The Mitson Family from Magog Quebec loved horses, any type of horse. Earliest recollections are a grey standardbred, a son of the great Dan Patch that was used as a riding and driving horse at early 1900s. Mrs Gertrude Mitson enjoyed nothing more than to be with her horses. Her passion was passed down to her son Alton , and daughter Inez. Together, Alton Mitson and Inez Lizotte operated the Horse Shoe Stable and Riding Club. At the Horse Shoe Stable they boarded horses and offered a lesson program for local children. They also organized horse shows for local riders to compete at. Inez was a particularly good rider, and her talent was recognized by local exhibitors, in particular John Peters from Magog. He was a saddlehorse and hackney exhibitor. When the likes of James Franceschini, Emilie Vaiu or Paul Latour came to Sherbrooke to show and needed a lady rider, it would be Inez who would get asked to ride.

Inez and her husband Tancrede became interested in hackney ponies through John Peters. They purchased two hackney pony foals, Darkie on Parade and Noble Knight in 1938. The ponies were bought in the winter, and transported home in the back seat of their car. The ponies were broke to harness and shown for many successful show seasons in singles and pairs during the 1940s through the 1950s. The Lizottes also kept some saddlebred horses, Inez continued to ride well into her 80s.

Inez's daughter, Constance started showing these ponies in the 1950s and from this start she has continued to show hackneys and saddlehorses. Connie and her husband Ken Callaway continue the tradition, showing numerous Hackney ponies, American Saddlebred, Arabians and Morgan horses in her local area. Daughters Tammy and Karen have been active and Connie's grandson Zachary Cyr had been showing horses and ponies as well. They compete throughout the Quebec, north to the Ottawa area, in Maine and in New Hampshire, and at the Royal Winter Fair.

For close to seventy five years, this family has been supporting horse shows and have been exhibiting Hackneys in Quebec.

(Inducted April 2014)

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