WEYBRIDGE -- The University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge has received a pledge of $1 million from the Amy E. Tarrant Foundation, UVM officials said today.

The gift, the largest ever to the historic facility, will be used to create an Amy E. Tarrant Endowed Fund for the Morgan Horse Farm, with $800,000 to establish the endowment and $200,000 designated for current operating needs. Earnings on the endowment will provide funding for the farm in perpetuity.

"We are so very grateful to Amy Tarrant for her gift," said UVM president Daniel Mark Fogel. "The Morgan Horse Farm is an important part of the history and culture of the University of Vermont and indeed the entire state and region. This endowment will give the farm a margin of comfort it's never had in meeting its annual operating expenses and investing in the maintenance of its historic buildings."

The Morgan Horse Farm was given to the University of Vermont in 1951 by the federal government, which had operated the Morgan breeding program since receiving the farm from publisher and philanthropist Joseph Battell in 1906. Battell had begun breeding Morgans on the farm in the late 1870s. In addition to operating a commercial-scale breeding program, the farm serves as a laboratory resource for UVM's equine science students to learn about foaling, breeding, and animal care.

"The Morgan Horse Farm is one of Vermont's treasures, and I'm very pleased to be able to help ensure that it's preserved and maintained for future generations," said Amy Tarrant.

Three of Tarrant's five children are UVM alumni — Jerry '89, Richard '90, and Brian '93. Her past support of UVM has included funding for the Ellen A. Hardacre Equine Center at UVM, named after her mother, and for the renovation of the remount barn at the Morgan Horse Farm.