About The Lippitt Club Inc.

To Touch a Lippitt is to Touch History.

The pure bred Morgan has survived several perilous periods in its history. One of the most significant was the final sale of R.L. Knight's Lippitt herd from The Stock Farm in the fall of 1962. During the time of Mr. Knight's breeding efforts there were a few smaller farms also "hewing the line" but they were not as well known. Because of his wealth Mr. Knight had a higher profile thus his breeding program was better known. People from all over the country attended the sale and prime breeding stock was scattered far and wide. Many went to prominent Morgan farms to infuse type into their programs and were never bred pure again.

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  Dr. Clarence Parks and Marshall Winkler

  In 1966 Marshall Winkler, a breeder of old type Morgans and a plant geneticist, became so concerned that the purebred stock might be lost that he collaborated with Robert Morgan who by then owned The Stock Farm and Noel (Pete) Dury of Fremont, New Hampshire to start what they called The Lippitt Breeders List, taking out ads in the Morgan Horse Magazine trying to generate interest in preserving the old bloodlines. Marshall wrote an article that year entitled "A New Look At An Old Family" and in 1967 "More On Breeding Theory" in which he called on breeders to organize to save the old bloodlines before they were lost . However, in 1968 the work of starting a new business became overwhelming and Robert Morgan moved to California so the movement stalled for a time.

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  Pete Drury and Nancy Plimpton

  On March 13,1970 the meeting was finally held. Those attending were, Pete Drury of Fremont NH, Dana Kelly of Woodstock VT, Harrison Miles of Cornish NH, Nancy Plimpton of South Randolph VT, Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Nelson of Randolph VT, Joyce Searles of Westminster, VT, Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Smith of White River Junction, VT, Lester Welch of Randolph VT, Joyce and Paul Wood of Quechee VT, Lyle Horton of Hartland VT, Margaret Rice of Meredith NH, and Marshall Winkler of Rockport MA. It was agreed that a free exhibit of their horses at the Tunbridge Fairgrounds would be a great idea and perfect place to showcase them. The group also decided to draw up a list of eligible horses and ask their owners to bring them. There were over twenty horses which their owners agreed would attend the non judged exhibition.

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  Nancy Plimpton, Lester Welch and Heather Smith

  In 1973 the same group of people who had gotten together for two years had attracted more interested people. They decided to become a formal club. First called "The Old Type Morgan Fanciers," the officers were Lester Welch, President, Pat McClary, Sec/Treas. Harrison Miles, Nancy Plimpton and Lester were the reference committee and dues were $4.00 per year. After much discussion and permission from R.L. Knight's son ,Royal, the group's name was changed to The Lippitt Club on the premise that "Lippitt" represented a strain or type of Morgan rather than an ownership prefix.

  The Lippitt Morgan and all who love them owe so very much to all the breeders, from the days of A. Fullerton Phillips on down to today, both organized or not, who kept these lines pure often at great physical and financial expense ,but always with much dedication and love for the treasures which they are.