The New England Morgan Horse Show celebrates its 81st edition by honoring the memory of longtime Morgan aficionado and friend, Helen Herold. Helen, a three time New England Morgan Horse Association president, long time NEMHA Board Member, and dynamic member of the NEMHS Show Committee, embraced all things Morgan with her signature style…one of focus, enthusiasm, dedication and creativity.

Helen’s commitment to this horse show included diverse projects: contributions to the Combined Prize List and Horse Show Program, the creation of the 70th Anniversary commemorative video, managing merchandizing at the show, organizing live auction fundraising, working on the NEMHS Futurity committee, and co-chairing the Northampton show during a transition period in 2015.

Helen also served as Director of The National Museum Of The Morgan Horse from 2013 to 2015 when it was a storefront in Middlebury, Vermont. Robin Rednor Veghte, who was the museum co-chair with Jeff Gove, says of her friend, “Helen would know 99 percent of the historical detail and could usually give you a pedigree analysis of the horse displayed in a vintage painting. But she researched everything regardless because she was always on a mission to make sure it was 100 percent correct. She used her professional designer’s eye for how to make the exhibit the most attractive. She knew exactly what she was doing and she was meticulous.”

Like her museum work, Helen’s articles in The Morgan Horse were meticulously researched to accurately reflect the history she was profiling. She would hunt down pictures not in their archives, but that she knew existed—somewhere. The articles were never dry history, however. They benefited from the affection she held for her subject matter and her flair for creativity.

The words “taste,” and “class” are combining with “determination” and “persistence” in remembrances of Helen. These are not conflicting traits when mentioned in combination with her “good intent” to better the cause about which she was passionate…the Morgan horse.

With Helen’s death, the breed lost a unique champion of the Morgan legacy. NEMHS is proud to remember the woman and her legacy to the show she loved best and, of course, to the great Morgan horse. In every way…quintessentially Helen.