About
Past and Present
The Vermont Morgan Horse Association, Inc., came into existence in 1966. Governor Hoff’s Advisory Committee determined that there was an interest and so helped to set up the forum for this to happen. Since 1966, VMHA has continued to offer many events and activities to its members and to the community at large. During the past 44+ years, VMHA has promoted and supported the Morgan Horse and its community from show horse to backyard horse, from breeder to the single horse owner.
One of the very first activities that the club participated in was the World Expo in Montreal Quebec in 1967. As the club grew it started creating more ways to promote and educate the public about the Morgan Horse VMHA even at one point sponsored youths with a Morgan Horse of their own.
VMHA has been a strong fund raiser and supporter for the AMHA and the National Museum of the Morgan Horse’s home. It has lobbied for laws to protect the horse owner and took part in the State Quarter design by submitting an entry, but unfortunately was not chosen.
It has supported the UVM Morgan Horse Farm and the National Museum of the Morgan Horse through annual donations.
In 1968,VMHA started its first “Class A” All Morgan Horse Show, which has been known as the Vermont Spring Classic Horse Show that held in Springfield, MA until 2015. In 2016, VMHA joined forces with Twin State American Saddlebred Association to sponsor an Annual Summer Kickoff Open Horse Show at 3 County Fairgrounds in Northampton, MA. In 1980, an all Morgan Horse Show was established, which also continues to operate today called the Vermont Heritage Days Amateur/Youth Show.
VMHA has a youth group membership that has actively participated in many equine events. They meet regularly and do fundraising for the events that they would like to attend. They also do the AMHA Youth Badge program and many participate in the Youth Contest, which is held at the Annual Summer Kickoff Open Horse Show.
To assist VMHA’s Youth members in furthering their education, in 1999 a scholarship award was created and named after the late W. Lyman Orcutt, Jr. Also in 1999, the first Stallion Service Auction was offered, which was held at the annual meeting until 2006 when it was moved to the VMHA website where it is operated from January- March each year until 2010, allowing people all around the world wide web to bid on Vermont Morgan Stallions. From this, a Breeders’ Futurity was established.
VMHA has participated in a multitude of events and activities, including multi-horse breed activities such as Everything Equine held at the Exposition Fairgrounds in Essex Junction, Morgan Horse Field Days (formerly known as the Showcase of Agriculture) that was held at the AMHA Grounds in Shelburne, Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, Eastern States Exposition held in Springfield, MA, Equine Affair held also in Springfield, MA, and the Farm Show held in Essex Junction, Vermont.
There have been a number of potluck dinners, trail rides/drives, sleigh rallies, and races over the years that VMHA has hosted and sponsored. In the past VMHA held the Morgan Trotting Races at Morgan Mile Road in Brookfield Vermont. These races were held in the same location as the races of Justin Morgan’s day.
The Vermont Morgan Horse Association is a proud club that has been very fortunate to have so many dedicated Morgan enthusiasts over the years. VMHA has recognized many of these individuals. Each year specific members are chosen for recognition and honored with the Deane C. Davis Award, the Person of the Year Award, the Youth of the Year Award, the John Raymond Awards, and the Open Competition Awards.
VMHA continues to grow with the challenges of the times and works very hard to provide opportunity and education so that all can get to know and love the Morgan Horse.