108 SIDELINESMAY 2014
FORHORSEPEOPLE • ABOUTHORSEPEOPLE
e
KarlMcMillanLovesAiken
By LaurenR. Giannini
KarlMcMillanhashorses inhisgenes.Hisgrandfather served in
the last mounted detachment of theU.S. Marines inChina, which
was formally disbanded in 1938. Karl, following in his father’s
boot prints as the third generation, got his first ponywhile hewas
still learning towalk. He grew up inSummerville, SouthCarolina,
and enjoyed riding and showing. Karl rode with Middleton Place
Hounds and began whipping-in when he was 14 years old. He
also servedas JuniorHuntsmanof thedragpack from1974-1980
and learned how to lay the scent and provide a good course for
the hounds and themounted field to follow.
Early on he discovered something that would nag at him until
he scratched the itch, so to speak. “I’ve always loved Aiken,” he
said. “I’ve been coming here since college to play polo and to
hunt. When I started in real estate and laid out the Stono Ferry
development inHollywood [SouthCarolina], I went back and forth
to Aiken. Charleston has an equestrian community, but it isn’t
anything like Aiken. It was always my goal to move to Aiken so
that I can do everything I love to do every day.”
Karl knows the importance of land conservation and the
preservation of open spaces to allow equestrian sports, such as
foxhunting, polo, trail riding and horse shows to take place. He’s
also very familiar with the sporting rural lifestyle associated with
Aiken. He’s amember of the land conservation choir even though
his responsibilities in theRemax franchise,whichheopenedabout
a year agowith a local commercial agent, include residential and
development properties.
“When we were
promoting Stono Ferry
in the mid-1980s,
polo was a marketing
strategy and we ran a
successful polo club
there for years, but I
don’t think I ever sold
a lot in Stono Ferry
through polo although
we sure had a lot of
fun,” recalled Karl. “It
was a fairly successful
development and we
sold the last lot in the
late ‘90s. That’s when
I sold the stables and
moved all my horses to Aiken. I was still driving back and forth,
but eventually I was able to make Aiken my full-time home two
years ago.”
Karl was still in college when his horsey background opened
Karl celebrating the
final meet of the
season aboarda
borrowed field hunter
with theMiddletown
Hounds.
PhotobyRichardSchmon
