Vermont roots: Centennial spotlights Morgan breed’s storied history
“Figure” stands proudly at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, Vt. This month, the farm marked the statue’s 100th anniversary with a special Centennial Field Day. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
The first weekend of October brought a major anniversary to a special part of the University of Vermont’s Morgan Horse Farm, and also a celebration of the majestic animal for which the farm is named.
On Saturday, Oct. 2, the life-size bronze statue of “Figure”, the foundational sire of the Morgan Horse breed, passed the century mark and the community celebrated. Figure’s owner, Justin Morgan, brought the horse to Randolph in 1792, and from there the breed’s history began in the Green Mountains. The UVM Morgan Horse Farm has played a crucial role in that history in Vermont, as thousands of Morgan Horses have been raised on this long-cherished property.
People from all around Vermont took part in the 100-year celebration last weekend at the farm in Weybridge, where the event mirrored the activities and exhibits of the site’s original field day. It was a cloudy day, but the love of the farm and its cherished place in history shone bright.
This week, Margot Smithson, operations coordinator for the UVM Morgan Horse Farm, said the Oct. 2 Centennial Field Day brought out the community's passion for the Morgan Horse breed, and also sparked some new interest.
“Think we brought some new folks in, and we rejuvenated the passion and interest of some folks who’ve been in our community for a while,” said Smithson, who introduced the Oct. 2 speakers and delivered remarks alongside Farm Manager Kimberly Demars. “We’ve had a number of people write to us, just being very grateful for the promotion we did for the Morgan Horse, what it means for the state, and just rekindling passion for it as our state animal.”
One of the planners for the centennial event was Nina Quinn, president of the Morgan Horse Heritage Foundation and member of the farm’s UVM Advisory Board. Her carriage mare is a granddaughter of UVM Kerry, a famous Morgan bred at the farm. Quinn was also an apprentice at the farm, adding, “I grew up here basically.”
She’s hopeful about the farm’s future. “It takes a village; it’s a very, very important place,” Quinn said.
A young visitor meets a new friend at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm on Oct. 2. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
The 150-year-old working farm, with over 40 Morgans, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and it welcomes the public annually from May through October. Time and again at the recent Centennial, a key point was driven home: the UVM Morgan Horse Farm has been an ambassador for the Morgan Horse breed. In 1878, Joseph Battell commissioned construction of the farm to preserve the Morgan breed, and also published the first volume of the Morgan Horse Registry in 1894, noted Jim McClay, director of The Lippitt Club, during his remarks at the event. In 1907, Battell sold the farm to the U.S. government, and under the Department of Agriculture, the government farm bred over 500 Morgans for their cavalry remount program between 1907 and 1951.
“Morgan horses from his government line of breeding are known for substantial bone and very athletic abilities,” McClay said.
By 1951, the government no longer needed the program, and divided the Morgans still at the farm between the New England land-grant colleges — one of them being UVM. For decades, the farm has provided education and training for students, while “perpetuating the Battell, government and UVM blood lines,” McClay said. Through attracting thousands of visitors over its history, the farm has also educated the wider public about Vermont’s state animal.
Speaking of the robust equine education for students, Dr. Leslie Parise, dean of UVM’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, told the crowd at the event the farm staff recently taught a handling lab at UVM’s Miller Farm near the Burlington campus, working with several of UVM’s Morgan foals. Though some classes at the Weybridge farm are on hold due to the pandemic, Parise said the Morgan Horse Farm team was able to host their second-annual Saturday handling lab with 16 students.
“It’s a great opportunity for these students to really get hands-on experience,” she said. The farm also offers a yearly equine reproduction course, focusing on the best practices for horse-breeding, artificial insemination, and more.
Through working with students and promoting history and stewardship of the breed, The UVM Morgan Horse Farm has meant a great deal to the breed’s storied past, including its place in Vermont history. The farm was a favorite place for Gov. Deane C. Davis, who held the state’s top office from 1969 to 1973, owned and showed Morgan horses, and was instrumental in making the Morgan the state animal.
Horses look into the distance at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge, Vt. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
In an interview during the Oct. 2 event, Denny Emerson, an equestrian and Olympic gold-medalist based in Strafford, said the UVM Morgan Horse Farm has been a steady, positive influence over the years. He added that Vermont’s strong ties to the breed — from Justin Morgan and Figure, to the contributions of Gov. Davis and others — helped sustain the farm even as other New England colleges halted their Morgan breeding programs. That history has also turned into dollars for Vermont, with many tourists visiting the farm every year.
“I think there's more of a tradition in Vermont than any other state, and hopefully they understand the tourist attraction and keep maintaining this place, both the University of Vermont and the state,” Emerson said.
Along with history and other aspects, the Oct. 2 speakers went to the very heart of the Morgan breed, noting its versatility, unmatched stamina, and a special closeness to its human companions. As Amanda Ryan, vice president of the Vermont Morgan Horse Association, noted about this special horse, “Above and beyond all else, he chooses you.”
“There is a brightness that burns in them that you can see, whenever you stand in their presence,” she said.
She added, “In Vermont, you are in the homeland. This horse irrevocably belongs to all Vermonters.”
The Centennial crowd also heard from Anson Tebbetts, Vermont’s agriculture secretary, who thanked UVM, the Morgan Horse Farm team, and all volunteers and supporters throughout Vermont and beyond. He noted the farm’s importance to the breed, and the Morgan’s crucial place in Vermont’s long-standing equine economy.
“Horses, as we’ve learned today, are also great companions, teaching our young people responsibility and care of our animals,” Tebbetts said. “Through 4-H and horse shows, thousands of Vermonters have learned life-long skills that benefit all of us.”
Because of the education they gained at the farm, many young people over the years have gone into careers in agriculture, a number of them becoming veterinarians, Tebbetts told the crowd. Behind these great traditions, are the great times generations have shared with this special breed, right here in the Greens.
“The future is bright for UVM, and, as many have said earlier, the Morgan brings us joy and happiness,” he said.
— Gareth Henderson
A young Morgan greets the camera at the UVM farm in Weybridge, Vt., during the recent Centennial Field Day. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
