Happy Friday! Here is your Friday Flashback, a piece of Mant Horton’s “Lippitt Lore” from LC News Vol XXI, No. 3, Show Issue, Oct – Dec 1994:
Early in our marriage we (Lyle and I) started collecting material pertaining to Morgan history and the old Vermonter magazines with accounts of Morgan classes at the Vermont State Fair at White River Junction were gold mines of information.
Through chance we met Mrs. Hall, who had been secretary to Mr. Phillips, during her visit to Green Mountain Stock Farm, which was a gift from a friend. She had not seen Ashbrook in the 22 years since Mr. Knight had bought the Phillips horses.
It was the breeding season and when Joe Boulris put a halter on Ashbrook and led him out for Mrs. Hall’s inspection, Ashbrook evidently thought it was his turn to breed a mare, as he was “well prepared”.
Mrs. Hall looked at him, smiled broadly and said “My, it’s nice to see him is such fine fettle”.
She invited us to visit her at her home in Windsor. We were quick to accept! Our friendship with her lasted the rest of her life. Unfortunately, she was not well and while she was very clear on some things, was rather vague about others.
She loved to talk of the purebred horses and was especially happy to see Knight’s program carried out and happy there were breeders following in his footsteps. Dana Kelly was a friend of hers. It was through her friendship with Mrs. Church that John A. Darling and Royalty Joan darling (unregistered at the time of transfer, hence the Royalton prefix) came to Dana’s farm after Mr. Church’s death.
During one of our visits we asked her about the shows at White River. She told us of the huge class in 1909 that included stallions, mares and geldings, three years and older, conforming mostly nearly to the ancient Morgan type. The horses were shown in harness. She said she was driving Mr. Phillips’ mare, Agiatis, a mare considered one of the best driving mares in the state. And although she did not say it she (Mrs. Hall) was considered one of the best drivers in the state.
She mentioned the judge, Mr. Farnsworth, what a great amount of time he paid to the thirty-four horses in the class and that he was a well known horseman.
“But”, she said with great spirit, “he didn’t judge that class correctly, I won that class with Agiatis! I out did Bobby B. at every turn.”
As the horses and drivers waiting through the long judging period Agiatis was quiet and stood without moving. Bobby B. was restive and required a handler at his head, but was not unmanageable.
Finally the waiting was over and the announcer called Bobby B. to receive his blue. Then Mrs. Hall was called for second place. She did not move her horse and the ringmaster came to hand her the red. She refused to accept it. Somewhat embarrassed, he placed it on the seat beside her.
Mrs. Hall finished the story saying “As I started my horse the ribbon fell to the floor and I left the ring with my foot on it”.
(Photo of Agiatis, who was foaled in 1906, and was by Bob Morgan.)
