The Story of Walnridge Farm
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Dr. David A. Meirs, II inherited Walnridge from his aunts Lucretia, Elizabeth and Mary Ann in 1952 while he was a student at the Veterinary School of the University of Pennsylvania. At the time Walnridge was a struggling dairy operation in Cream Ridge, New Jersey. After graduation Dr. Meirs was associated with a mixed veterinary practice in Freehold while trying unsuccessfully to resurrect the farm. Ultimately, the cows were sold and the land rented to other farmers. In 1965 Dr. Meirs established Walnridge Equine Clinic and with the advent of the New Jersey Sire Stakes program in 1972, decided to attempt breeding Standardbred horses as well.
The first stalllion to stand at Walnridge was Peerswick, a horse imported from New Zealand and acquired through Stanley Dancer. He had distinguished himself by being the first horse to pace a mile in two minutes in New Jersey.
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In 1974, Dr. Meirs' son, David III, returned to Walnridge after attending Delaware Valley College. In 1982 his second son, Richard, graduated from the Veterinary School at the University of Pennsylvania and became an associate of Walnridge Equine Clinic. Today Richard is the President and General Manager of Walnridge Farm, Inc. and the Director of Walnridge Equine Clinic P.C.
Through the combined efforts of the Meirs family, Walnridge is now recognized throughout the Standardbred world as a pre-eminent breeding farm and an excellent veterinary facility. The farm presently stands stallions (Southwind Ozzi). Each breeding season Walnridge cares primarily for Standardbred mares, foals and yearlings, as well as some Thoroughbred, Quarterhorse and Warmblood mares and foals.
In 1989 the Meirs family decided to participate in New Jersey's Farmland Preservation Program and sold the development rights to Walnridge. This action insures that these 300 beautiful historic acres of Monmouth County will remain a part of agriculture forever.
