Marvin was portrayed to all of reading Judith Blackwell Spreckles HORSES magazine as a very glamorous person with his New York restaurant, etc… 
I am sorry to hear he passed away.
… 1971, when I won my jr. eq. class at Indio (back when it was held during the Riverside County Fair and the National Date Festival). The same styles popular then held for about a decade: brown Dehner field boots, longer-styled huntcoats, contrasting chokers, and my fave— REAL sheepskin saddle pads. The pads were cut so they just outlined your saddle, and were a plain and simple sheepskin with billet straps. If you were really daring, you’d get one that was really floofy! 
Warmbloods were virtually unheard of. The few that were imported were jumpers, and very old style, heavy-boned types. In fact, those were the good ol’ days when a fancy-schmancy horse would beat you in the hunters and the hacks, but a kind, consistent horse that jumped in good style would earn a decent paycheck. I think there were a lot more Quarter horses and non-TB’s competing and winning. I think we did a lot of riding off our eye, and getting in the exaggerated two-point out here. Trainers would line the rail and just yell to their students, “Gallop! Get your butt out of the saddle and gallop!”
By the early to mid-80’s yes, we had the velvet collars and the rust breeches. As for riding styles, that’s about when the GM two-point/crest release thing took off, at least out here.
Finally, in agreement with some earlier posts, there weren’t any “low” classes like we have today. Hence, in general there were fewer people showing. I mean, the shows were big, but we didn’t have the HUGE county level shows we have now, because there weren’t any entry-level classes. You and your horse jumped 3’6" or you didn’t show. Period. But no one thought much about it. I remember when the 3’ Am Adult division started up, my friends and I thought, “What the heck is this? Some wussy division?” And now, of course, here I am showing in it! 
Does anyone know if Metamora and Bloomfield Hills in Michigan still have their outside courses? I remember those days of runaways!
Bloomfield Hills had the most awesome jumper ring complete with an automobile parade before and cars parked around the course.
PamM, I would have to agree - I was in school with Laura, and she was one of the nicest, most unassuming people I’ve ever met. Know if she does the horses at all anymore?
Am I really the oldest person on this board? You’all remembering back when there were no A/A’s? I remember when there were NO A/O’s. And the first time I rode at MSG, there were no juniors! I rode small pony, my middle sister rode large pony and my oldest sister rode working hunter (4’) against the adults. Those were the only hunter divisions offered in 1959! The junior divison was added in the early '60’s (I rode junior there in 62 and 63 I think) I still have the programs (somewhere).
And the COTH stallion issue: was a bunch of pages of rows of pictures of horses that the owners snapped themselves… We used to have “conformation classes”: first judging a horizontal row, then a vertical row and the “row” winners got into a “page winner” semi-final. Then the “page winners” went against each other for a grand winner of each stallion issue. I remember that Sea o’ Erin was one of my faves.
And as for favorite hunters, does anyone remember the Duke of Paenon (sp??? <—I was just a kid back then and have never learned ot spell well )
In the early 60’s I rode my junior hunter at MSG (with Victor as my trainer) wearing an emerald green hunt coat and matching emerald green hat (See attached photo – and think BRIGHT GREEN for the coat. And , YES, that is elastic under my chin… My mother sewed it in to every hat we had a kids…)
Does anyone else have these same memories? (I also remember the 70’s and velvet collars and velvet patches on pocket flaps. We thought we were quite good looking then… )
Duffy was from Portland, Oregon. Leon Butts trained in Tacoma at Woodbrook, now Brookwood. Tacoma is about an hour south of Woodinville.
Okay, I’m digging around through the old stuff now, trying to find pictures that show at least a couple of horses or ponies. This one’s part of the Large Pony Model at Ox Ridge 1970. From right to left, the ponies are:
Springledge Irish Twig (Lindsay Dugan)
Pride n’ Joy (me butt to camera, wouldn’t you know…but at least I’m not wearing the madras jacket 
)
Rebel (Judy Korn)
Chimney Sweep (Cindy Weiner)
Prim n’ Proper (Debbie Cahn)
i was beginning to wonder if i was the only one to have canary breeches. Apparently not! Does anyone remeber the “robin’s egg blue” breeches?
And, boots had that little leather strap on the top of them that you buckled and then tucked inside the boot. (Wonder why Vogel doesn’t offer that?!?)
Obviously, you wore jodphurs if you rode a pony, and you made sure that your chocker pin was on straight before you went into the ring. If it was muddy on your outside course, you did a mudknot. You’re right… none of that counting strides business, you either saw your spot or you found another, less gracefull way to get over the fence!
In NC, the Raleigh show was held at Dorton Arena (this was in like 1980 or so, before the new facility), and there were always a bunch of birds swooping around.
i really don’t recall any jumper classes to speak of, either. Ponies did their heights, and large and small juniors did 3’6", no questions asked, and very few other options were there.
Maybe it was just me, but our horses would gallop over the courses, but then again, like somebody said, they’d been hunting a few days prior to showing, so they were used to it!
Well, that would have made for interesting reading… I just pasted without copying, and y’all would have been treated to a budget bill. Don’t tell - COTH BB is FAR more interesting!!!
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Single (center) vent jackets.
SOOOO much more flatering to the normal female figure.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
You’re forgetting - we’re reminiscing about the times when “normal female figures” were ‘allowed’ - when size 10 - 12 did not equate with “elephant”.
I just came across pictures from the late 70s, in So Pines- Hambone is holding Snickie !! The pictures were taken at Little River (now a golf course). Alvin- with Triton Stables, was holding Easter Lily . Boy did he have a 'fro!!! If I can get my scanner up & running, I will post the pics- they are too funny!! The beehive hairdos are great! I think Patty still wears the same breeches these days. Boy do I still love watching her ride.
