Maryland Horse Breeders Association records
Collection
0049-MDHC
The Maryland Horse Breeders Association was founded in 1929 as an agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of the Maryland horse industry. The collection consists of office files of the association, which reflect activities such as publishing the Maryland Horse; reviewing legislation concerning the racing industry in Maryland; supporting increased opportunities for Maryland horse breeders; and promoting horse shows and sales, steeple chasing, and thoroughbred racing.
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Archival materials may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal and/or state right to privacy laws or other regulations. While we make a good faith effort to identify and remove such materials, some may be missed during our processing. If a researcher finds sensitive personal information in a collection, please bring it to the attention of the reading room staff.
19.00 Linear Feet
The Maryland Horse Breeders Association records document the activities of the organization from 1929-1979; the bulk of the materials consists of registration applications which date from 1951- 1975. Subjects covered include horse shows, sales, and racing; registration of Maryland bred horses; Maryland Fund bonus payments; the publications program of the association; and the syndication of stallions.
The Maryland Horse Breeders Association (MHBA) was established January 16, 1929 by a group of thirty three horsemen as an agency dedicated to the promotion, protection and education of the Maryland horse industry. To achieve these goals, the organizers of the MHBA elected a board of directors and chose its five member executive committee from among them, a governance structure which has been retained up until the present time. Major activities did not begin until the waning of the Depression. During the June 24, 1936 directors' meeting, a proposal was made to establish a newsletter, Maryland Horse, to be published on a monthly basis. From the modest beginning of a four-page issue, it grew within a year to almost fifty pages and garnered an international mailing list of 2500. Maryland Horse has been the principal instrument of publicity and education for the MHBA. The association includes within its wide spectrum of interests pony and horse shows, horse sales, hunt club and draft horse activities, steeplechasing and thoroughbred racing. The MHBA was also given representation on the Maryland State Fair Board in 1937.
The MHBA has confronted many issues throughout its history. In 1937, Virginia and Delaware horse breeders proposed a merger which might have eventually led to a large eastern association, comprising all the states from Maine to Florida. After considerable discussion and debate, the MHBA decided that Maryland had unique problems which could only be best served by a strong local delegation, and the proposal was voted down. The MHBA has taken an active voice in legislation concerning the racing industry in Maryland such as revising stallion fees taxation laws in 1937, working against dog racing and winter racing proposals in 1967, and supporting legislation promoting better racing conditions and opportunities for Maryland breeders such as the Maryland Fund. This fund was established in 1962 by the state legislature to award a bonus to the breeders whose winners were bred or foaled in Maryland and a smaller bonus to the owners of Maryland sires of Maryland bred winners. The winners must be registered through the MHBA in order to be certified as eligible for these bonuses.
The MHBA holds directors' meetings monthly or more often as deemed necessary by the president. Standing committees include legislative, membership, show, sales, registration, and the Maryland Fund. Sources of funding include annual and semi annual horse sales in which the MHBA is a fifty fifty partner with the Fasig Tipton Auctioneering Company as well as revenue from registrations, membership dues, commissions, track and fair board contributions, and advertising.
The MHBA is dedicated to fostering and preserving Maryland traditions, to encouraging research and education, to promoting Maryland as an ideal state for the horse industry, and to protecting the industry by promoting beneficial legislation not only for professional horsemen but for amateurs and the interested public as well.
This collection is organized as nine series:
The Maryland Horse Breeders Association records were donated to the University of Maryland at College Park Libraries by the association in 1976. In 2018, a Maryland Horse Breeders Association baseball cap was donated to the collection.
A preliminary box inventory was created using the file headings as established by the MHBA. Some duplicate materials were discarded during the initial inventory process. A description of the collection was written.
After examination of the preliminary box inventory, the series and subseries were determined. All file headings were retained from the existing file structure. Where no file headings existed, they were created; these headings are enclosed in brackets [ ] wherever they appear. All the files were examined, and extraneous material discarded; the files were then sorted according to series assignment and all materials were placed in acid-free folders and boxes. Within the series and subseries, the MHBA's original chronological order was retained.
Part of the Special Collections and University Archives