The Hobby's Early Beginnings - IMPHSA

While people had been collecting model horses since Hartland and Breyer began making them, and small backyard/bedroom/family room live shows had been happening on an informal basis in the 1960s, it was Ellen Hitchins and Simone (Simi, at the time) who started the first formal hobby organization.

Called IMPHSA (International Model Photo Showers Association), it bridged the distance between collectors by using the ingenious idea of photo showing models - taking pictures of them, writing the model's name, your name and address, and the classes it was to be entered in on the back, and then sending the photos along with a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) to the show holder. The photos would be placed in their respective classes and judged, then returned with ribbons and awards by using the SASE. (Generally, we included an extra stamp or two to cover any extra postage that was needed.)

Ellen and Simi had the brilliant idea of asking Ray Rich, an editor at Horse and Rider magazine, to judge their international championship photo show. Their idea, and Rich's agreement to judge, would lead to my introduction to the infant hobby and for many other people as well.

I had been a subscriber to Horse and Rider since buying my first issue at Hook's Drug Store in West Lafayette.

My first issue - I read and reread and reread this copy (as you can probably tell.) I loved it so much, and had just gotten my first horse, Amy, in February of 1970 that I immediately subscribed.  And I am so glad I did because it helped me find the other early hobbyists. 

Although, when I opened that October issue and scanned its table of contents, I had no idea that it would change my collecting for a lifetime.

Breyers, Hagen Renakers, Beswicks, and Hartlands were represented. There were eight classes, and six were published in the magazine. I already had the Adios and Hartland, but had never seen a Hagen Renaker or Beswick before. (Ellen's Appaloosa Beswick became a piece I sought after for years, finally buying one in the 1990s.)

Eight classes! And they were very broad based - English and Western Pleasure, Foals, Pleasure Model, Mares, and Stallions. I wonder what the other two classes were? And just think about today's classes. Can you imagine just having eight at your championship show?

As I said in an earlier post, Ellen and Simi deserve far more credit than they are given for being so pivotal to the foundation of our hobby. This 1970 article is proof of that.