Finding Claire Reid on any given day takes a bit of perseverance and a little bit of luck.

These days, most people carry cell phones and are accessible with the press of a few numbers, but not Reid.

There’s no cell-phone reception around her farm in Southern Pines, N.C., and on her commute to her office in New York City, she’s often on an airplane.

“Most everybody fills their time with what’s on their plate–I just have more on my plate than most anybody else,” she said, laughing.

But Reid, 60, manages to keep her smorgasbord of life nicely balanced. She’s the senior vice president of North America sales and consulting acquistion integration for Oracle Corp., a successful driving competitor, and a hostess for driving competitions and a summer driving camp for children at her Twin Gates Farm.

“She has incredible energy. It’s unbelievable, really,” said Kelly Valdes, the farm’s resident manager. “I don’t know where she gets it for being such a small person. She just goes after what she wants, whether it’s with the horses or in her professional life.”

Currently, Reid competes a pair of Sec. A Welsh Mountain ponies at the advanced level, and she drives a four-in-hand for pleasure and coaching. Her adorable grays are hard to miss because of their uniformity and beautiful gaits. Valdes, an international-level driver, oversees the ponies and trains Reid on the weekends.

“I really couldn’t do it without Kelly,” said Reid. “She works the ponies during the week when I’m in New York, and she helps to bring the young ones along.”

In addition to combined driving, Reid’s ponies also excel in pleasure and coaching. One of her most memorable competitive moments was earning the grand championship at the Walnut Hill Driving Show (N.Y.) in 2002. “In pleasure driving, it doesn’t get much better than that,” said Reid, smiling.

Another favorite accomplishment was attending the National Sporting Library’s coaching exhibition in Middleburg, Va., in October 2004.

“That was a big achievement,” said Reid. “Training my ponies and myself to drive a coach took all summer. We had to condition the ponies and learn a new skill. Normally, when you drive a team of ponies with a carriage, you don’t even think about the carriage. But you have to think of the coach as the fifth element. The coach has a life of its own–it acts a lot like a sailboat–and you have to learn to drive it too.”

Closer Than The Boat
Unlike many horse people who were born into horses, Reid took up the reins later in life, at age 45.

“She’s very focused and intelligent, and she’s one of the best students I’ve ever had. She caught on right away,” said Valdes, who also noted that Reid was a serious driver right from the start. “During my first lesson with her, I knew she’d be a good student because she already had a full-size dressage ring that had permanent corners!”

Reid found the equine passion after enjoying golf and sailing while growing up and living on New York’s Long Island. When she purchased her first farm in the Unionville, Pa., area, she was introduced to the local horsemen and the way of life that she finds so enjoyable now.
“The boats were just too far away, but you can go out into your backyard for the horses,” she said.

Initially, Reid was drawn to driving because it was easier for someone starting out at her age to learn. “As much as I like to ride, I found that I could excel more in the driving,” she said. “I’d never sat on a horse until I was 45. I know many people who ride who move to driving as they get older because it’s less stressful on the knees and back.”

Similarly, Reid found small ponies filled her requirements perfectly as they’re easier to work around than their larger counterparts. And the first two she purchased–Giggles and Grady, now retired–were the perfect introduction.

“I adore the ponies–they’re a great pleasure for me,” said Reid. “I have a lot of photos of me with the ponies, and in almost every one I’m smiling. So, when I look back at all of these photos, I know something must be going right.”

No Such Thing As Typical
Reid doesn’t generally have a “typical” day–her life is either work or play, so there’s a mix of responsibilities she must tackle depending on whether she’s in the city or the country.

“I’m a very focused person,” she said. “During the week I give 100 percent to my business, and on the weekends, at home or at the shows, I give 100 percent. Yes, there’s an occasional phone call or e-mail I need to take, but for the most part I focus on one aspect of my life at a time.

“As soon as things go out of balance, my career wins,” she added. “I have to have it that way–my career always takes precedent.”

From Monday through Friday, Reid’s based at Oracle’s office on Madison Ave., in Manhattan, where she spends approximately 60 hours per week, working primarily on acquisitions. She has a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in management science and engineering from Long Island University (N.Y.). She’s been with Oracle, the world’s largest enterprise-software company, for seven years.

