By Katy Savage, Standard Staff
Every summer Geoff Nichols and his wife Joan take a trip to Europe and see hundreds of horses in search of their next superstar — “like looking at a gifted wide receiver on a football team,” he said.
He guesses from a young age the horses that will go on and win big competitions. He buys 3-, 4- or 5-year-old horses, his rider spends three years training them, and then he sells them. It’s a guessing game he’s pretty good at. The horses he’s picked are among the top ranked in the world now. One is listed for a selling price of $60,000.
Another horse Nichols sold, named Trading Aces, competed at the 2014 World Equestrian Games with two time Olympic gold medalist Phillip Dutton.
Now, Nichols is spending the summer in Europe because Lup The Loop, “Loopy” his other Irish sport horse, received a $28,000 Jacqueline B. Mars Competition Grant to compete in eventing, a combination of dressage, show jumping and cross-country.
Growing up, Nichols dabbled in trail riding, which is how he met his wife, a dressage rider. Their children also rode horses and competed in eventing.
This is his hobby.
“I don’t play golf,” said Nichols, 74.
Nichols’ property in Pomfret is a 200-acre horse wonderland. Called Tom White Hill Farm, it’s tucked away on a dirt road he built himself, three-quarters of a mile long. He built his house in 1972 and then built every fence rail on the land and a barn to go with it. He has four horses there now — also top competitors.
“He picks athletic horses that are well-adjusted, who are comfortable in their own skin,” said his son Chris Nichols, who lives in Quechee.
Nichols started importing horses from Europe 10 years ago, ever since he went to Ireland to find a pony for his granddaughter.
“It cost me three times more to bring him home than I paid for him,” he said.
Nichols goes to his 15-acre property in Florida from October to May so his horses can compete there.
Nichols is quiet about his horse hobby. Locally, he’s known as a real estate broker and owner of Woodstock Properties, in addition to several other commercial real estate holdings.
When he’s gone on his “vacations,” his staff takes over.
Lynne Bertram has worked with Nichols since 2000.
“He’s just so ecstatic, over the moon, about his rider — so proud of her,” Bertram said.
Nichols credits his rider, Kylie Lyman, for his success.
Lyman, 30, has worked for Nichols ever since she was 22. She is involved in all purchasing decisions.
“Geoff’s not just her boss,” Lyman’s mother, Sara said. “She feels like part of their family.”
Lyman grew up in West Hartford and had her first riding lesson as a birthday present when she turned 8.
“She basically has never stopped since she was 8,” her mother said. “Everyday after school and every weekend she went to Hitching Post Farm (in South Royalton). She worked all the time.”
She took lessons three days a week in high school while working for the farm.
“She has some connection with the horses. She’s a perfectionist and she doesn’t give up,” her mother said.
Now Lyman is ranked seventh in the world.
“We’ve been successful, mainly because of the rider,” Nichols said.
Attempts to reach Lyman in Europe weren’t successful.
Nichols shipped three horses from Europe last year because he liked the way they moved and carried themselves.
It’s not all the time that Nichols gets the right horse. Sometimes he chooses a horse that isn’t successful for eventing.
“Sometimes you look out and you think geez,” he said, wiping his forehead. “The fun of it is to get a new young one and see if you can do the same thing over again. We’ve done that.”
And he keeps doing that.
“It’s really fun to watch the horses develop,” he said.
This article first appeared in the July 28, 2016 edition of the Vermont Standard.