Actor Kevin Costner built a professional baseball field in the movie "Field of Dreams."

Margaret Bettyas built her own "Field of Dreams" in Chesterfield, N.J. — but she did it alone, unlike Costner who had the ghost of a famous baseball player to guide him!

After working for 3Com, a computer company, in California for 20 years and England for two, Margaret returned home to New Jersey "to take life a little easier and enjoy New Jersey's ample farmland." As she says about life in California, "I got tired of tiny, little backyards."

Back home, Margaret built her own Field of Dreams, a vast and breathtaking horse boarding, instructional riding and horse training facility on a 76-acre parcel of land that she bought in 1996.
Today, the facility has grown to include thirty 12' x 12' stalls and three pony stalls, all of which are nearly filled to capacity. The stable has four roomy grooming stalls, two tack rooms and a waiting area, complete with leather arm chairs and snack machines. Margaret says, "We also have two wash stalls, one of which is heated and feels like a sauna."

The facility
The facility's indoor riding arena is one the largest in the area, boasting a 100' x 200' riding area and a 20 sq. ft. storage area. The floor is a mixture of Permaflex rubber and heavy Cape May-style sand, which reduces the amount of dust in the air and it's also very easy on the horses' feet.

In addition, Field of Dreams has two outdoor rings and 20 acres of pasture. "We keep just three horses in each pasture and group the horses by personality," Margaret says, and then adds, "That way, we can reduce the chance that the horses create a pecking order, which can be quite a challenge to control."

Steady growth
The facility began small with just beginner riding lessons and boarding facilities, and grew last year when Margaret realized a market for shows, horse care and professional riding instruction and horse training.

Today, Margaret and her staff give 30 lessons every week and manage shows every weekend, both at their facility or at locations like New York's Catskill Mountains and Florida.

A dream come true
Margaret Bettyas has worked hard to achieve her own field of dreams, and she's enjoying every aspect of it. About her business, she says, with a grin, "At Field of Dreams, we cater to two kinds of customers — the two-legged kind and four-legged kind. We enjoy working with both!"