Westport farm's 'open barn' will showcase Morgan horses and the sport of dressage

Westport farm's 'open barn' will showcase Morgan horses and the sport of dressage

By ROBERT BARBOZA

Editor – Courtesy of the Dartmouth Chronicle Back to Community Events Home Page

August 15, 2007

WESTPORT — For two centuries, horse aficionados have come to know and love the Morgan horse as a stylish, versatile breed which has a reputation doing just about anything you might need a horse to do, and do it extremely well.

Popular for pleasure riding, work and sport, the Morgan horse breed traces its roots to a young stallion born in Vermont in the late 1700's and trained by a former Massachusetts schoolteacher named Justin Morgan. This remarkable horse named Figure soon gained a reputation as being able to out-pull, out-trot, out-run and out-work every other horse in the area at the time, regardless of their size or pedigree.

That horse's descendents generally inherited his sturdy build, strong heart and versatility and quickly became highly sought after by breeders seeking an animal and do it well. Morgan bloodlines would figure prominently in the later development of American breeds such as the Saddlebred, the Standardbred, the Tennessee Walker, and the Quarter Horse, excelling at everything from racing to cow-punching.

Mike and Joan Travers of Westport's Driftway Meadows farm on Drift Road are very familiar with the history and talents of the breed, having owned and ridden many Morgans over the past several decades. At first, it was only a couple of Morgans stabled at the Drift Road farm where Joan (Briggs) grew up, so she and Mike could ride along with their son, Scott, who showed an early interest in horses.

Both his parents and grandparents (Clifton and Phyllis Briggs) are Morgan lovers, noted Scott, who has also come to appreciate them as "a terrific breed" with a well-earned reputation for versatility. His wife, trainer Joanne Lawrence, prefers European warmbloods, a cross between thoroughbreds and draft horses specifically bred for dressage and jumping competition, he said.

No matter what they're sitting on, it's clear that the whole family are tried and true horse lovers. "We met because we both had horses," Joan said, recalling a youth where both she and Mike enjoyed riding for pleasure. Her parents still help out with feeding and watering chores, she noted.

After college, both stayed busy pursuing teaching careers, but their love of riding didn't fade at all, instead being passed on to their son. Scott's interest in riding in dressage competition continued through the years, and after graduating high school, he decided to pursue a career as a riding instructor, apprenticing under several different trainers to learn all about the sport.

It was Scott's good fortune that 22 acres of land adjoining the family farm came up for sale, and enabled him to develop Driftway Meadows into one of the area's premier working horse farms.

The 25-acre farm now boasts an Olympic-sized indoor training ring, two outdoor rings, and stable facilities for about 40 horses, half of which are the reliable Morgan horses the family has come to know and love so well.

On Sunday, Aug. 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the family will host an Open Barn at Driftway Meadows, 552 Drift Rd. to help educate the general public about the daily operations of a working horse farm, and to introduce them to the wonderful American breed known as the Morgan.

The couple will offer visitors an introduction to the basics of daily horse care, such as feeding, grooming and tacking up to ride, plus demonstrations of the training of horse and rider for dressage competition.

These days, the stables also house many European warmblood horses, many of which are "boarders" being trained by Joanne and Scott (along with their owners) for nationwide dressage competitions. A third instructor, Carol Lewis, concentrates on riding lessons for beginners; together, the trio provides an average of 75-80 lessons per week at all levels.

The free 'Open Barn' planned for Aug. 26 is a combined effort by Driftway Meadows' owner, the American Morgan Horse Association (AMHA), and the American Dressage Association (ADA), Scott explains.

The AMHA encourages larger farms to stage such open houses to help promote the breed, he noted, while the ADA helps sponsor them to educate the general public about the sport.

Whether you're interested in riding lessons or would just like an opportunity to look around a real working horse farm, the opportunity is not to be missed. For more information on the farm or the Open Barn, you can visit www.driftwaymeadows.com or call (508) 636-8620.

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