash stalls are spacious, tack rooms offer a practical setting to store saddles and bridles, and rest rooms abound. The indoor arena is heated in winter and cool in summer because small windows were replaced with garage doors, allowing for more ventilation.

“This facility was  a lesson barn. We’ve made it into a private training facility for us and our clients,” said Romain, noting he and his wife have had interest from people from New York City and elsewhere who would like to board there.

Brianne is the main trainer, but the stable operates with multiple assistant trainers that she supervises. She travels a good deal, so assistant Jamie Stryker, who lives in Bedminster, N .J., is in residence year-round.

Like Brianne, “When we first walked through the property, I was a little bit skeptical,” Jamie reported.

“Then Romain said, `Don’t worry.’ We watched it go through demo (demolition) and then we watched construction start and I kind of stopped worrying, because I realized it’s going to be a really good product. The quality that went into this stable is exceptional.”

Discussing the stable’s offerings, Romain said, “We have a secondary program for riders who are serious about their training but prefer to stay local and regional, rather than traveling to Florida and the big national shows.”

A third program offers ponies “to open doors for children interested in exploring the sport,” Romain continued.

“We think the facility is the perfect place to accommodate all levels of both skill and interest. We’ve partnered with Lauren Gredley/Grey Horse Farm. They have ponies for lease.”

Clara Propp, a student of Brianne’s, saw the stable in its original state and then came out when it was finished and rode her horse, Ingmar, in the outdoor ring.

“I didn’t see any of the work in between,” said Clara,18, who’s focusing on her riding during her gap year before going to Brown University.

“I was so impressed. I just love how it feels so historic while being new, and a really great environment for the horses and the people.”

Clara noted she and Brianne’s other students usually weren’t able to ride much during the late summer and autumn as “horses moved from indoor to indoor” during the fall circuit.

Having access to the stable “will be a huge improvement for us,” said Clara.

“It’s going to allow the horses to relax during the mid- to finals season and allow us to practice, which is really nice.”

“We’re really excited to be here,” Brianne commented.

“It was a little bit of a process over the last two years. But when you end up in a place that looks like this and functions like this, you forget about the time. We’re just very excited to be here and experience the community and the proximity to everything, the shows and the city. It will make our lives a lot easier, that’s for sure.”