A lifetime with ponies leads Marble Rock man into POA Hall of Fame

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

A lifetime of elite horse-trading has cumulated with a high honor for a Marble Rock man.

Doug Merfeld was recently inducted into the Pony of the Americas Club (POAC) Hall of Fame.

“Throughout his lifetime, Doug Merfeld has always been a great contributor of his time, talents and finances to the Pony of the Americas Club,” the club said in a statement. “He certainly has dedicated much of his life to the promotion of the breed he holds dear to his heart.”

Merfeld has had a lifetime involvement with the the club, highlighted with service to the Iowa and national associations as well as outstanding achievements in the show arena as a youth, adult, breeder and owner, according to the POAC.

“Recognized as a professional horsemen and leader in his occupation and community, Doug has dedicated his life to helping others enjoy the Pony Of the Americas as much as he has.”

The Pony of the Americas (POA) breed was created right here in this corner of Iowa. It was developed in the 1950s to provide a good-sized pony with a gentle disposition, handsome appearance, speed and stamina. The breed is intended for young riders who are too big for a pony but not quite ready for a full-sized horse.

There are currently two of those ponies, named Dottie and Evie, at the Merfeld’s piece of land on the east end of Marble Rock.

Merfeld Ponies had more than 90 ponies at one point, and the Merfelds showed and auctioned them all over the United States.

Merfeld’s wife, Kelly, talked sweetly to the ponies last Thursday as she tried to get them to pose for a photograph.

She explained that the pony’s POA registered names are “MP’s Dipped in Dots” and “MP’s Call Me Maybe,” and that Dottie is expecting a foal in May.

She apologized for the ponies’ appearance.

“Their coats are so much more beautiful in the summer, when they haven’t been in the mud,” she said.

Two of Merfeld’s ponies, “Tomahawk’s Big Creek” and “MP Big Creek’s Jim Dandy” preceded Doug into the POA Hall of Fame.

The Merfeld family has been active in the Iowa POAC since the early 1960s. Doug learned the trade from his father, Edward, who was inducted into the hall of fame posthumously in 2000, the year after he died.

“He was a good teacher,” Doug said. “We won a lot of show championships.”

Doug and Tracy have been married for 33 years. While Doug grew up on the same piece of land near on the outskirts of Marble Rock, Tracy hails from North Dakota. The two originally met at an auction in her home state and became friends.

Although Tracy married into the pony business, she was no stranger to horses and livestock, as she grew up on a farm.

She is also an engaging ambassador for her adopted community of Marble Rock, never passing on an opportunity to sing the praises and point out the many qualities of the peaceful little town.

“A lot of people have told me they think it’s been a long time coming,” said Tracy, talking about Doug’s induction into the POAC Hall of Fame. “People say he should have been inducted long ago. He’s in now, and deservedly so.”

Doug grew up on the farm in Marble Rock, and attended Oklahoma State University, and while at the school he was actively involved with judging and the equine program before returning home. He has two sisters and a brother, and all three have moved to places far away.

“I stayed here,” Doug said. “I liked it here, and this has been my life.”

He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease a little over 12 years ago, and is currently living in Nora Springs Care Center, a facility where Tracy once worked. Tracy still lives at home in Marble Rock, with Dottie and Evie, their two remaining POAs. She visits her husband in Nora Springs daily.

The POA breed was launched and registered by Les Boomhower from Mason City in 1954. Boomhower was a Shetland pony breeder and lawyer. He saw a need for a “using type” pony for youth. His vision was to create a child’s size mount that was calm, intelligent, versatile and sturdy enough to last all day. Boomhower thought the Appaloosa type color would make them really stand out, and thus the POA breed was born.

The Iowa-native breed has evolved into one of the major pony breeds in the country. The club’s activities are very family oriented. While the focus remains on the youth, there are now programs for all ages to participate in.

The ponies have evolved, numbering over 55,000 registrations. POAs no longer have the “pony” look or movement. With an infusion of bloodlines of the quarter horse and Appaloosa breeds, the modern POA looks and moves like their larger counterparts.

The lifetime of POA breeding, showing and selling has left both Doug and Tracy with wonderful memories.

“Did you see the picture of me with Roy Rogers?” he asked, pointing to the wall of his room at the care center, decorated with photographs of people he’s met and places his life’s work has taken him.

Along with the photo of Rogers, the Hollywood Cowboy, there’s also a photo with the widow and family members of Baseball Hall of Famer Roger Maris, taken on a trip to North Dakota.

Among other physical detriments, Doug’s battle with Parkinson’s makes it difficult for him to speak and be understood.

This fact becomes particularly poignant when he’s among the old photos on the walls and in the scrapbooks Kelly keeps, which show a young, smiling and vibrant man, wheeling and dealing in the world of horse-traders, breeders, showmen and auctioneers — a world of fast-talkers and men and women full of agility in body and mind.

Next to the photos on the wall there is a plaque in honor of a POA named Chipper, who Doug and Tracy brought to the care center many years ago to spend the day with the residents. Chipper was so calm and gentle that the pony was brought right inside the facility, and a great time was had by all.

Tracy explained that Chipper was living a happy life in Minnesota now, like so many other ponies the Merfelds have shown and sold over the years.

“We’ve lived a fabulous life,” Tracy said. “And we’ve made some marvelous friends along the way, everywhere we’ve been.”