Print“One of the most dramatic demonstrations of concern and affection for GMHA took place following the flood of 1973,” wrote former Green Mountain Horse Association President Eileene Wilmot in Green Mountain Horse Association, 1926-1990s. “We all met to view the disaster and destruction, some of us with faint hearts. I never will forget Wilson Haubrich, who quietly said, ‘We have 120 children arriving in two days; we must get this fixed.’ Friends and members came down from the hills and up the valleys… In two days we were ready to receive the children.”
Last month, GMHA members suffered even heavier hearts when Hurricane Irene brought disastrous floods to their South Woodstock, Vt., headquarters, devastating the barns and forcing the cancellation of several of the 85-year-old organization’s annual fall events.
A Glimpse Of GMHA
GMHA was founded in 1926 when the Vermont Fair Horse Show Committee announced that their annual show was in danger of cancellation due to lack of entries. The next month approximately 50 concerned equestrians met to form the Green Mountain Horse Association with a goal to “increase the interest in raising and the use of horses in Vermont and to hold an annual show.” Their efforts saved the show that year, and by 1927, ambitions were soaring even higher.
The following is a brief snapshot of this diverse organization’s early timeline.
1927: GMHA hosted the first in what would become an ongoing tradition of competitive trail rides: a two-day, 60-mile ride begun from the Brandon Inn in Brandon, Vt.
1928: “Committees were formed and the mapping and marking of trails and the designation of luncheon and overnight stops began in earnest,” wrote former President Earle Johnson in GMHA’s 50th anniversary booklet. By year’s end, 249 miles of trails had been mapped by GMHA members.
1935: GMHA achieved a landmark 1000 miles of trail mapping, spanning from the Massachusetts border to Canada and including overnight stops at inns and houses, all of which it published in a members’ guidebook.
1936: The 60-mile competitive ride was increased to 80 miles. Riders had to carry 115 pounds and were judged 60 percent on the condition of their horses and 40 percent on time elapsed. The winners, Sarah Dreibelbies and Town Gossip, received a cup and prizes amounting to $50.
1937: GMHA held its first 100 Mile Ride, a three-day event based on 300-mile rides run by the Cavalry’s Remount Service to train military horses. Twenty-two horses started, 19 finished, and Raymond Hall and Lady Luck emerged victorious.
1950: 10 acres of land were purchased in South Woodstock, Vt., for the establishment of an official headquarters. By 1951, GMHA boasted an office, stabling for 100 horses, a show ring and jumping field.
1951: GMHA members organized their first 4th of July Buggy Ride, inviting participants to stable their horses for the three-day event at GMHA headquarters for a total cost of $1.50.
1956: The Upper Valley Pony Club was founded and headquartered at GMHA’s grounds.