The schooling shows are still held- weather permitting. So far, none this season. There is supposed to be one on Sunday- we shall see. At least the ground should be thawed out by then. The are held at Economy Farm, Alicia Rosser is in charge. Classes are $10 and in the jumpers, if you screw up, they will let you go again- for $10. AND if you have a rail, they will put it up & let you jump off anyway!! I remember seeing all of the incredible babies that Marie, Patty, Dave ,etc had at those winter shows!! The competition was always that of the Garden.
Wrong, ccoronios. I never had a velveteen hat in my life. My black hat didn’t have the elastic thingie, but both my blue and brown ones DID.
I, too, used to get the saddle horse bridles and reins because they were skinnier. I’m still looking for a replacement to a rein I had in the 70’s - plain rein w/ a raised front. I do not like laced.
Wings, thanks for the comment. I have now achieved scanning ability (I think ) Here’s another old photo (MSG 1967) to see if I actually know what I’m doing or if the first one was a fluke.
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Cockscrow Flair (Lucie McKinney)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
LaurieB - do you know if any of the McKinneys still ride? I was in KY and showed with them a lot in '70 - Lee and I both had gray 1st year horses… Frances was showing Jim James Again (VERY funny story about how THAT horse came to be a show horse)… and Tamara was the toughest little pony jock I’ve ever seen! I loved watching her come through the in & outs (smalls were allowed 2 strides, since they were built for larges) - but no bloody way HER ponies were going to do 2 in a 1. She’d gallop in, sit, stick behind her leg and be right there coming out! I know she got into skiing heavily as she got ‘older’ - but haven’t heard of any of them in years! They were a pretty fun family…
late 70’s—what a classic!!! (horse too, but i’m partial!)
I heard Claridges was humanely destroyed this morning. Chandra?
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>There was room for personality to come out (in regards to huntcoats and attire) <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Must ditto this! When you shopped for a huntcoat, there were so many choices. I had one very successful girlfriend that I stabled with/showed with in the AO division at A shows (as there was no Am.Ad. back then!) and she had a big chestnut with white stockings, and her signature outfit was (get this!) a rust-brown coat with cream lining, rust breeches, cream shirt, brown hat and brown Dehners. And she won everything. 
Then there was Natasha Karazissis (of Far West Farms/Karazissis brethern) who was the most gorgeous, olive skinned beauty, and her she’d come into MY equitation classes in her HOMEMADE (by mom) CHERRY RED coat in some sort of semi-gloss fabric, white breeches and white shirt and black hat and boots, and darn if her eq. wasn’t perfect. She rode a black horse, by the way. The whole picture was stunning. Sure, she stood out, you had to look at her. But she was perfect. We were total rivals, but she was very nice and a great horsewoman (lady?). We often placed 1st/2nd. About as outlandish as I got was a guacomole light green huntcoat on my plain bay. Not quite as illuminating as Natasha, LOL.
Ah, those were the days indeed when your riding was judged, not your ability to dress in standard military attire.
Hunters I remember:
Aldie Belle (I was thrilled when, after I moved to Virginia, I drove through Aldie for the first time.)
Showdown (later Spindletop Showdown) There was a horse that dominated the sport.
Valhalla
Rome Dome
Another thing about shows, clases for each division were spread out throughout the day, e.g.,
Jr Hunters on the outside course
Large Ponies on the outside course,
Small Ponies on the outside course,
Jr Hunters under saddle on the outside course
Large Ponies under saddle on the outside course,
Small Ponies under saddle on the outside course,
Jr Hunters on the outside course
Large Ponies on the outside course,
Small Ponies on the outside course.
Back-to-back classes were UNHEARD of.
You had either twelve or thirteen braids, depending on whether you had a mare or a gelding.
You wore your hair in a hairnet, but NOT “put up” under the hard hat.
Unlike some of the others, I DO remember breeds other than TB (though TBs were definitely the most popular). There were quite a few QH and QH crosses - probably in part because Sunnyfield Farm had a QH breeding program aimed at the “English” disciplines. But these were QHs that looked like TBs, so you wouldn’t know unless someone told you.
[This message was edited by Janet on Dec. 20, 2000 at 05:28 PM.]
oh god the madras chokers had forgotten all about them OYYYYYYY!!!
True Blue was in fact wonderful but Kim’s amateur horse whose name always escapes me whadaysaythats it!!! was the most marvelous horse I ever saw gallp around Upperville ever!!!Also Riot Free and remember Rodney on that grey horse ?? what was her name ?? the owner always had shades on???
<BLOCKQUOTE class=“ip-ubbcode-quote”><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Chantilly - Tanraken Farm <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
Minor correction, it is Tanrakin Farm, owned by Mrs. Thomas Waller. In the late 60’s Buddy Brown rode all of Mrs. Waller’s show ponies, but I don’t know who rode them before and after that. Dave Kelley rode her Hunters.
I am pretty sure that Chantilly was by Chantain, her 14h2" registered TB, that she crossed with Welsh ponies she imported herself.
She is still there, though she is getting on in age, and is no longer as active in showing. She did have a green conformation horse out a couple of years ago. As far as I know, she never sold ANY of her show horses and ponies (or her husband’s race horses for that matter). She kept them on her farm in retirement until they died.
She has some very old fashioned (but mostly admirable) opinions of what constituted “good horsemanship”, and very few lived up to them.
I remember going to Knouds to get measured for my first custom made shirts - and back in the early 70’s which type of monograms I wanted for the chokers. THe trip to NYC was 3 hours by train, but it was a once a year trip. together with a trip to Vogels in lower Manhattan to be measured for boots, in those days, brown field boots and black dress boots.
