show, trotting races, and the unique Justin Morgan Versatility contest which requires the horse to ride, drive, race, and pull a stone boat in the same fashion the Morgan performed in the 1700’ s. The event is held at the Addison County Fairgrounds in Vergennes and has a full three days of competition.
The Morgan is the only breed to have been founded by one horse,“ Figure,” who eventually was referred to by his owner’ s name,“ Justin Morgan.” This horse had a profound impact on Vermont’ s horse population, which included both working farm horses plowing fields and horses providing transportation. The Morgan was not only strong, but fast, and many impromptu harness races were held on country dirt roads. Every August, that tradition is preserved on the same stretch of road where Justin Morgan lived on the Randolph-Brookfield town line 200 years ago. Today, descendants of Justin Morgan display the same speed and stamina that made him famous.
An Industry Evolves
The Green Mountain Horse Association( GMHA) was founded in 1926 with the purpose of creating a trail system from the Massachusetts line through to Canada, which resulted in more than 1,000 miles of mapped trails. The organization, thanks to many supporters, purchased land in South Woodstock in 1932 and from that it bloomed into a multi-discipline facility. One landmark event they hold is the first 100-mile competitive trail ride held over three days, which is celebrating its 90th year in 2026. In 1957, the first three-day Horse Trial in the United States was held at GHMA, which gave birth to the U. S. Combined Training Association, which governs events throughout the country. The three-day format of this sport requires the horse to compete in dressage, timed cross-country jumping, and stadium jumping, which tests the versatility and skill of both horse and rider. Today it is an Olympic sport. Horsemen throughout the country learned of GMHA through equine publications and word of mouth. The attraction brought some high-profile competitors such as Sinclair Lewis, James Cagney, and Charlie Bronson. Equestrians Denny Emerson and Lana Dupont Wright started their careers at GMHA, which led to Olympic medals in Combined Training. The Marsh / Billings / Rockefeller National Park in Woodstock has a designated horse trail system on Mount Tom donated by Laurance S. Rockefeller. The Rockefeller family has long been involved with horses and have lived and vacationed in Vermont.
It followed that more events were added to the GMHA calendar allowing everyone to participate in horse shows, pleasure trail rides, and dressage competitions. The social aspect of these events spurred some very creative ideas for entertainment such as the mid-summer night trail ride complete with“ hold ups” on trail and lavish trail side food and a formal dinner to start off the 100- mile trail ride. The GMHA Youth Center was created to provide education and hands-on experience for young people involved in horses through clinics and weeklong horse camps.
The success of GMHA can be attributed to the dedication of many horse lovers throughout the decades. Volunteering, donating, and supporting the organization is a long list of horsemen both local and out of state. The draw of having a place dedicated to those that love riding horses was so strong that during the war, people rode their horses over three days to reach GMHA for an event. Today, GMHA has hosted Olympic and World champions in Three Day Eventing, Dressage, and Endurance riding. While the draw is the events, once on the grounds one cannot ignore the Green Mountains, dirt roads, country stores, and the constant babbling of the Kedron Brook, which runs through the grounds.
Happy Trails
GMHA contributed another plus to the horse world in that the trail system that runs through seven abutting towns has created a utopia for those that live in the area. While it is not as extensive as the original trail system, it has survived 90 years of land
Photos of Lana Dupont in 1997 by Patty Lambert, courtesy of Diane Trefry, Lana’ s longtime groomer
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