Featured Exhibit
Nicholas and Nancy Danforth and their daughter Lyn (with horse Bunny) in front of the Gateways Barn on Wellesley Street in the late 1940s.
The Weston-Wayland 4H Horse Club sponsored a horse show at the Riding School on South Avenue in 1957. Ninety-two riders entered in 27 classes. On horseback (l-r): Phyllis Cox, Linda Wheelock, and Jean Wesley of Wayland. Standing: Sally Ayers, Harriet Hartwell, Carol Johnson, and Susanne Mailman of Weston.
Can you identify these members of the Jericho Pony Club?
Featured Exhibit
The Tradition of Horseback Riding in Weston
Love of horses and the sport of riding is a tradition in Weston
going back to the estate era, when horseback riding was a favorite summer pastime of families
like the Paines, Dicksons, and Wellingtons. Charles Jackson Paine, whose 758-acre estate was the
largest in Weston, had so many trails through the property that his family could ride on their own land
all the way from their home on Highland Street to South Avenue at Ash Street.
In the period between World War I and II, horses could be boarded or rented at the
Kendal Green Riding School and the Weston Saddle and Bridle Club, both of which closed in the 1950s.
The Weston 4-H Horse Club, founded in 1949 under the auspices of the Middlesex County Extension Service,
was the oldest 4-H horse club in the state. It was open to young people between the ages of 10 and 21
who had major responsibility for the care and exercise of a horse. Important annual events included
the fall trail ride and spring horse show. In 1963, a new 4-H Riding Ring in the Jericho Forest
off Concord Road was dedicated to the memory of Ruth Dickson, an avid rider and horse breeder.
The 1747 Farm Horse Show was one of the largest in Weston during the post-war period.
The show was started as a birthday present for Barbara Woodworth and was first held
on the Woodworth property at 412 Highland Street, known as the 1747 Farm.
When the annual show outgrew this location, organizers arranged with Regis College to lease land
on the east side of Wellesley Street, where they developed two riding rings. In its heyday in the 1960s
and 70s, the three-day show had night classes under spotlights and master riders in the finest equestrian attire.
The Jericho Forest Pony Club was founded in the 1970s to teach riding and provide opportunities
for competition in dressage, show jumping, and cross country. As a branch of the U.S. Pony Club,
Jericho allowed young people aged 9 to 21 to advance through a prescribed series of skill levels.
Visit the Weston Historical Society exhibit, which features photographs, bridle trail maps, and horse show memorabilia. Through December 15 at the Weston Public Library Reading Room, and December 15 to February 2 at Weston Town Hall. Text above from Farm Town to Suburb: the History and Architecture of Weston, Massachusetts 1830-1980 by Pamela W. Fox.