Two hundred years ago, Charleston had a prominent place in the world of horse racing, with many local planters raising thoroughbreds and Hampton Park’s identity as the renowned Washington Race Course. Believe it or not, the Isle of Palms had its own version of horseracing a century later — although not in the conventional sense.
At the turn of the 20th century, Front Beach was home to a popular resort, complete with a hotel and amusements. The most popular ride there was the steeplechase, where the horses were not truly equine but rather mechanical. Paying customers climbed into the saddle and raced other wannabe equestrians on up-and-down parallel tracks resembling those of a roller coaster. The unique contraption had been purchased from New York’s Coney Island and became a real draw for customers and onlookers on the Isle of Palms.
As the years passed and the resort closed, the memory of the mechanical horses faded into oblivion. But in the mid-20th century, it was not unusual to see real horses galloping along the beach. No, they weren’t wild horses like those that made Chincoteague, Virginia, famous. In the 1960s, a stable near the intersection of Palm Boulevard and 14th Avenue rented horses. There was also the option of bringing your own horse over to the island. A few places on the Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island even boarded horses, and some owners kept their horses at their island homes.
Alice Stender Powell remembered that “a gang of us rode together every evening in the summer from 6 to 8 p.m. when horses were permitted on the beach. We sometimes took them out into the ocean to swim, but you had to be prepared to jump off afterward, as they would drop down in the sand and roll around on their backs, making them look like ghosts. We had more fun than you can ever imagine!”
Neither island was densely populated in the 1960s and 70s and both still had a somewhat isolated identity — perfect for experiencing the exhilaration that comes from riding like the wind along the shore. These days, there is no shortage of horseback riding opportunities available throughout the Lowcountry. But the excitement of those innovative mechanical racehorses at Front Beach back in the day and the thought of galloping through the surf is now a distant dream — one that was once a reality.
By Mary Coy
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