Third Annual Spring Horse Show – 1943

In 1943 the board of directors of the Napa Valley Horsemen’s Association decided to hold their 3^rd Annual Spring Horse Show at the Napa Fair Grounds after the board determined that  show would not hurt the war effort. It was also decided to donate all the proceeds to the Second War Bond Campaign or War Bond Sales.

A pinto horse was donated to the show and was to be auctioned off to help raise money for the War Bonds by Miriam King of Napa. She donated her mare Georgia Peach also known as “Peaches” to the effort and her father, Percy King, headed the auction.

The show was held on Sunday, May 9^th and there were 135 entries for the 14 classes. The show raised $4,000 for the War Bonds Sales. The amount donated in today’s dollars would be $51.876.00 although the purchasing power was much greater in 1943. For Example, the cost of a new house was $3,600, a new car $900, and the average wage was  $2,000 per year, gasoline was 15 cents and a bottle of Coca Cola was 5 cents!

Download newspaper article about the NVHA and the horse shows