“I really do enjoy my job,” said Reid, who also travels extensively during the week as part of her position. “I primarily do acquisitions and integrate them into North American sales and consulting. It’s meeting a lot of new people, running models, and it’s very challenging and enjoyable.”

Instead of the hassle of keeping an apartment in Manhattan, Reid spends her time
in the city based in a hotel, where her needs are more easily met without the additional responsibilities of another residence. Family members also live nearby–her father resides on Long Island and her sister in Manhattan–so she’s able to spend time with them too.
With this remarkable commute, Reid said one of the questions she must regularly ask herself is: “Where’s the car?”

And on Friday, when her professional responsibilities are concluded, she jumps back on an airplane and heads to Southern Pines. While many people would assume that Reid’s sole focus during her brief weekends away from her career would be herself, that’s not always the case.

She just might return home to find the farm packed with trailers, horses and people, preparing for one of the several combined driving competitions she hosts or the summer camp she enthusiastically supports.

Each year Reid provides the property for the Moore Country Driving Club to host their events, and they host American Driving Society-sanctioned competitions. The Pine Tree CDE, held Oct. 29-30 and co-managed by Valdes, is a favorite fall driving event in the area, with divisions of training and preliminary.

“It’s fun to give back to the sport,” said Reid. “I feel it’s important that you contribute, so we host a few competitions every year. When we have a show, I’ll take time off that week and prepare and maybe work from home so that I’m there.”

Reid especially enjoys the summer camp held at Twin Gates in August, now in its third year.

They invite 10 children, from ages 10 to 21, who spend five days working with five driving instructors. Reid provides each driver a turnout to work with–including horses, ponies, harness and carriage–and they rotate daily so each child is partnered with each instructor.

The camp also includes instruction in veterinary care from volunteer veterinarians, barn management and grooming. “We even teach the kids how to drive a golf cart and tractor safely,” said Reid laughing. “Any-thing that goes on around the farm, we want them to have the opportunity to learn.”

The camp is supported by the ADS, which offers grants to help offset the costs of airfare and camp fees. Reid’s camp was the first in the country to offer such a program, but now three others around the country provide similar instruction.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to get young people involved in the sport of driving,” she said.

Reid’s own driving aspirations have helped her steadily move up the levels over the past 12 years. She now competes her pair at the advanced level. “That was a big step up,” she said. “Now I’d like to improve my scores in all three phases. I’ve reached the scores where I qualify to be long-listed [with the U.S. Equestrian Federation], but now I’d like to work to be more competitive with the people who are being sent to the World Championships.”

Reid hasn’t made it her goal to compete for her country internationally, but she wouldn’t turn down a slot on a future team. “I just enjoy driving and doing well in each of the phases,” she said. “I would certainly go if I got that good! But we’ll see how that goes.”

In the meantime, she finds the challenge of balancing her professional career with her driving career extremely satisfying.

“It’s not that hard,” she insisted with a smile. “You just learn to do things more efficiently, or you have help. When I have a moment, I do muck stalls and brush the ponies. We all try to fit in as much as we can–I just fit in more than the average person.”

Claire Reid
Age: 60

Hometown: Twin Gates Farm, Southern Pines, N.C.

Profession: Senior vice president at Oracle Corp., in New York City

Ponies: 12 (two retired) Sec. A Welsh Mountain ponies bred by Amy Hitchcock of Westwood Stud in Middleburg, Va.

Cherished Moment: “I have this photo of me from Devon [Pa.], from the second time I showed there. It was pouring rain, and my ponies are black up to their shoulders from the bluestone rings, and I’ve got this smile on my face you can’t believe,” she recalled.

Clothing Counts: “The logistics of making sure I have everything and traveling with the things I need is one of my biggest challenges,” Reid admitted with a laugh. “If I’m going to drive, I need the right clothing. I’m always packing the truck or trailer with clothes I need for the next two weeks. And the logistics of preparing for the weather or for a show is hard. Sometimes I wind up with the wrong attire! But I definitely plan ahead more than the average person.”