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Ela, Anna Dickson, passed away January 24 at her home, Townshend Farm, in Bolton, MA. She was born March 14, 1909 to the late Brenton H. Dickson Jr. and Ruth Bennett Dickson of Weston, Ma. She was the beloved wife of the late Roger E. Ela, Senior Partner at Nutter McClennen and Fish, LLP. Anna is survived by her daughter, Nancy E. Caisse; a grandson, Mark E. Caisse and his wife Leslie; and a great-grandson, Robert Ela Caisse. She also leaves behind a brother, William A. Dickson and his wife Harriet; a sister, Ruth Dickson Orcutt; and a sister in law, Polly Dickson, wife of Anna’s deceased brother, Edward M. Dickson. She was predeceased by another brother, Brenton H. Dickson III and his wife Helen. After graduation from The Windsor School in Boston, Anna turned her talents to raising notable Morgan Horses. Because of the recent, wonderful tributes and celebrations of her life which she was able to enjoy; a more modest Memorial Service will be held for family and friends, Saturday, February 13, at 1:30 p.m. at First Parish Church, 673 Main St., Bolton Center. At Anna’s request, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to either The Green Mountain Horse Association, South Woodstock, VT 05071, for support of the Roger and Anna Ela Youth Center or the National Museum of the Morgan Horse, P.O. Box 700 Shelburne, VT. 05482, for the 2010 Archival Preservation Project.


To understand Anna, a picture of her childhood is helpful. She grew up on a working farm which produced most all their food. They did buy fruit when their apples, pears and grapes were not in season. It was a time of the horse and buggy and the car. The 7 siblings, 2 of whom met untimely early deaths, were all individuals with high energy, high curiosity, high intelligence, and very high independence which made a house of bedlam at most any moment. They grew up in a remote part of Weston so they had to use ingenuity to make amusement. Sliding down the steep connecting roofs, digging hay tunnels, building shack cities and riding horses, driving ponies or even dogs into many different adventures were all apart of life. There was always activity and later in life most every sport was played or at least attempted. Self-sufficiency ranked high. It kindled the independent spirit and frankness. You never asked Anna a question if you didn’t want a direct answer.
As notes of condolence arrive it is amazing to see the influence she had on a cross section of people. They remember as young children her humor and funny sayings, as teenagers her ability to inspire and to get everyone to join in, as young adults her pranks and as adults her vitality and dedication. The Morgan Horse was the vehicle to do something-- some activity--the 100 mile ride-go somewhere--meet people--have a good time.---“There are a thousand doors to let out life”

The following is the front cover of the 70th Anniversary Program for the 2009 New England Regional Morgan Horse Show with a feature article written by Anna's friend, Susan Colleton:

