I was thinking today, as I looked over a horse book from the 1970’s, how things have changed. For example, how the kids used to wear just plain old hunt caps with elastic thingies. And of course the rust breeches. And flat bridles, and none of the saddles had padded flaps. Since I wasn’t born until 1985, and didn’t start riding until lonnnngggg after that, I was wondering what it was like back then. What kind of saddles were “the fad”? Did Warmbloods exist in the hunters? Were the divisions/classes the same? Etc etc etc? Do tell, I’d love to know what it was like! 
This thread brings back many great memories. I rode in the '70, I remember velvet collars on hunt jackets, I had a velvet choker to match, rolled bridles, vogel brown field boots and dress boots for appointment classes, appointment classes, outside hunt courses where you could not count strides unless you got bored. I remember at the old Cape Cod Horse Show, counting strides between fences and the striding was 22, you had to ride off your eye! Going to New York City to buy your clothes, because there was no mail order or close tack shops, Millers, Kaufmans and MJ Knoud! I still have my old Passier Century saddle and vogel boots, but I don’t ride any more.
Brown hunt cap, without any elastic, braiding with needle and thread and then switching to yarn to match your jacket, usually blue or hunter green in my case. Thanks for the memories!
The stone wall was in what is now the lower hunter ring (adults, ponies, etc.) It was on the side of the ring nearest Rt. 50.
The bank was in between the two rings.
This would have been in the early to mid Seventies.
All these thoughts about huntcoat colors makes me recall the fashion sense of my youth: I rode a dapple gray and had a powder blue coat. Then I rode a bay for years, and was the first one on my block to buy this creamy light green coat, sort of guacomole-colored, with a dark green velvet collar! 
And what about the fabrics? Remember the flirtation with double-knits? I think that was during the men’s knitted leisure suit days, like what Bob Newhart wore on his first sitcom. (I’m really dating myself now, huh?) But I recall having a light blue knit coat, and my sister had a lovely olive green one! But the best outfit was one that my girlfriend Jeanne had: a rust colored huntcoat, rust breeches, brown field boots and a brown velvet hat. 
She was stylin’! In retrospect, she looked like one giant barbecued potato chip. 
died, I think, in the mid 70’s (although, SoEasy or Wtywmn can probably correct me.)
Real shame, as he had the most wonderful horses - SoEasy got to ride a jumper named Mr. Spindletop after his owner died. Maybe she can say where the horse went?
On the west coast we cut the elastic thingie off of the hard hat.
Had to have a velvet collar on the hunt coat. Does any one remember the Olympic style hunt coats , circa 1974or 75? With the waist line and four brass buttons with the 2 buttons on the back sewn above the single vent? I had a flash back a couple of years ago when I saw a mauve one in a consignment tack store, that I think belonged to a friend of mine. There couldn’t have been two of them. (I mean mauve hunt coats not friends). I don’t let kids shopping for their first show out fit shop there with out supervision.
Early 70’s it was, yes, white harry halls. Thank goodness that didn’t last long. I always had difficulty staying clean. Then we went to rust or beige, and grey in the late 70’s and early 80’s.
Boots were brown field boots.
Shirts were more colorful. I had a nice plaid one and a floral one that didn’t look to bad. My trainer didn’t kill me for wearing it, so it could n’t have been to bad for that time.
Sorry to ramble but I was just reminissing. I never thought at the time that the 70’s would be so well out of fashion.
Westlake Village Eq Ctr wasn’t Coto de Casa - my sister was an assistant trainer there, along with Debbie Sands, in the early 80’s. It’s since been torn down. I’ll blame not wearing a hat on my sister, who didn’t insist on it!! 
And Pam, I would love to have been that Dee Dee, but I was strictly a West Coast rider. One of my horses, Gaily Go, was originally owned by Mrs. A.C. Randolph and shown Green Conformation by Rodney Jenkins in the late 60’s…do you remember him?
Speaking of Johnnie Johnson, he was my very first riding instructor, at Highland Riding Academy in Portland. I was sorry to hear of his passing, but glad to see they now have a medal class up in Washington named in his memory.
It’s a small world, isn’t it??? And this topic is just so much fun! 
Laurie, I think you are right - and I think he never lost a class out in California after he was sold there.
Some said at the time there was nothing on the East Coast left for him to win.
I think he was AHSA Conformation Hunter Champion of the year four or five times. Amazing!
Reading fancy Chronicle picture ads for made show horses that went for $2,500.
For you midwesterners: the Marshall Field's Custom saddle.
Showing a horse in hunters on Saturday that you actually took foxhunting on Wednesday.
Riding your showhunter at a gallop over a 3'6" course that included stone walls made of actual stone, brush that was actually growing, and rolltops that looked big enough to bank!
Having our "trainer" (the term wasn't really invented yet) drop a bunch of us kids off at a horseshow whereupon we tied our horses to a tree, entered our own classes, did our own braiding, jumped a couple of practice fences if we felt the need, and generally had a great time.
I am sure that consistency of performance is greater today, but the fun quotient is no where near what it was!
[This message was edited by baymare on Dec. 20, 2000 at 08:39 AM.]
MargaretF
Zoellen and The Woodsman.
Who remembers the great outside course at Glenwood Park when Loudon Pony used to be held there? Great fun!
