Frankie is originally from Boykin, South Carolina, a small town outside of Camden. Frankie graduated from the College of Charleston with a business degree, but while taking off a semester before Graduate school, he began galloping horses for Joe Cantey. When Cantey shipped to New York, Frankie started breaking yearlings for Hall of Fame trainer Frank Whiteley After having attended the Carolina Cup for years, the lure of a career as a steeplechase jockey called and Frankie went to work for Hall of Fame trainer Burley Cocks.
Frankie went to Pennsylvannia with Burley Cocks and became a full time steeplechase rider, he rode his first race in 1979, and his first winner in 1980. After four years of the nomadic life of steeplechase riding, and a few broken bones, Frankie settled for the safer job of breaking yearlings. Frankie worked for Darby Dan Farm and Evergreen Farm in Camden before going out on his own in 1987.
When breaking yearlings, Frankie spends many hours on the ground working with each horse. Gaining the yearling’s trust is mandatory to later becoming a successful racehorse. The yearlings are long-lined in the round pen, before being ridden. The first few weeks of a yearling’s training are spent hacking around the farm and jogging through the woods. After a month or so, the yearlings are introduced to the racetrack and their more serious training begins. Each horse is treated as an individual, because like children they develop at different speeds. Some our naturally easy to break and very willing to please, others are very wary and take many hours of one on one time. No matter how many hours are needed, each yearling is given the time.
Daphne Wooten
Daphne was born and raised in Upperville, Virginia. Daphne was riding before she could walk, she has always been surrounded by horses. Her parents were involved in fox-hunting, steeplechasing and Pony Club. Daphne rode competitively from a young age, showing ponies, fox-hunting and eventually becoming a full time event rider. While at Foxcroft School, Daphne won the North American Junior Three Day Event Championships in 1980, and came back the next year to be reserve Champion.
Also in 1981, Daphne was chosen to train with the US Three Day event team as part of the long list for the 1984 Olympics. After graduating from Foxcroft School in 1981, Daphne moved on to the University of Virginia. At UVA, Daphne was a full time student while also competing at the Advanced level of eventing. To help support her eventing career, Daphne started breaking yearlings and galloping racehorses for local trainers Clay Camp, Hugh Motley and Noel Twyman. After competing successfully through 1984, including a fourth at the 1984 Rolex Three Day Event in Kentucky, Daphne did not make the US team for Los Angeles, and had to retire her number one horse, Kilts. After graduation from UVA in 1985, Daphne moved to Lexington, KY to work for the Thoroughbred Times magazine in the research department. Even while working at The Times, Daphne spent early mornings and weekends getting on yearlings at various farms in Lexington. Daphne’s career with horses has afforded her the opportunity to be around many great horses; including the winners of multiple Olympic medals in equestrian disciplines, the winners of Rolex Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley Three Day Events, plus winners of the Maryland Hunt Cup and the Virginia Gold Cup. And while breaking yearlings; she has galloped Breeders Cup winner ACTION THIS DAY and million dollar earner HAPPY TICKET. Daphne moved to Camden in 1986.
Frankie and Daphne were married in 1988 and have two sons, Bedford (19) and Carter (16). In 2000, Frankie and Daphne purchased their current farm. The farm is adjacent to the Camden Training Center and Springdale Training Center; it consists of twenty two acres, multiple paddocks and three barns.
Contacts
Frankie is originally from Boykin, South Carolina, a small town outside of Camden. Frankie graduated from the College of Charleston with a business degree, but while taking off a semester before Graduate school, he began galloping horses for Joe Cantey. When Cantey shipped to New York, Frankie started breaking yearlings for Hall of Fame trainer Frank Whiteley After having attended the Carolina Cup for years, the lure of a career as a steeplechase jockey called and Frankie went to work for Hall of Fame trainer Burley Cocks.
Daphne was born and raised in Upperville, Virginia. Daphne was riding before she could walk, she has always been surrounded by horses. Her parents were involved in fox-hunting, steeplechasing and Pony Club. Daphne rode competitively from a young age, showing ponies, fox-hunting and eventually becoming a full time event rider. While at Foxcroft School, Daphne won the North American Junior Three Day Event Championships in 1980, and came back the next year to be reserve Champion.
