In Memory - Lt. Col. James Marsh
Thursday, August 18, 2005
A leader of the New Jersey horse industry and the soul of the Middlesex County Horse Show, Lt. Col. James Marsh of Cranbury, NJ died August 5, at age 86 after a brief illness. Though “the Colonel” was a man of many titles and accomplishments, he was most identified in the Morgan world as a ringmaster at many of horse shows in the New England and Mid-Atlantic states for several decades. He also served as president of the NJ Professional Horsemen’s Association, and the NJ Horse Council, a lobbying group, while continuing to be active as a show steward, judge and ringmaster. He participated with the International Side-Saddle Organization in four presidential inaugural parades.
Marsh received much recognition for his sportsmanship and achievements, including USA Equestrian’s Pegasus Medal of Honor in 2001, the 1989 Governor’s Award for Horseperson of the Year and the American Horse Council’s Marjorie Van Ness Award for outstanding service in 1994. He was on the boards of the Horse Park and Centenary College in Hackettstown. “If you needed him, he was there to help you,” said Nancy Hutcheson, president of the Horse Park, summing up Marsh’s dedication to volunteer work while noting how important his support was to making the Horse Park a reality.
A decorated veteran of World War II and the Korean conflict, Marsh worked for the Educational Testing Service after retiring from the army. Early in his career, he taught riding at Arlington Hall Junior College in Virginia and showed jumpers.
Services for the Colonel were held in the Horse Park’s pavilion on August 10. Burial will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Marsh is survived by two daughters, June Marsh, who is also active in the show world, and Linda Wells; a son, James Marsh, Jr.; four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations for construction of a warm-up facility at the Horse Park of New Jersey’s indoor arena. Checks should be mailed to the Lt. Col. James Marsh Memorial Fund, 150 Old Cranbury Rd., Cranbury, NJ 08512.
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