MIDDLEBURY — The National Museum of the Morgan Horse (NMMH) announces a new exhibit of photographs taken at the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm in Weybridge by Brett Simison, titled the “Vermont Morgan Horse.” The exhibit will open on Friday, Aug. 14, at 5 p.m. and will be on display through mid-September.
Brett Simison is an award-winning editorial, commercial and fine art photographer based in Vermont. Over the course of his career, he has worked for a variety of commercial advertising and editorial clients in the United States, Europe, Mexico and Central America, ranging from studio product photography, to assignments in the jungles of Guatemala, to teaching photography at the college level. His work was profiled in Shutterbug magazine. When he moved to Addison County, he explored the local area and found the horses and people at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm to be great subjects for his photography.
In Weybridge, the University of Vermont maintains the historic Morgan Horse Farm, where for more than a century breeders and trainers have been keeping the prized Morgan bloodline alive. Renowned for their noble spirit, feats of strength and gentle disposition, the Morgan has emerged as one of the preeminent American breeds. They are magnificent animals, proud and trained to perform.
Most people know only the glamorous side, with the horses portrayed in rigidly posed paintings set in pastures with bucolic barns and fences in the background, or hitched to carts with drivers dressed in their Sunday-best riding clothes, guiding the animals around the interior of the show arena. Simison’s collection of photographs taken at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm convey the long hours and sweat that go into making the Morgan the icon it has become.
The National Museum of the Morgan Horse, located on Main Street in Middlebury, is dedicated to preserving the history of the breed. The UVM Morgan Horse Farm and the story of Joseph Battell, the man who first built the farm, are integral to the story of the Morgan Horse. NMMH Director Amy Mincher says she is delighted to have Simison’s photographs on display at the museum because “they present images of the classic Morgan, always thinking and always at work. The ‘behind the scenes’ photographs show the daily workings of life at the UVM Morgan Horse Farm.”
Located at 34 Main St. in Middlebury, the NMMH is open from Tuesday through Friday, 1-5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.. Visit the museum’s Facebook page to find out the latest information about events and exhibits.