Kim van Kampen Donates Hampton Green Farm in Michigan to Lilly Cares

Dressage

U.S.A.

Kimberly van Kampen has donated her 185-acre equestrian property, Hampton Green Farm (HGF), in Fruitport, Michigan to the non-profit foundation "Lilley Cares, which was founded in 2020.

Van Kampen is one of America's major investors in high performance sport through Discover Dressage and a founding partner in the Global Dressage Festival. She is also one of the driving forces behind the U.S. PRE association.

HGF Homestead in Michigan

Founded in 1997, Hampton Green Farm has been home to a world-class PRE (Pura Raza Española) breeding program and training facility, and has been a fixture in Fruitport for over 20 years. In recent years, the farm has served as a venue for local nonprofits to use as a place to hold its events and galas. The farm has also been a center of equestrian training and sport, focusing on young riders, holding multiple clinics and horse shows.

"During the recession when nonprofits began to struggle, I felt there was more we could do to get them through those tough times," said Van Kampen. She and her team developed a program called “On The House” to invite non-profits to the farm and hold their annual events. Van Kampen and her family foundation paid most of the expenses to allow non-profits to continue to meet their mission, and get through the lean times.

That program is still active at Hampton Green albeit less active. "We had events every single summer weekend for a long time," said Ms Van Kampen, "and it was amazingly successful. This was the seed for our plan today: to continue to serve both the equestrian and the nonprofit community but turning over the keys to a nonprofit close to my heart who understands the efforts and will keep it alive."

The executive director of Lilley Cares is Joan Mack who was the business manager at Hampton Green until she retired in 2018.

"I plan to bring horses back -- not Hampton Green horses of course, but horses from other programs, and see horses grazing these fields again," said Mack.

HGF in Ocala, FL

Hampton Green Farm's horses will move to Van Kampen's property in Ocala, Florida.

"It is time to focus on one location and Ocala with its World Equestrian Center will be the place for me and my horses and team to direct our work toward our continued goals of world-class breeding and dressage competition. Two large farms over 1300 miles apart has stretched our resources and I decided that staying in Ocala and expanding our farm here is best for me and my family."

Van Kampen reports that her investments of time and treasure in Spring Lake will continue. "I have a beloved home in Spring Lake," she said, "and my family gathers here annually. I will never leave West Michigan completely. The difference is that my horses won't need to go back and forth, I can come to Michigan and enjoy my time here and not work quite so hard."

Lilley Cares will take over management of the farm in the summer of 2024.