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Honored
John Bennett, second from right, of John Bennett Stables in Putnam, was honored with the Eastern States Exposition Equestrian Hall of Fame award Sept. 22 at The Big E. Pictured with Bennett at the ceremony are, from left: Eastern States Exposition President and CEO Eugene J. Cassidy; and Bennett’s daughters, Jennifer Bennett Benzie and Kay Bennett. Courtesy photo.
John Bennett, of John Bennett Stables in Putnam was honored with the Eastern States Exposition Equestrian Hall of Fame award Sept. 22 at The Big E. He is the fifth recipient of this prestigious annual award, bestowed during the Fair’s Saddlebred Show.
Bennett has been associated with horses since he was 8 years old. In 1974, he received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from UConn and has operated a public stable in Putnam since 1978, where he raises and trains Morgan horses.
In 1986, he was hired as the Horse Unit Manager at UConn, a faculty position that included teaching, mentoring students, training horses and advising clubs. He also served as Connecticut Morgan Horse Association (CMHA) president from 1987-1988, received the AMHA Hall of Fame Award in 2002 and a North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Teaching Award in 2008. Bennett retired in August, 2018 after more than 30 years at the university.
Bennett is regularly seen in the ring as a competitor or judge, in the announcer’s booth or on the rail. He was a frequent competitor at horse shows, including the Connecticut Morgan Open Horse Show, Summer Kickoff, Connecticut Summer Classic, Massachusetts Morgan Horse Show, The Big E and Octoberfest. In 2017, he was barn manager for Morgan Row at Equine Affaire, held at ESE in November, where he drove UConn’s team of Morgan horses in “Fantasia” each night.
Each year, the Eastern States Exposition Equestrian Hall of Fame recognizes individuals or equines that have demonstrated excellence in their discipline and made significant achievements and contributions to equestrianism.
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