It was the English Thoroughbred, Imported Messenger, who first established Goshen as the Cradle of the Trotter, back in 1801. At that time, he was standing at service in the stable of Anthony Dobbin's Stagecoach Inn. (This building is still on Main Street, Goshen.) It soon became apparent that the offspring he produced while there showed an inclination towards a new gait, a long, slinging step at the walk which, when accelerated, produced the trotting gait. This brought fame to Goshen as its place of origin.
| A
descendent
of Messenger, Rysdyk's Hambletonian, who was born in Sugar Loaf, NY
(approximately ten miles from Goshen) and stabled in Chester, NY (four
miles from Goshen), also helped establish Goshen and Orange County as a
trotting horse mecca. Known as the "grandaddy of 'em all,"
Hambletonian sired 1331 progeny, all of whom carried on the traits of
extreme speed and durability that their sire possessed. So strong were the
characteristics passed down to the Hambletonian offspring, that
eventually, all other trotting lines died out. Horsemen from all over the
United States brought their mares to be serviced by Hambletonian, thus
bringing the county into even greater national prominence.
For over 175 years, Goshen and its vicinity have played host to the greats of harness racing. Its Standardbred farms still produce top champions; and Historic Track, founded in 1838, is still visited by the sport's best trotters and pacers who awe fans with their speed and grace today as much as they did in the past. The farms, the horses, the people and the sport have all brought international recognition to Goshen and have truly made it the Cradle of the Trotter. |
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Because of Goshen's historic connections with the sport, The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame was established there on June 30, 1951. The institution is a non-profit organization chartered in 1949 by the Board of Regents of the State of New York.
Civil war monument honoring
The "Orange Blossoms" 124th Regiment
who fought at Gettysburg
