Horse show in Fairview Village has storied history
WORCESTER — Whether you’re a confirmed hippophile who knows everything there is to know about equus caballus or someone who thinks ponies are small horses, organizers hope you’ll stop by the Farmers Union Horse Company’s 83rd annual horse show on June 3. The event will take place rain or shine at Heyser Field in Worcester Township’s Fairview Village beginning at 8 a.m. Admission is free to spectators.
The day’s program includes competition in 17 divisions under the watchful eye of rated horse judge Erika Kurtz.
“There are specific age-related divisions,” says FUHC’s Dana Comly. “We start with the Lead Line Division — English or Western…with riders under the age of seven that are absolute beginners, accompanied by a handler who leads the pony or horse around a specific course. The next several divisions are also for beginner riders, but they steer the horse, themselves, without assistance…English or Western riding styles.”
Comly explains some divisions include classes judged on “equitation.”
“These classes are based on how well the rider is sitting, hand placement and correctness,” she continues. “The flat classes — non-jumping — are for any riding style. There are some jumping classes in these divisions…usually performed by participants riding English style. If the classes aren’t considered equitation, they’re based on how well the horse is performing. Of course, the better the rider, the better the performance, but judging is strictly on the horse.”
Other divisions are adults-only; some, for “absolutely everybody.”
“Our final three divisions are specifically for thoroughbred horses,” Comly says. “These are the horses people know from flat racing like the Kentucky Derby. Once a horse is done with their racing career, there are a few groups that re-train and try to re-home them. There’s a national group that supports these rescues, and we started getting involved about three years ago.”
Although seasonal equine events like the Main Line’s Devon Horse Show or, farther afield, the Triple Crown’s Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes might be more familiar, the annual FUHC show has its own storied history.
When area farmers chartered the non-profit group as Farmers’ Union Company for the Recovery of Stolen Horses and Detecting the Thieves in 1834, they saw it as a cooperative insurance company. If a member’s horse was stolen, a pursuit committee went after the thief. If unsuccessful, the owner was paid $200.
“Tilling of the land and travel to church and the marketplace depended upon your horse…and during one period, FUHC was one of 19 horse companies active in Montgomery County,” Comly adds. “All business was conducted at an annual meeting held on the first Saturday every December. A semi-annual meeting was held on the first Saturday in June when every farmer brought their horses to the Fairview Inn to be judged sound and to be re-insured for another year. This is the historical basis for the present horse show and the parade that used to be held on Germantown Pike…from Methacton High School to Heyser Field.”
Other changes:
FUHC’s contemporary pursuit committee is more likely looking for “horses who have gotten loose” than horse thieves, and the group is no longer an insurance company — instead, Comly notes, “a 501(c)3 charitable organization that supports horse-related organizations (like) Large Animal Protection Society, Sebastian Riding Associates, Last Chance Rance, Montgomery County SPCA and the Horse Angels Rescue. FUHC also protects and promotes the use of equine trails in Worcester Township and surrounding areas.
“(Regarding) the historical significance of FUHC in the Montgomery County area, it’s important to remember the once prominent farming community that helped build Philadelphia. Horses were a huge part of that history and are still a vibrant part of this area.”
Comly and FUHC’s 40-some active members describe June 3’s horse show as “a community affair.”
“Along with the riding, we run a raffle that includes equestrian and non-equestrian items…always popular with riding participants and spectators alike,” she says. “We’ll also have a food truck with great offerings. The Worcester Volunteer Fire Department is involved by hosing down the ring when the weather is hot so that the footing doesn’t get too dusty, and the little kids always like to see that.”
Heyser Field is located off Valley Forge Road (Route 363) and accessible from 3020 Griffith Road. Additional information about the June 3 show (including pre-registration for competitors) or Farmers Union Horse Company is available at www.farmersunionhorsecompany.org, webmaster.fuhc@gmail.com and P.O. Box 162, Fairview Village, PA 19409.
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