GRAYMAR FARMS | FRANKLIN, TN

GRAYMAR FARMS  |  PEOPLE

 

ROBERT LIPMAN  |  OWNER

Graymar Farms owner Robert Lipman’s affinity for horses developed when he was young and eventually lead to 35 years of playing polo. Robert achieved two goals and played up to 18-goal polo before retiring from the sport… although he will never retire from horses.

Robert oversees all operations and facilities at Graymar Farms which is named for his two daughters, Gracey and Margaret.  He saw the opportunity to put together a world-class organization because of the talented people and horses literally in his backyard. With proven bloodlines and breeding heritage, Graymar is well-positioned under Robert’s helm.

ROBERT (BOB) CONNORS  |  FARM MANAGER

Bob Connors brings a lifetime of horsemanship and project management to his role as Farm Manager at Graymar Farms. Bob spent the initial part of his career alongside his father as assistant trainer at the Robert F. Connors racing stable. With a background in thoroughbred racing and polo, Bob started playing at Brandywine Polo Club in Pennsylvania and Gulfstream Polo Club in Florida prior to coming on board at Graymar Farms in 1990. Under Bob’s management, Graymar has grown from 50 acres and 10 horses to 275 acres and 85 horses (2017).

As the primary facilitator of Graymar’s equine operations, Bob is in charge of breeding, foaling, yearlings, and 2-year-olds. He also presides over the Graymar property including pastures, barns, outbuildings and construction. Bob and his wife Jill reside in Franklin, Tennessee, with their son Gavin.

WESLEY “WHISTLE” UYS  |  POLO PRO

Wesley “Whistle” Uys, who reached 5 goals in his career, moved to the United States in 1996 from South Africa where his love of horses ensued when he was a child. Whistle, whose father was also a polo player, began riding at the age of three. His family bred some of their own polo ponies, sparking a passion which led Whistle to work for Tommy Wayman in Sheridan, Wyoming. The experience Whistle gained while working for Wayman – a world-renown 10-goal player who won six U.S. Open Polo Championships – further influenced his horsemanship and knowledge. Whistle credits the time he spent in Sheridan with helping him to learn the style and finer points of polo pony breeding. In 2001, Whistle came to work for Robert Lipman and Graymar Farms.

Whistle and Robert played in hundreds of polo matches together for Graymar Farms. One of Whistle’s fondest memories is of a season in Wellington, FL, in 2006 where they went undefeated. With Bob Connors, Whistle runs the horse operations for Graymar in Franklin, Tennessee and in Port Mayaca, Florida. Whistle has three children; he married his wife Shirra in 2014.

STEVE ORTHWEIN, JR  |  POLO PRO

Third generation polo player Stevie Orthwein started his polo career at the St. Louis Polo Club then went on to play for the University of Virginia polo team where he won the National Intercollegiate Championship in 2002. In 2003, Stevie took his unique talents to Wellington, Florida where he has continued to play professionally with a 4-goal handicap. Stevie is a three-time member of the U.S. Polo Team, competing in the 1998, 2005 and 2008 FIP World Championships. In 2008, along with his father and brother, Stevie founded the Port Mayaca Polo Club located in Port Mayaca, Florida.

In addition to playing throughout the United States, Stevie has competed professionally in Mexico, Canada, Argentina, France, Brazil and Malaysia. Stevie is co-owner of Franklin Polo Academy and he plays with the Nashville polo club. In 2013, Stevie married Margaret Lipman, daughter of Robert Lipman. The couple and their daughter, Hazel, reside part-time in Wellington, Florida, and part-time at Graymar Farm, Margaret’s childhood home.