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A Great Day To Meet The Morgan




Submitted by Sue Oliver

The second annual Meet the Morgan event took place on Saturday, April 6, as a wide range of people of all ages had the opportunity to meet, touch, pat, and in most cases, ride a Morgan horse for the first time! There were over 450 attendees, ranging from children two years old to adults in their golden years who showed up to meet the Morgan on a sunny afternoon at the Pineland Equestrian Center in New Gloucester, Maine. The goal of the day was to allow people of all ages to safely experience the Morgan horse up close and personal and to walk out of the event with a smile on their face. 

There was a world-class lineup of instructors and Morgan horses to share with the public. Adriana Day and Olivia Rush with Raintree Valedictorian GCH and Lookaway’s Hot Ticket, Leigh Drummey with Nicoria, Kathleen Bailey with Kennebec Rugby, Kass Booth with Highover Heaven Can Wait, and George Liberty with Briar Oaks Pep In My Step! The event was most successful in putting joy in the hearts of the children and adults who got to ride and touch a Morgan with over 150 rides safely executed by the teams above. Med-E-Oka Nobel Prize was this year’s barn mascot and he was a true gentleman to all who came by his stall to meet him. The Pineland Farm educational department supported the event by providing face painting, and each beautiful Morgan in the barn was on display to the public, including a mare and foal.  

The event’s final activity was the presentation of a lesson as Adriana Day of Society Hill shared with the audience what she was expecting from her student during a lesson. First, Day had one of her show riders, Ellie Ward, demonstrate a lesson on Raintree Valedictorian GCH. This was followed by a lucky little girl who was selected for an abbreviated lesson to show the public what they could expect from a first lesson in a riding program. This young lady was all smiles as she was able to get her first lesson and was honored with a stuffed horse for her to remember the day and lesson.

The event could not have been held without the volunteers, as special thanks go to: facility - Rick Lane; registration desk - Pam Vose, Lori Morgan and Terry Hathaway; food booth - Shirley Goodspeed and Debbie Lane, emcees - Selina Cloutier and Shane Oliver; center ring spotters: David Vose, Charlie Dorr and Bruce Worcester; Cabot barn safety - Jane Kittredge and Dylan Shores; horse spotters: Judy Dorr, Peggy Drummey, Sarah Lettre and Nena Marlin. 

The first-time rides are always special and it was a special day for all who came to meet and enjoy the Morgan horse. The Morgan Horse is the horse that choses you! Welcome to the Morgan family...

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