Massachusetts Equine Affaire 2009
Every
year The New England Morgan Horse Association puts on a huge Morgan
promotional effort at the Massachusetts Equine Affaire. Equine Affaire
is a symposium designed to bring together horse enthusiasts of all
interests. The Massachusetts event was held at The Eastern States
Exposition grounds in West Springfield, MA from November 12 – 15, 2009.
New England Morgan Association members worked together to expose people
to the beauty and diversity of the Morgan Horse – “The Horse That
Chooses You”.
NEMHA had a barn aisle filled with Morgans (Morgan Row), a promotion booth, an exhibit stall, and a hospitality area.
Morgan
Row featured 12 Morgans representing dressage, eventing, hunter
pleasure, western pleasure, pleasure driving, carriage driving,
combined driving and English pleasure. Their owners and trainers were
available to talk with visitors. Morgan Row horses also took part in
daily mini demonstrations as well as two breed demonstrations in the
Coliseum, opening ceremonies in the nightly Fantasia Show and a
presentation at The Youth Pavilion.
At
the promotion and hospitality area there were Morgan items available
and daily hosts/hostesses to welcome people to the world of the Morgan
horse, answer questions and chat about Morgans. Right beside the Morgan
Booth there was an exhibit stall where one of the horses from Morgan
Row was on display to meet and greet. Exhibit Stall horses also took
part in demonstrations in the nearby demonstration ring. A skit in
costume developed by The Granite State Mystical Morgan Youth Club
turned out to be a big success as a “gaggle of women” discussed Justin
Morgan and his horse of the same name.
Nancy
Caisse coordinates the NEMHA promotion production assisted by
co-directors Barbara Irvine, Joan Travers and Sara Foy. Many, many NE
club members contributed time to help out with set-up, teardown, and
meet and greet. Participating horses this year included Terri and Sean
Travers’ current World Champion Classic Pleasure Driving horse, L’Cima
Exclusive, Sandy Wooding’s Acadia’s Secret Promise, a team that
competes in the world of open dressage at first level and also belongs
to The Old Chatham Hunt Club, the Ed Sweet Family’s two-year-old,
Triplesweet Belmont, and second level dressage horse, Statesman’s
Signature, soon to be off to Wellington, FL to compete on the sunshine
circuit with owner Marthe Reynolds. Steve and Josie Davis brought UVM
Neshobe to represent the hunter pleasure Morgan, Townshend Farm had a
just-weaned colt for the popular Name The Foal Contest, trainer Gino
Guaraldi came with Sunny Acres Shameless, Jeff and Karen Dudley’s
carriage driving Morgan, and Angelica Consiglio and her buckskin,
Sevenpalms Justa Encore, a pair that is qualified for both the regional
and national level finals of the US Eventing Association. Sarah Gove
and The Gove Family’s Sea-Vu Justified represented the English pleasure
horse and joined Terri Travers and L’Cima Exclusive to represent the
Morgan in the Fantasia show each evening. Reevedale Farm sent trainer
Erika Mitchell to show off her western pleasure mare, Wait A Second and
Dennis and Laura Tatro were on hand, as always, with their breeding
stallion, Denlore’s Desert Storm. Jack Merritt and Karen Chandler’s
Hotspur’s Red Rowl joined the group this year with trainer Cheryl Pratt
Rivers as representatives of the sport of combined driving. Hotspur’s
Red Rowl will spend the winter in Southern Pines working with Olympian
Lisa Singer.
The
New England Morgan Horse Association was proud to promote the Morgan
Horse, “The Horse That Chooses You”, at the 2009 Massachusetts Equine
Affaire.
Equine Affaire Photos by Susan Colleton, Dennis and Laura tatro