Somewhere Farm Riding Lessons and Horse Shows

In the spring of 1962, I had just bought Lighting Magic, my first thoroughbred, from Henry and Janet Shurink at Doornhof Farm in Shaftsbury, Vermont, Both Shurinks were Dutch, and they left Holland to begin dairy farming in Vermont after WW2. I first shipped Lighting Magic to Hitching Post Farm, near enough to Dartmouth that I could ride him 3-4 days a week.

My parents had bought an old farm in South Reading, Vermont, and Jennifer Smith, the girl who had told me about Lighting Magic, had ridden for Mr H L M Van Shaik, (photo) who had, like the Schurinks, emigrated after WW2 to Cavendish, Vermont, only about 7 miles on dirt roads from my parents' farm.

Apparently. when the Van Shaiks first arrived in Vermont, Mr Van Shaik kept a low profile about his past riding history, and whether that was done on purpose, or simply because he was so busy farming, I never knew.

But the word had gotten around that in 1936, the Berlin Olympics, the last prior to the war, Mr Van Shaik had been a member of the Dutch silver medal winning show jumping team.

Local horse people began to send horses to him for training, and he began to do some teaching, and Jennifer introduced me to him. I told him that my goal was to ride in the GMHA 3-day event. and I was able to board my horse in Cavendish, and drive over each day for lessons.

Mr Van Shaik became a sort of legendary figure in the horse community, and he continued to teach, train and judge well into his 90s.

I doubt that many of the American riders of 2020 can appreciate how much of the infrastructure of USA riding 60 or so years ago was created and supported by displaced Europeans who had gotten out of destroyed countries after the war to start to rebuild their lives in the USA and Canada.

An update: The October 16th Somewhere Farm Dressage and Clear Round Jumping Show will feature Kari Allen as judge. Get your entry in early and receive free parking the day of the show!