The Northern Ohio Draft Pony Association was started by a group of people interested in promoting the draft pony in the Northern Ohio area. The NODPA was the first association of its kind in this area when it was established in 1978.

The Association held their first pony sale in 1979, so that area pony breeders would have a market for their animals. The sale started with the help of Bob Monsarrat, the founder of the Haflinger Association of America; the first registry in the United States for Haflingers. The HAA had agreed to buy seven half-starved Haflingers from a desolate ranch in Colorado. These ponies were to serve as the nucleus of the draft pony sale to be held in June, which was a joint venture between the NODPA and the HAA. Five NODPA members returned from their rescue mission with the ponies in June. However, the ponies were found in such poor condition that the sale was postponed until July, thus establishing the summer NODPA draft pony sales. The association started their fall colt sale in 1982, which gave people another chance to market their draft ponies. Both sales were doing so well by 1987, that the association decided to use the proceeds from them to start an International Show and Pull, to further promote the use of draft ponies and to give people a chance to exhibit against other breeders and owners of draft ponies in a competitive, yet fun, environment.

This all came about in 1978, when several men were exhibiting at a fair, and sitting in the barn, making small talk and telling tales of days gone by. This was in a time when a pony was a pony and the breed did not matter. The emphasis was on fun and family.

This small talk went into serious talk among Jack Bowman, Henry Whitman, Bob Raw, Ben Winkler, Jim Leiser, Dick Runkle and Dean Woodward. These seven men decided they should form a pony club. They would try to get others to join them, making it a family affair. Back then, Jack was secretary for the Northern Ohio Horse Association. From that, they got the idea of naming their new club Northern Ohio Draft Pony Association.

In 1978, Haflingers were unheard of in this area. However, there were a few out west. Robert Monsarrat, from the Columbus area, was well informed of the Haflinger breed and formed the Haflinger Association of America. Monsarrat knew of some Haflinger ponies roaming out west. The owner of the Haflingers had gone to Chicago; he passed away, leaving the care of the ponies to a mountaineer. From time to time, he would go out on the range to check on the ponies, but for the most part, they ran wild.

After talking with Monsarrat, the men decided they should go out west to bring the Haflingers back to Ohio. They were confident that money could be made for their new pony club, NODPA.

Bob Raw, Henry Whitman, Dean Woodward, Ben Winkler, and Tim Winkler were the men to make the journey to Grandby, Colorado, located in the middle of Arapaho National Forest. The Haflingers were the roughest looking ponies they had ever seen. After a long workout of catching them (for men and ponies) the Haflingers were on their way to Ohio.

The Haflingers were readied for the first annual NODPA sale, which was held at the Dean Woodward farm in Burbank, Ohio. Of the fifty head of draft ponies sold, seven were the first Haflingers to make their home in this area. The following year, the NODPA chose to have the sale in Wooster, Ohio.

The membership has grown over the years, currently having over 150 plus members, with their families, in the association. The Northern Ohio Draft Pony Association, through its members, encompasses a wealth of experience in the draft pony world. Each member stands ready to help a new member learn how to get started and enjoy their ponies.