As the 2009 New England Morgan Horse Show celebrates its 70th anniversary and showcases seven decades of amazing Morgan show horse history, its chronicles must naturally include the equally amazing saga of one of its most memorable, and colorful, horsewomen, Anna Dickson Ela. In dedicating this historic show to Mrs. Ela, NEMHS honors one of the breed’s most notable champions, who also marked her own amazing milestone earlier this year with the celebration of her 100th birthday. Although hers is the story of a multi-faceted life with an international flair, it is one that has always been firmly rooted in her passion for and dedication to the Morgan Horse. It is a story as lively as its leading lady whose sharp wit, up-front opinions (she never cared about being politically correct), keen judgment of good horses, and twinkling eyes are well documented in the archives of the Morgan breed.
Townshend Farm has been featured in numerous magazine and newspaper articles since its establishment in Townshend, Vermont and subsequent move to Bolton, Massachusetts in 1958. It is without a doubt a distinctively New England story of the development of a remarkable group of Morgan horses who wear the Townshend prefix
(to date more than 338 Townshend Morgans have been registered) but it is indubitably even more fundamentally the story of Anna Ela’s passion, enthusiasm, and energy for the breed that is synonymous with her name.
Immersed as a child into the myriad of activities, both cultural and athletic, that defined life at Ivey Abbey, the Dickson family farm in Weston, Massachusetts, a young Anna formed impressions of her ideal horse early on: athletic, hot, versatile, willing, kind and pretty…the type of Morgan that would one day bear the names of Sealect, Cornwallis, Orcland Vigildon, and Merrie-Lee Double Don in its Townshend pedigree.
If it is “stories” that create a legend, then the treasure trove of vignettes from the Dickson-Ela collection could surely generate its own prime time mini-series. A fount of “Americana” as well as Morgan history, Mrs. Ela recalls riding horses with teen-age friends from Massachusetts to the family’s summer home in Vermont (with pre-planned stops along the way of their multi-day journey) in addition to regularly driving a team out to central Massachusetts where the family would leave the wagon to be painted, and then saddle up the horses and ride back home! She also tells of going to school in a horse-drawn wagon, even though the family owned an automobile. When asked why the equine transportation, she quips, “Because gas was too expensive!” Continuing on, and unable to conceal the mischievous twinkle in her eye, she also shares how years later she would “accidently bump into” (literally) a handsome, young, Harvard-educated Boston lawyer who was visiting Vermont one summer: her future husband, Roger Ela!
In addition to her enthusiasm for Morgan horses, a young Anna perfectly combined her athleticism with a focused commitment to volunteerism. A lauded athlete in squash, field hockey, bowling, skiing, ice skating, and sailing she was also the quintessential Junior Leaguer whose pursuits included volunteer work at the Ellis Memorial Project in Boston, the Girl Scouts, the Boston Emergency Relief Campaign, the Women’s Defense Corps, and the MSPCC. The letters of appreciation and commendation that fill volumes of family albums are a testament to the strong leadership and independent spirit that marked the irrepressible Miss Dickson!
In reminiscing about the New England Morgan Horse Show, Mrs. Ela points out that the show used to be THE National, and when asked how many “Northampton” shows she had attended, she replied, “Well, how many have there been? I’ve been to all of them!”
Although it is hard to for her to pinpoint a favorite class at this show, some of her fond memories of Northampton include Sire And Get wins by two of the farm’s most influential stallions, Orcland Vigildon and Merrie-Lee Double Don. “It was always quite a sight to see the stallions in the ring with four of their get lined up behind them. It was such an important class for breeders and always exciting for spectators.” The cross of Vigildon daughters with Double-Don proved to be golden for Townshend and many of those offspring were perennial winners at these hallowed Northampton grounds. One her most memorable classes, however, was when Nancy (daughter Nancy Ela Caisse) and Townshend My Debra, the farm’s diminutive powerhouse, took on the big guns and dazzled the officials of that year’s three judge system to be named Park Saddle Champions, after a three horse work out with Trophy’s Jadeand Bill Holtz and Green Meads Yankee and Bill Parker.
A competitor at the show from its earliest days, the last time Mrs. Ela trotted through the ingate at this show was in the early 2000’s to support one of her very favorite events, the Family Class. Her entry was as unique as she was as she and her “baby sister”, Ruth Dickson Orcutt, drove UC Cover Girl (the successor to Mrs. E’s favorite mare Townshend Vigilass) into the ring accompanied by Nancy Ela Caisse riding Townshend Sweet Remark, Mark Caisse aboard Al-Bar’s Attention, and Christine Orcutt Carlson with Orcland Bold Silk. As always, Mrs. Ela directed the group’s performance and delighted appreciative spectators with her inimitable, irrepressible sense of humor and obvious horsemanship as well as her love of being on center stage.
In a lifetime that has included representing the United States in international competition in both field hockey and squash, and flying with Amelia Earhart, as well as earning about every individual and farm honor our breed offers, it is Anna Ela’s enduring wit, enthusiasm for life, and delight in a good story that underlie the wonderful Morgan memories that she has carved out for her many friends throughout the world.
She is a true treasure in the world of the Morgan horse industry, and the New England Morgan Horse Show is proud to salute her on her landmark 100th birthday anniversary as well as for her prodigious contributions to this horse show and to the breed that is as American as she is.
Anna Dickson Ela is a legend in her own time. She was the first President of the New England Morgan Association, an AMHA Director, a Horse Show and Trail Ride judge, a clinician, a 4-H supporter, and mentor to many Morgan newcomers. She hosted The Morgan Club’s first judging seminar (forerunner of AMHA), has been the AMHA Woman of the Year, USEF’s Ellen Scripps Davis Memorial Breeder’s Cup winner, as well as being inducted into AMHA Breeder’s Hall of Fame the first year the award was offered. Additionally, in recognition of their combined efforts on behalf of youth and trail riding activities, the Green Mountain Horse Association dedicated the Roger and Anna Ela Youth Center in their honor.
Mrs. Ela is a legend who continues to inspire the legions of fans who have become part of the special legacy of her Townshend “family.” Stop by and visit with Anna, the Morgan world’s classic Renaissance woman, here at Northampton and celebrate the show’s 70th anniversary with one of Morgandom’s most celebrated icons.



During the reception there will be a time to briefly share your memories of Anna. Please come with a story.