HAROLD POWELL
Written by Melanie Litchfield-Ganta
Harold Powell was born in Excelsior, Wisconsin. He made cheese and drove milk to other cheese factories in the area. He also raised driving horses. Harold had such a knack for fixing people's furnaces that he soon moved to the Madison area and became one of Madison’s busiest heating and cooling service contractors. He raised four children in Madison and got involved in raising and driving hackney ponies with a lady named Barbara Good.
I met Harold when I was in the fifth grade. I walked to his farm and like any horse crazy kid, asked if I could help with the ponies. He and Barbara not only let me hang around with them, they took me to shows and started my driving career. Harold gave up an opportunity to drive at the Madison Charity Horse show, and let me show his champion mare in the class. Quite a thrill for anyone - let alone a kid. He made sure everyone in the 4-H club had a pony to work with.
Harold showed all over the Midwest, and the thing that will always be in my mind about Harold is that no matter how busy he was at a show or at home he ALWAYS had time to help people. There were many times that many of the children did not have a way to get our horses to the shows. Harold would take multiple trips in his two horse trailer to get us all to a show and home again. He was never frazzled or rushed, and he had a way with horses that Monty Roberts would admire.
Harold taught me that the more competition you had the better you were. That helping people succeed was just as important as succeeding yourself, and that you couldn’t get any closer to God than taking care of one of God’s most prized animals, the horse.
Harold passed away years ago. He died the way he told me he would, with his boots on. He was taken to his final resting place by his friends Chuck and Ginger Hansell in a buckboard wagon pulled by two Clydesdales. A fitting end to one of our area’s best horsemen.
He was always a good sport. Now, as an adult and driving horses in competition, I realize more than ever the value of having fellow competitors that demonstrate this value. We are fortunate to have many such people in the driving world and competing at the Columbus Carriage Classic.