Couple continues their horse carriage tradition

Gene Merritt Special to Wilmington StarNews | USA TODAY NETWORK

John and Janet Pucci were both born in Ohio and were neighbors growing up. Janet’s father owned a mobile home park named Springbrook Farms, hence the name of their carriage operation in Wilmington.

On their wedding day, John surprised Janet with a horse and carriage at the ceremony. John knew a friend who ran a horse and carriage business. It was then when the idea of the business first emerged after friends and relatives also took rides.

They started Springbrook Farms Carriage Company downtown in 1987. At the time, downtown was undergoing a rebirth and the Puccis saw the bones and structure of a vibrant future.

Based on the timing they thought they could help in the ongoing revitalization process while saving horses and creating their own business. And 34 years later, weaving through downtown Wilmington streets and giving locals and visitors a unique look at the city’s history, the tradition remains strong.

To quote John and Janet, “we are in the business of savings horses more than in making money in the carriage ride trade. The horses are our family.”

How it started

The friend who handled the horse and carriage rides wanted to retire so he called John and asked him to manage the next wedding for him. He told John he would train him on how to handle the tour operation.

So, they started doing this for a living. They were having a great time, but they were just paying the bills and not making any money.

They had a friend in Pittsburgh who did weekend horse and carriage tours. He invited them to join him on the tours. He was operating in the Station Square neighborhood, a riverfront location in the city of Pittsburgh. At the time, Station Square was in its infancy in terms of revitalization. John and Janet were not aware of Wilmington at that time.

John studied the idea of using the draft horses like his friend. They were strong and docile, especially the Percherons. The Amish farmers had a problem with the big processing companies going to horse auctions and outbidding their competitors. Then they would take the horses out of the county for processing. John and Janet decided that if they got into this business, they would seek draft Percherons who needed a home, not for farming. To date, they have a continuing connection with the Amish farmers who are trying to save their draft horses from processors.

John and Janet use only rescued gelding Percherons, saving them from the fate of the processors.

When Springbrook purchases the horses, the Amish train them for the city, and the horses have a long and easier life span at Springbrook Farms.

The horses like the attention given them by the public. John and Janet give the horses special care.

John helped found the Carriage Operators of North America (CONA) to help establish and maintain strong operating standards for the industry.

Transition from Ohio to Wilmington

Janet did not like the cold weather in Ohio. But she didn’t want to go back to Florida because it was too hot. She did like the weather in North Carolina, especially in the Wilmington area.

They took some vacation time and traveled across North Carolina, looking for the ideal location for their newly planned business. When they landed at the foot of Market Street in downtown Wilmington, they knew they had found the right location.

Bob Jenkins, the ultimate downtown personality, was a big help and encouragement to the Puccis and a model for their business. Carl Marshburn and the Henrietta were also encouragements. Times were tough initially, due to the loss of Belk’s, JCPenney, and Sears to Independence Mall, but they got better year after year.

It was not an easy road, but they hung in there and stuck with the program, making their business the success it is today.

Cruelty to animals issues

During John and Janet’s tenure operating Springbrook Farms, they have, on occasion, been subject to criticism, citing they were being cruel to their horses by making them work so hard.

Animals don’t have the same status they did in the past and sometimes are not treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. The Puccis said their overriding purpose is the protect their animals and provide them a full life, even after retirement from the carriage business. Their love of animals, especially their horses, is the primary motivation for the operation of their business.

To demonstrate this point, John helping create CONA. The primary purpose of this organization is to publish and promote standards for treating animals with the dignity they deserve.

Additionally, they built a high-quality shelter downtown to protect the horses in inclement weather. It also serves as a safe place to harness and hitch them off the street. Again, the safety of the horses is paramount. They also got a local ordinance passed to assure good treatment of the horses.

The final piece of the ethical treatment of their horses involves the farmthey established in Brunswick County, where their horses are rotated to Wilmington from, and which provides a place to live out the remainder of their lives in comfort. One of their prized horses, Radar, lived to be 33 years old.

Despite the pandemic and the ups and downs of building a business from scratch through the years, the Puccis have built a career and made a living. No, they didn’t get rich at this endeavor, but they have lived a comfortable life. When they first started in the business, Janet had to sell hotdogs on the riverfront to supplement their income. Business was slow in the beginning.

No, they didn’t get rich at this endeavor, but they have lived a comfortable life.

The pandemic

Like most businesses, the pandemic has had a bit of a negative effect. They segregated seating arrangements by 6foot increments and placed barriers between the riders. They disinfect the seats after each ride. They have marked the sidewalks near the entrance area to the carriages and provided safety signs, all done before regulations were mandatory.

Retirement

After working hard for 34 years in any business, you would think most people would be interested in retiring.

When asked about retirement, John and Janet said they would consider retirement if they could find people who shared their vision and goals for running the business and would be willing to provide the critically important training for the horses and drivers.

Then they may be willing to move themselves “to pasture.”

Gene Merritt is a Wilmington real estate developer and preservationist. He was co-founder and first executive director of what is now Wilmington Downtown, Inc. He was also the founder of downtown’s annual Riverfest.