Vermont Morgan Horse Association

The Vermont Morgan Horse Association (VMHA) is exclusively for educational purposes. Those educational purposes include, but are not limited to, disseminating the unique history of the Morgan breed, sponsoring activities to further the public’s knowledge of the Morgan horse as a versatile pleasure, breeding and show animal, and providing educational opportunities and scholarship for young adults.

Any person interested in Morgan horses may become an active member in good standing upon written application accompanied by payment.

The officers are President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Clerk, VMHA Show manager, and six directors.

VMHA has several Standing and Sub Committees for its endless number of events and activities that it is involved in.

The board of directors meets on a regular basis throughout the year. Sub committees and standing committees also meet to plan and organize for their event and/or activities.

VMHA holds an annual meeting between the 3rd weekend in October and the 3rd in November. All of the membership are invited to attend. This meeting is usually followed by a dinner with several activities (ex. awards, guest speaker).

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 back yard 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 VTHeritage Days Amateur/Youth Show.

VMHA has a youth group membership that has been very active in participating in many equine events. They meet regularly and do fundraising for their 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, giving the opportunity for people all around the world wide web to bid on VT 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 Fair grounds in Essex Jct, VT, Morgan Horse Field Days (formerly known as the Showcase of Agriculture) that was held at the AMHA Grounds in Shelburne, VT, Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Jct., VT, Eastern States Exposition held in Springfield, MA, Equine Affair held also in Springfield, MA and the Farm Show held in Essex Jct, VT.

There has been a number of potluck dinners, trail rides/drives, sleigh rallies and races over the years that VMHA has hosted and sponsored. At present, VMHA holds the Morgan Trotting Races at Morgan Mile Road in Brookfield Vermont. These races are 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 enthusiast 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.