History of the Middle Tennessee Arabian Horse Association
When the earliest Arabians
breeders in North America are studied, Middle Tennessee is
represented because of the incredible influence of General
J.M. Dickinson of Travelers Rest Arabian Stud. Arabians
have flourished in Middle Tennessee for over eighty years
thanks to General Dickinson’s strong foundation, and MTAHA
holds this history in high esteem as we continue to look for
ways to promote the interest, breeding, exhibition, and use
of Arabians, half-Arabians, and Anglo-Arabians in our area
during the 21st Century.
With the popularity of
Arabian horse shows in glamorous locales like Scottsdale and
Las Vegas, most people would not believe that in the 1930’s
Middle Tennessee was the epicenter of the Arabian breed in
North America. In fact, the Arabian Horse Club of America
staged the precursor to U.S. Nationals in Nashville.
General J.M. Dickinson of Travelers Rest Arabian Stud was
influential in organizing these early shows, held in
conjunction with the Tennessee State Fair. A total of
fifty-six Arabians were entered in the 1933 show.
Despite Tennessee’s rich
heritage in the breeding of purebred horses, including
Arabians, the breed was something of an oddity here even in
the 1960s. In East Tennessee, Dr. Sam Harrison helped
organize an Arabian horse club in the late 1960s, serving as
president for several years before he came to focus on
Arabian horse racing. Here in Middle Tennessee, there was
still no Arabian horse club by 1970.
In 1971, a group of Arabian
horse lovers, including General Dickinson’s daughter,
Margaret Dickinson Fleming (“Ms. Peggy”), gathered for the
purpose of starting a local Arabian club in Middle
Tennessee. One purpose of the club was to organize a regular
show. These club shows grew in to the first Music City Show,
held in 1979, making 2012 the 33rd annual show!
Since 1990, portions of the proceeds from the show and
other events have gone to support a scholarship in the
Middle Tennessee State University Horse Studies program.
MTAHA is proud of this long
history. We thank Andra Kowalczyk Martens, MTAHA member
since 1996 for compiling it. Andra is the author of
Tennessee’s Arabian Horse Racing Heritage. You can
download the full history
here.
