Old Morgans: 2010

Friday, December 10, 2010

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Aurora Leigh

The top photo is from the Jan/Feb 1962 TMH and the lower photo from the June 1961 issue.
I had a photo of this mare from a 1966 issue back on this blog last year. The former owner Googled the mare's name and found the photo and wrote me. The following is her reply to my reply to her:
Thanks so much for finding the details you have about Aurora Leigh. She was called Rory and I was called Lorrie back then. People would get our names mixed up sometimes. She was my dream horse/pet and it broke my heart when my parents sold her. I was 17 at the time. I believe that the new owners did try to breed her but something happened and she died. I don't know when she died or know what caused her death, a pregnancy, trying to breed her or an unsuccessful delivery of a foal?

One year at the Morgan Horse Show in Northampton, MA, she was Reserve Champion in (I would have to find out what class) perhaps Junior Mares....Anyway, I was riding her, I was probably 14 or so, and we were called out to ride two more times after the first go round, the last round being just Rory (and me) and another big breeder/trainer on a well known show horse. It was one of the most exciting days of my life. Rory was steaming that day! The crowd was going just wild with this young girl and horse competing equally with a professional. Brings smiles again just writing to you about it. And not a photographer there for that event!

Again, thanks!
Lorraine

If anyone reading this has any info on the mare, let me know so I can pass it on to Lorraine.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Mentor & Magellan

Updated, Dec. 7 to include link from comments:
Magellan, the one on the right, is the horse that was exported to China (with other Morgans) to improve their native horses. I wrote an article about it for the Long Rider's Guild. Here is the link;
http://www.lrgaf.org/articles/morgans.htm