The Surrey Saddlery, an equestrian supply store, closed its doors in Potomac in July 2010 and moved to Darnestown, where it opened as the first retail occupant in Darnestown Center on Route 28.  

“We followed the horses as they moved Upcounty,” said Lyne Morgan, owner and proprietor of The Surrey, regarding the move to Darnestown in October 2010.

The Surrey is a family-owned business with a long and respected history in Potomac. Morgan’s aunt, Lyn Carroll, opened The Surrey in Potomac in 1953 to serve the riding community In Potomac and western Montgomery County.

“At that time, riders had to go to DC to get all their equipment,” Morgan said.

Catering to the English style rider, The Surrey began as a horse and tack shop by providing riding equipment, saddles, bridles, clothing, boots, hats, and britches.

"Everything but feed,” added Morgan.

Over the years, the store began offering a wide array of items like unique gifts, jewelry, and kids apparel that appeal to more than just equestrians. 

In order to research the prospect of relocating The Surrey to Darnestown back in 2010, Morgan recalls sitting in the Harris Teeter parking lot and counting the number of people that went in and out of the store in riding attire.

This new location has opened up a broader client base that reaches to lower Frederick and even the Damascus area, she said.

Now settled and thriving in Darnestown, Morgan is pleased that her market research paid off.

She discovered that “this Seneca Road, Darnestown Road intersection is the gateway to the barns.”