Rhode Island Commercial & Illustrated Mail
The Rhode Island Horse Breeders Association - 1891
Narragansett Park, Rhode Island

The Rhode Island Horse Breeders Association was established in 1890. 

In the Colonial era, the chief horse breeding area in America was the state of Rhode Island. John Hull originally purchased acreage on the southwestern shores of Narragansett Bay for raising horses during the mid 1600s.

During the Colonial period, Rhode Island was the only New England colony that allowed horse racing and maintained a race track located in South Kingstown.

Several of the Rhode Island horse farms maintained herds of over 1000 horses; the chief breed being the Narragansett Pacer. 

The Narragansett Pacer was most likely descended from the English and Dutch horses which arrived in Massachusetts between 1629 to 1635. It is said that the horse ridden by Paul Revere on his "Midnight Ride" was a Narragansett Pacer. The last of the purebred Narragansett Pacers are believed to have died out during the early 1800s, although their bloodline lives on in other breeds such as the Tennessee Walker.