P.S. Be warned…Moesha will lead you down a path of destruction and sordidness!!
[This message was edited by Sea Urchin on Dec. 21, 2000 at 11:06 AM.]
Lakeside (and, later, the renamed Sutton Place) was indeed a name to be feared … Merry (my sister and another poster here) and I would HATE to arrive at a show and see them already set up. Could pretty much kiss off winning anything of note. But they were always one of the nicest and most helpful barns to be stabled near…
Of course, those were also the heydays of Jimmy Williams (you want growing up tough?? Try spending your junior years riding against Susie Hutchison, Hap Hansen, Anne Kursinski, Francie Steinwedell, Gigi Gaston … crikey, the list is endless), Judy Martin, Foxfield, the Bushkin girls and Russell Stewart, Far West Farm … basically, since the number of A shows out here then was extremely limited, we all showed against each other all the time.
And there were indeed some lovely horses … Showdown, Modest Man, Best Bet, High Fashion, Hard Ice, Joe Hill, Marcus Welby, Stella, Odeon K, Crocodile, Nattie Bumpo, Poetry Man … another endless list. As tough as they were to go up against, it was an honor merely to stand by the in gate with them. (Even if it WAS in my beloved powder blue hunt coat and wildly flowered ratcatcher with my canary breeches and rust-red-colored Dehners – the “official” name of that color escapes me. Oh, how I LOVED that outfit!)
Thanks for the memories.
[This message was edited by Beezer on Jan. 04, 2001 at 08:07 PM.]
Does anyone remember “bib britches” that had a flap in the front that had a ton of buttons. My sister got a pair as hand me downs and we thought they were so cool. Of course, they were canary color.
My first outfit came from Bevels and Bev himself tried to get my father to buy me a brown hard hat (as they were called then) to go with my blue coat and rust jodphurs! The collar would have had to be brown velvet on the coat too. Would have looked just spiffy with the maroon lining!
I had my wedding at the Fairfax Hunt Club (4 1/2 years ago) We used a multi-panel post and rail fence as the backdrop for the ceremony.
This has been the most fun thread to read yet. But the pictures are priceless. Please keep posting them.
Here’s one I took at a show in Southern Pines [I think]. It’s of Dave Kelly after he’d just jogged for first. What a horseman and true gentleman.
His jacket is terrific.
but what about colored yarn and pom-pom’s for the ponies??? Yes, I was six, and there wasn’t anything else over jumps less than 3’!!!
Speaking of New Jersey ponies…
“Weatherford…sounds like you would remember all those ponies the handsome Saunders boys showed. Snapshot was one and I believe he too was a Highfield’s pony”
AH, the Saunders. My sister was Cardie’s girlfriend and Kirby gave me my first kiss – at a Hilltop barn party (Clarence Nagro–remember him? We stabled at Hilltop from 1950 - 1960) And Greg Saunders — so sad when he was killed by his cousin.
The two best ponies at Hilltop in those days were Mephisto (Robin Ross) and Dancing Doll (I forget her name but she was as pretty as her pony…) But first Greg, then Kirby won everything on Snapshot (and yes, he was a Highfields pony.)
Those really were the days. The two winters I worked for Joanie, we attended a lot of these shows/parties. We stayed at Sally Dohner’s barn and had a blast. Ree-Ree Reynolds is a hoot, and an excellent horsewoman. Dave Kelley a true gentleman, but lots of fun. L.P. Tate was always making a play for Joanie - if she had wanted it, she could have Starland Farms today!
I also got into the New Year’s Eve thing down there. The family (of course, I’m having a senior moment and can’t remember their names - stared with “H”?) who had the big feed operation always had a HUGE party on New Year’s - I even came down for it twice after I moved to Petersburg with J & C.
Laurie
What fun to know that there are more people than just me that misses the outside courses. I still don’t count strides (except for an in and out) and use my eye and feel to get to the right spot.
Tralee was the BEST! I think she still runs the shows in the summer and WITH the outside course. Last I saw her a couple years ago we were following Casanova Hunt in a car. Other than drooling over her old show hunter pictures we got to talking about showing in general. She said that she hated to see the outside courses go and whether people like it or not, she is still keeping hers. If you don’t like it, don’t ride there was her philosophy. I love it! 
Oh, yes, colored yarn and pom-poms! Velvet collars, rust jods and flat bridles. I still like a nice flat bridle in a thinner look than the hunt bridle. I also love the real sewn in bit and reins.
I’m glad you like the pictures. I have to admit I’m now feeling inordinately proud of myself for finally figuring out how to do what all the rest of you guys have known forever. Technology is not my strong suit. (And I still haven’t figured out what that yellow band is all about–I think it came from my scanner.)
Re: the jump in the picture. Mostly what you can see there are wings which, way back then, were on almost every jump. As I recall, the fences for the large pony division were set at 3’3" (that’s why we’re so high in the air). I think the theory was that if you wanted to show at the Garden, you’d better be able to cope and get the job done.
Great topic- this one could go on forever!
Lucie is still in the horse business- I heard she recently bought a farm somewhere near Greenwich, CT. Her daughter Libby showed quite a bit as a junior and must be 19-20 now.
Jean still does horses as well. She is married (w/kids) to a horseman and they live near Buffalo, NY. I believe they do some race horses as well as show horses.
