2024 Newsletter
PRESIDENT’S REPORT FOR 2024
President Linda Schmidt with her horse Janeen
Holiday Greetings to all the friends of Eddy Farm both near and far. As 2024 comes to an end it is with a sigh of relief that the farm returned to better weather for the summer and fall allowing for fun filled riding.
The lesson program has increased in size. Our partnership with the Counseling Service of Addison County continued to provide therapeutic riding to the youth they serve. This helps the boys and girls experience the warmth and gentle time with our wonderful horses that will be useful in their future. The Middlebury College Equestrian Team continued to enjoy Eddy Farm school horses and facilities. Although they did not host a home show, they did participate in interscholastic shows held at other colleges. They have ended the fall program and will have a J-Term this winter for those hardy enough endure cold weather riding.
The Green Mountain Hounds held a number of hunts at Eddy Farm and at the surrounding fields owned by the College and leased by Nops Brothers farm. This year a number of Eddy Farm riders participated and had a great time. Our riders were complimented on their riding ability and the discipline of the horses they rode. Great going one and all!! On top of that, our very own Maeve Newton with her horse, Loki, won the GMH Junior horse of the year. This was Loki’s first year. Very impressive!!!
The Doris Eddy Memorial 2-Phase event held in August went on with 49 Dressage riders and most of those participating in stadium phase and the hunter derby. It was a fun day for all. Thanks go out to Meg Hilly who judged the dressage competition. The Egg Hunt was a big success, as always. Hundreds of people showed up to look for eggs in the Orchard Pasture . Thanks to all the volunteers who help make this such a happy experience for all who attended. Much work goes into putting out a thousand eggs full of candy, preparing activities and decorating the farm. The Halloween Barn was also well attended with children and adults showing up on a cloudy cold day to visit the horses and their handlers in costume. Enormous amounts of candy were handed out and the raffle and food table were a big success. Thanks go out, again, to all the volunteers, students, parents, board members and friends of Eddy Farm who made this a success. To end the fall season, Margaret, Alicia and Deirdra Quinn organized a day of fun and games for the riders at the farm who wanted to participate. What a hoot it was to watch the riders navigate the musical chairs, relay races and other games on horseback. Our events brought equestrians and community members to the farm.
Once again Eddy Farm was able to make its own hay. The Creek Pasture did not return to produce the normal crop of hay due to the previous year’s flooding, however, we did make enough to get through this winter. Eddy Farm has been able to lease hay land from Middlebury College adjacent to the Creek Pasture. Also, in past years we have been able to make hay from fields owned by Dick English. The English family lives just up the road from the farm. Thank you to the English family for your support.
The Emily Leeds Scholarship Fund was used to help a youth continue lessons for the fall while the family went through some transitions. This scholarship is available to anyone experiencing hardship and recommendations are made by the Farm Manager.
The farm continues to make improvements to the infrastructure. As on any farm, there seems to be a never ending list of repairs to be made. This year the farm replaced fencing around the Brood Mare Bin with a wood fence. Steve Fifield Construction repaired the Night Pasture run in shed. This was much needed and thanks go out to Steve and his crew for their quick response in completing this work. The College football team volunteered their man power to fix some fencing and to cut out burdocks. This was hard work and the Farm appreciates the efforts and support given to the farm by the football team and a big thank you to Doug Mandigo for initiating these projects.
This year Eddy Farm received three new horses donated to the riding school. Dan, Clyde and Duncan are much appreciated and welcomed additions to our riding program. Thanks go out to the previous owners for considering Eddy Farm as a rehoming option for your horses.
Our volunteers make Eddy Farm a special place to ride and have fun along with our wonderful management team. Volunteers come in all sizes and shapes, all ages and abilities. That being said, the Board of Directors needs folks to come forward to help continue the legacy of what Eddy Farm has to offer the greater Middlebury community. New initiatives, grants, fund raising are all a part of the work needed. Please step forward to offer your help. Thank you one and all for a successful 2024.
In Memoriam, This year we pay tribute to Judith Witters, owner of Dexter, and an accomplished equestrian, who died after a time of declining health. She moved her horse Dexter to Eddy Farm when she found it difficult to care for him at her home. Judith’s daughter Molly Witters was boarding Pete at Eddy Farm and enjoying our trail riding and her granddaughter, Hazel has been taking lessons at Eddy Farm. Judith was pleased to be a part of the Eddy Farm family. Eddy Farm was honored to have Judith include the farm in her designated memorial suggestions.
It is with great sadness to write that Emir has also died recently. He was an outstanding school horse at the farm. He taught many riders and gave a number of riders the opportunity to attend schooling events at Horse Amour, Eddy Farm Memorial events, Fun riding shows, Middlebury College Team show as well as many lessons over the years. He was donated to Eddy Farm many years ago and was a very special addition to our riding school. He was so special and will be missed.
Emir and a young rider
Middlebury College Equestrian Team
The Middlebury College Equestrian team enjoyed another wonderful IHSA season, with many new and returning riders training out of the Eddy Farm under the leadership of Kate and Margaret. We are currently a team of 24 riders across all levels and experiences with horses
During the fall season, we had several riders qualify for our Regional competition later this spring. We are happy to have several riders returning from trips abroad and look forward to having a full roster for the spring season. Throughout January, the team is running workshops to teach interested students with no equine experience about working with horses through a series of workshops. Topics are covered in unmounted lessons about horse care, grooming, leading, and tacking up. We hope the program will help new beginners join our IHSA program with less of a learning curve in the new season, and help more people connect with horses and the Eddy Farm.
Thank you to everyone at the Eddy Farm community for supporting our mission of creating a welcoming, accessible team environment for people who want to ride in college. We are grateful for the use of the farm, to the Eddy Farm team who takes care of the barn and horses, and for the opportunity to ride and get to know so many amazing horses! We look forward to more practices, competitions, and fun days at the farm this spring and beyond.
Best wishes,
The Middlebury College Equestrian Team
The Middlebury College Equestrian Team
We wish to extend our gratitude to all of our donors, volunteers, boarders and riders in our lesson program. Eddy Farm is committed to our mission of promoting excellence in horsemanship and continuing improvement efforts at the farm. It is an ever-evolving work in progress that requires ongoing support both monetary and in time volunteered. There are many ways to become involved with the farm. We are always looking for people who wish to donate their time to work days, which we have several throughout the year such as helping out with events and fundraising activities.
