Tandem Hill Farm

Aiken, South Carolina
New to the Aiken, South Carolina, area is the carriage driving and training stables of Tandem Hill Farm. Owner and instructor Robert Chambers, along with his wife Cathy Chambers, a professional sidesaddle instructor and braider, moved there stables from Virginia to South Carolina this May.
Tandem Hill Farm offers carriage driving lessons and driving courses along with sales and leases of driving horses on their farm located just outside of Windsor, South Carolina.

Robert Chambers has an impressive background in carriage driving and training difficult horses. His experience with horses started at the young age of 12 when asked to help with the wedding of Prince Charles and the late, Lady Diana. At 15 he was given the opportunity to join full time in the English Royal household with the Queen’s ceremonial horses at the world famous Royal Mews in London, England. Throughout his years there he took part in hundreds of state and royal occasions and acquired a taste for competitive carriage driving and coaching while working for HRH Prince Philip and the late Sir John Miller, a dear family friend.

Moving to America in the early 1990s, Robert dove head first into the sport of coaching, one of his great passions in life. While others listen to pop and bluegrass music, Robert prefers the sounds of horse’s hooves trotting on the road.

Competing in the U.S., Robert stacked up an impressive reputation as a private coachman and became known for his excellent turnouts and attention to the smallest details from judges around the world. Robert has shown at leading shows across the country, Canada and Europe.

In the year 2000, with the beginning of a new century, Robert and Cathy started a new era by opening Tandem Hill Farm. Carriage horse training, driving lessons and coaching services are now available for the first time from Robert. Clients can enjoy the knowledge and level of experience he offers. Take an hour long lesson or a week long driving course and you will be filled with the deep understanding of a horse’s thoughts and reactions and given a thoughtful insight into carriage driving in a calm and pleasing manner of learning. Whether you are youth or adult, Robert is truly interested in sparking your interest in the sport he so enjoys. Promoting carriage driving in a safe and stable environment is a very important to Robert. “The future of driving is in the hands of your youth,” he explains.

The Chambers two children, 15-years-old Sarah and 12-year-old Cameron both drive horses for pleasure and competition. Sarah started driving at age four with her first pony, Chatterbox. Cameron started driving at age five and both recently competed in their first ADT (area driving trail) in March with their Morgan horses, Huffin and Puffin.

Completing this equestrian family is Roberts’s wife Cathy. A professional horse braider on the “A” hunter circuit and sidesaddle instructor, Cathy is no stranger to her own success. She was showing horses and ponies from the age of four and has been a sidesaddle enthusiast since the age of 14. Cathy has competed sidesaddle at Devon, Washington, the National Horse Show, and a host of other events, even going as far as winning the World Sidesaddle Federation’s top riders award in 1991. As a braider Cathy travels up and down the east coast to events almost every week. Cathy is also an accomplished driver, competing with her ponies, both tandem and four-in-hand.

Robert and Cathy were bitten by the “tandem bug” in 2000 when opening their stable in Virginia. Tandem driving one horse in front of the other is considered more difficult than driving a four-in-hand. Robert and Cathy even have their own Tandem Club called “Totally Tandem.” Membership is available on their website at www.tandemhillfarm.com. Visiting the website will also give you a wealth of information on buying a driving horse, buying carriages, harness and training stories.

People interested in learning to drive can benefit from Tandem Hill’s leasing program – designed for new comers to the sport of driving to “try before they buy.” This program allows people to lease a horse, carriage and harness all under Robert’s supervision. The program includes weekly lessons with Robert on his farm in Windsor. Robert’s clients come from as far as upstate New York and Florida to enjoy his style of teaching and coaching.

The move to Aiken offers year-round training opportunities with miles of sand trails attached to the farm. With great footing and climate, you couldn’t ask for better. Tandem Hill’s training barn receives new horses frequently. The barn offers full training of horses and ponies and also a modest conditioning and showing board for equines that already drive but have busy owners. Robert will school, condition and even show your horses in either CDE (combined driving) or in the show ring. Robert also works outside of the farm traveling from North Carolina to Georgia and will work with you and your horses onsite.

Tandem Hill offers South Carolina and surrounding areas a wide range of services for new and experienced horse lovers to take advantage of. To learn more, to book lessons and training, or to inquire about horses available for sale or lease, visit www.tandemhillfarm.com or call 540-325-1827.
Expect to see a lot of the Chambers family competing around the area in the future as horses are not only a business for this family but also a way of life!