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Eyler Stables Hosts 30th Anniversary of New Year’s Day Horse Sale

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January 1, 2017, marked the 30th anniversary of the New Year’s Day Horse Sale at Eyler Stables in Thurmont. During this auction, anything to do with horses is auctioned or consigned, all day long. You can bid on or purchase new and used saddles, bridles, horses, hay, trailers, and just about anything you would need to care for a horse, to ride a horse, or to look good on a horse.

Since 1933, horse auctions have been held on the property known as Eyler Stables on Emmitsburg Road in Thurmont. Today, Niki Eyler, great-granddaughter of the stables’ founders, continues to manage the facility, which includes a weekly flea market and subcontracted horse and tack auctions.

Niki has managed the indoor and outdoor flea market every weekend—Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays—since she started that business as an alternative use on the property in October of 2014.

The New Year’s Day Horse Sale of 2017, specifically, enjoyed its 30th birthday on a mild and sunny day. While livestock trailers were auctioned in one field close to the stable, food vendors tempted the crowd with the aroma of grilled beef; tack was sold by vendors on the grounds; the indoor auction area was filled with people, tack, and saddles; and the horses were stabled or exercised in the ring out back to prepare for auction.

Niki could be found with her mother, Jody Eyler, at the sale counter in the indoor flea market. Niki manages the property in honor of her Eyler ancestors. Her dad, Albert Eyler, started the annual New Year’s Day Horse Auction at the stables and hosted it until his passing in 1999. Niki took over the event and hosted it until 2010. She now leases the event to auctioneer, Tim Smith, and Jim Roberts of RSD Livestock. While the annual New Year’s Day Horse Sale was the idea of her father, Niki’s paternal grandparents, Joe and Ruth Eyler, and great-grandfather, Harry Eyler, ran Eyler Stables with regularly scheduled horse auctions starting in 1933.

People from all over the mid-Atlantic, and beyond, attend the New Year’s Day Sale every year. It’s well known in the equestrian circles and, according to comments online, seems to offer a step up in the quality of the horse sold at auction in general.

“Now, there are other New Year’s Day or New Year’s Eve horse auctions, but, this is the oldest one. When my dad started it, nobody else was doing it.” Niki explained. “These days, when horses are no longer necessary in our lives, there is still a market for the horse. They are purchased for recreational riding, showing, racing, and breeding purposes.”

For more information about Eyler Stables Flea Market, take a look on Facebook, call 301-471-5158, or stop by 141 Emmitsburg Road in Thurmont. For more information about Eyler Stables Horse Auctions, visit RSD Horse Auctions on Facebook or rsdhorseauctions.com.

This year’s Eyler Stables Horse Sale indoor auction is pictured. During each auction, tack and equipment is sold earlier in the day, then the horses are walked through the auction area to attract the highest bid.

Flea Market Now Open at The Eyler Stables in Thurmont

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Lindsay Brandt

eyler stablesThe Eyler Stables in Thurmont now hosts weekend flea markets. The idea for opening the stables for weekend markets was that of owner, Niki Eyler, and her friend, Emily Kemp, who has been working a similar operation in Virginia.

The Eyler Stables property has been in the Eyler family for generations. Eyler’s great-grandparents started the facility in 1933, and it was then handed down to her grandparents, then to her father, and now to Niki, who was born and raised on the property. She took over the management of it in 1999. “This facility was just sitting empty for most of the month, and I just really wanted something else going on here,” Eyler said.

Eyler stated that the grand opening of the market was held on October 3, 2014. The market has had a good response from the community. Eyler recalls, “On the first day, we were going to close at 3:00 p.m., but I was here until a quarter after eight. People just kept milling in and looking around, and I was like, ‘well, just hang out, look around!’ It was great. I had two people who just came to browse and actually want to rent vendor space!” (Both indoor and outdoor are available.)

Eyler’s goal is to have as many vendors as possible. She hopes to fill the outdoor space and grow that portion of the flea market. She states that the property could hold limitless vendors, but easily accommodates over a hundred.

The flea market will ultimately sell anything and everything. “Most vendors are local; I have some people from Pennsylvania who have some things consigned, as well as from Virginia. We have some outdoor vendors who come from the tri-state area who will set up during the weekends.”

Among the many things Eyler has put up for sale, three small vases that she has acquired stick out to her. When she bought them, she discovered the items had pieces of paper stuck in them. When she pulled out the note in the first vase, she read, “Vase is given to Nancy, 1945.” Eyler then pulled the second vase closer, pulling out a second piece of paper, which read, “In remembrance for Nancy on her second birthday, from Mrs. Dudrear.” The third vase, and the last piece of paper, contained the information on Mrs. Dudrear’s obituary. “I just thought that was so neat, you know, a little bit of history tied to those vases.”

The Eyler Stables Flea Market will stay open (through the end of the year) every Friday and Saturday, from 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.; Sundays, from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. They will take a short break before reopening in the spring.

For an indoor, 8-foot space, the cost is $40.00 a month. You stock your own merchandise and price it. If you want just a weekend at the market, the cost is $20.00 for one day, $30.00 for two days, and $40.00 for all three days.