Spring Hollow Marquesa

Spring Hollow Marquesa is a liver chestnut Morgan mare, foaled on July 10, 1996.  She was bred by James and Evelyn Skillington of Spring Hollow Morgans in Hopewell, PA, and sold to the University of New Hampshire Equine Program at the age of two.

_{Upper Left: Q and her stablemate Anna completed Virtual Tevis 100 Mile Ride in 2025; Upper Right: Out on trail with Christina. Lower Right: Q and her longtime friend Jessica show off their 2023 North America Online Championships win at Training Level with a 67.59%.}

The U.S. Government Morgan Horse breeding program was established in 1907 to preserve and improve the breed and produce “hardy, versatile mounts” for agricultural and military use. In time, several state universities in New England received grants to support their Morgan breeding programs, and their prefixes (UVM, UConn, BayState, UNH) became well-known throughout the northeast. Thanks to their good temperaments and versatility, these Morgans were used to teach students everything from colt starting to riding to driving to drill team to eventing.

Unfortunately, as other breeds became more widely used in sport horse disciplines, the popularity of the Morgan waned. Combined with financial pressures, several long-established government grant-supported Morgan breeding programs either reduced production, shifted focus, or ceased altogether.

In an ad for their breeding farm, the Skillingtons recognized Marquesa’s sale to UNH and stated that “Marquese marks the first Morgan introduced into the dressage and combined training-oriented breeding program in more than twenty years.”  Janet Briggs, then program director, said she had been looking for size, length of stride, and strong, correct conformation.  “It had become difficult for us to find sport horse type movement and conformation in the Morgan breed,” says Briggs in the ad.  “I’m very impressed with Marquese.  She’ll fit right into our program.”

At the age of three, Marquesa was bred, and the next year produced a colt foal named Max.  A subsequent attempt to breed her was unsuccessful, and Marquesa entered the UNH school horse herd. She was started in the young horse training course, and transitioned into the riding program as she matured.

_{Left: Q and Cayden schooling cross country; Right: Emily and Q at a schooling jumper show}. _{Both photos are from her “UNH era.”}

Marquesa was around eight when I first met her, and she stood out to me largely because she had a bob tail (allegedly chewed off by her foal and never regrown) and her lack of a half halt.  She would literally lap other horses in the ring as she zoomed past them, neck up, knees up, looking more ready for the saddle seat ring than any form of dressage I was familiar with. 

When riders tried to slow her down by pulling, she would transition into any of a number of intermediate gaits, including both a running walk and the “tranter”. I later learned from an article in The Morgan Horse magazine (the publication of the American Morgan Horse Association) that the running walk used to be a prized quality in the Morgan breed. These horses were called “amblers”; the “amble” was appreciated for its smooth, ground covering quality. Marquesa seems to have these “throw back” genes, which are lovely on trail but not so much in the riding arena.

Slowly but surely, we worked on teaching riders how to execute a proper half halt on a horse with Marquesa’s natural enthusiasm, and the quality in her gaits improved.  She became a reliable and consistent jumper, and in time was always my steady-eddie “go to” for riders who lacked confidence over fences.  While she always carried a bit more pace and moved with a shorter step, I knew I could count on her to do her job and forgive mistakes, which in turn allowed riders to relax and focus on practicing essential jumping skills.

But where Marquesa especially shined was as a cross country schooling mount.  I can’t tell you how many nervous, timid or fearful riders Marquesa has escorted out onto the cross country course…but I can assure you that nearly every single one returned to the barn smiling and joyful, thrilled to have had so much fun, thanks to this sensible Morgan.

However, as Marquesa entered her late teens, she started to show some signs of losing her sense of humor for packing novice riders around, and it was decided it was time to find a retirement home for her. A sentimental favorite, a fundraiser held in honor of her retirement raised nearly $200 for Becky’s Gift, a NH-based equine safety net organization.

Marquesa came to live at Cold Moon Farm on May 21, 2016. Far from being ready to retire, Queso, or, as she is also known, “Q,” is enjoying the next phase of her life. Her sweet, willing Morgan temperament has allowed her to tackle new challenges such as bushwhacking, crossing streams that touch her belly, and heading out on trail solo. She still enjoys working lightly in the arena a few times per week, and has won numerous ribbons with several riders through the Dressage Show Online virtual show series.

**I spell Marquesa with an “a”, though her registered name is with an “e”. This is because of my love for the song “Southern Cross”, by Crosby, Stills and Nash, which refers to the Marquesa Islands in the lyrics.**

Spring Hollow Marquesa Career Notable Accomplishments

1998-2016 Broodmare and School Horse, University of New Hampshire Equine Program

2016 Zone I Region 2 IHSA Reserve Champion School Horse of the Year (by popular vote)

2020 20/100 ridden trail miles toward the Journey 100 Mile Challenge

2021 North American Online Dressage Championships– National Champion, Introductory Test B (Adult Amateur) with Intern Tiger Lily Goldenberg (68.50%)

2022 North America Online Dressage Championships Training Level Test 3 Open Championship 3rd (60.34%) ; Starlight 100 Mile Challenge (100 Miles of Ridden Trail); Warhorse 100 Mile Challenge (100 Miles of Ridden Trail)– all with Jessica Joyce

2023 Completed the Tevis Cup Virtual Ride (100 miles of ridden trail in 100 days) (with Jessica Joyce)

North America Online Dressage Championships–Training Level Test 2 Open National Champion (67.59%) (with Jessica Joyce)