Tate Hanna Reilly on running the historic Cloverland Farm, and her heritage in the Siberian Tribe known as the People of the Horse
It is not often that you come across a business that has been operated by the same family since 1808. Cloverland Farm is an exception, the family farm has a long and storied history.
The Meaning of Cloverland Farm
It all started in the flyover state of Illinois. The first settlers came to White County, IL, between 1807 and 1809. The first settlements were near the Little Wabash River and Big Prairie, one of the numerous prairies in the county. Early settlers Robert Land, John Hanna, and Joseph Pomeroy were instrumental in organizing and establishing The Big Prairie United Methodist Church. The first services alternated between the John Hanna and Robert Land cabins. The Hannas’ Cloverland Farm grew to over 2,000 acres.
Fast forward to 1923; Harry Phil Pearce was born in Carmi, son of Albert and Helen Hanna Pearce. Raised on the Hanna family’s Cloverland Farm, he was awarded a Navy Cross by the Marine Corps for his heroic actions taking Shuri Castle on Okinawa and then returned to active duty during the Korean War. After his return to the family farm in the mid 1900s, Phil Pearce, the farm’s sixth generation horseman, conducted a large-scale breeding operation for Standardbred trotters and pacers. The farm stood four stallions and had as many as one hundred foals and broodmares.
Phil’s daughter, Drue Pearce, grew up on the farm and rode horses throughout her childhood. Drue moved to Alaska in 1977 and soon became involved in politics. She served in the Alaska State House and Senate for 17 years, nine of which were in leadership. She was the first woman to serve as Alaska Senate President twice. She married her now husband, Michael Williams, at the family church, Big Prairie United Methodist.
In 1994, Drue and Michael adopted a baby girl from the Sakha Republic, just before the country’s adoptions were banned by the Russian Federation. Tate Hanna Pearce-Williams was born into the Sakha tribe, who are known as the “people of the horse.”
“Before we were allowed to leave Yakutsk, Tate was required by the local authorities to be blessed by a Shaman,” Drue Pearce tells The Plaid Horse. “He blessed her and told us, ‘She is one with the horse.’”
Tate (who now goes by Tate Hanna Reilly after marriage) has lived up to that blessing, with her first word after Mama and DaDa being “Ho Ho,” for horse, which, of course, seemed fitting.
The Next Generation
Tate Reilly always had an affinity for horses—riding any breed of horse, watching mares give birth, and playing with foals from the age of two—as her roots grew from the family farm. Her secondary sport was competitive gymnastics, which she began while living in Alaska.
The family moved to the Washington, D.C,. metro area when Tate was seven. Once there, she continued to improve as a gymnast, training with a Russian Olympian. Alongside gymnastics, Tate competed locally in the hunter/jumper, eventing, and dressage rings. She was also an avid 4-H member. She switched from hunters to eventing during high school. Tate earned her professional card at just 18 years old. Since then, she has become a certified instructor and a hunter/jumper and Western pleasure judge.
Tate attended Otterbein University, where she rode on the eventing equestrian team and was mentored by Olympic rider Bruce Mandeville. Tate knew at an early age the equestrian lifestyle would be her world and career. After college, Tate returned to the East Coast and established a full-time lesson and training program at the family farm in southern Maryland. After several years on the southern farm, Tate moved north to Sparks Glencoe, MD, in 2019 with her now husband, Brian Reilly. Her parents followed in 2020.
Upwards and Onwards
Settling down and growing new roots, together Tate and Brian relaunched her equestrian business at the new location. Following the Hanna family footsteps, the family carried the Cloverland Farm name to Baltimore County. Cloverland Farm is a 25-acre, picturesque property that sets a new standard for premium training and boarding farms, featuring a luxury stable with the highest quality amenities in a boutique setting.
“It’s my dream facility,” says Tate. “I am lucky to be able to continue my family’s legacy at such a phenomenal property.”
Tate Reilly has quite a few accomplishments under her belt, and continues to add more to her resume. Tate’s passions vary and she coaches clients at many different ringsides. Tate competed with multiple horses at the American Eventing Championships. She had the passion and eye for equitation and hunter/jumper and enthusiasm for the thrilling sport of eventing. She then took a break from the eventing world to focus on dressage.
After receiving her USDF Gold Medal, she took over the ownership of a Dutch Warmblood gelding named Watson. Together, they received all three Freestyle Bars and the Diamond Achievement Award in one year. In the 2023 dressage show season, Tate and Watson were the USDF Zone 1 Grand Prix Champion and placed third nationally.
Sharing Proper Knowledge
As an eighth-generation horsewoman, Tate is dedicated to sharing her knowledge with her clients. Tate focuses her training on putting horsemanship first. She encourages her students to take their time with the horse, treating them with respect, fairness, and kindness every step of the way. Her program varies by horse and rider combination. All of Tate’s clients first learn the fundamentals so they have a proper foundation. From there, clients typically choose a discipline to focus on and then set goals for annual achievement.
“It’s rare to find true all-around horsemen these days. The equestrian sport has become so specialized in the different categories, which is great for disciplines, but I feel the good ol’ days of all-around riding are a distant memory. I take pride in having the credibility to offer professional services in multiple disciplines. The pure joy of my clients when they achieve personal goals provides immense satisfaction, whether from amateur pleasure riding, building confidence in the show ring, or them wanting to learn dressage grand prix movements,” says Tate.
Tate and Brian are expecting a baby girl who will join the family in July 2024. Until then, Tate’s business continues at full speed with show season with her clients, while the legacy White County Cloverland Farm is gearing up for another year of planting and harvesting crops.
To learn more about Cloverland Farm and Tate Hanna Reilly, visit www.cloverlandfarmllc.com.
