This is the website of Gold's Dragoons, which was raised in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1657 and passed under Royal control in 1660 as a British colonial militia unit to fight the Dutch and Pequots. The troop was incorporated into the colonial militia following the signing of the Royal Charter of King Charles II in 1662. We are the second oldest chartered military unit in the Americas and the oldest cavalry unit in the Western Hemisphere. A successor volunteer Connecticut reserve force cavalry unit of the same name was re-raised, in 1932, from members of the Fairfield Hunt Club. Gold's Dragoons is a published club in the Social Register and a member of The Centennial Legion.
Gold's Dragoons events for 2024 include:
May 3rd, Gold's Dragoons Nominating Dinner.
Note: The Nominating Dinner booking link went out to members by email January 11th. If you are a member in good standing and didn't get it, email me at goldsdragoons@gmail.com
May 4th, Gold's Dragoons spring sporting clays shoot, Sandanona, N.Y.S
May 5th, Historical Weapons day, axe throwing contest, Bridgeport, CT
June 3rd, The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston, parade and banquet.
September 7th (Saturday), Gold's Dragoons Annual polo dinner dance - Westport, Ct
September 8th (Sunday), Gold's Dragoons Polo Cup match versus Squadron A
September 20th-22nd, The Great British Invasion, Stowe, Vermont
October 24th-27th, Centennial Legion Annual Conference, Rhode Island
October tbc, Historical Court Martial, The Military Order of Foreign Wars, R.I.
October tbc, Gold's Dragoons fall sporting clays shoot, Sandanona, N.Y.S.
November 25th, Evacuation Day ceremony, Bowling Green, New York City, noon
December tbc, Squadron A Christmas party
Gold's Dragoons events for 2025 include:
February 7th, Victorian Military Society mess night, Newport, Rhode Island
The aim of the site is to perpetuate the memory of Gold's Dragoons and its members, past and present, who have joined together over the years to celebrate the spirit of military service in the United States and British Commonwealth. Gold's Dragoons 1660 is a fraternal military society and a 501(c)(7) corporation but is not itself a charity and contributions are not tax-deductible, although we do support The Equus Effect, a charity that supports military veterans and all those donations are tax-deductible. For more information on the charity click on "more" above, then on the "The Equus Effect" tab.
Members of Gold's Dragoons are authorized to wear the scarlet, blue and gold mess dress that continues the scarlet drill uniform worn by Gold's troopers in the 1930s. We are also re-introducing the scarlet parade uniform, as described in the following paragraph:
"Gold's Dragoons were well placed young men who loved horses, certainly as much as they loved their wives. They dressed in beige britches, scarlet jackets, chains of silver epaulets, wide-brimmed hats with chin straps, black leather boots and dazzling spurs."
"The Other Side of Loneliness" a biography of life in 1930s Westport © Ned O'Gorman, 2006.
Gold's Dragoons events for 2024 include:
May 3rd, Gold's Dragoons Nominating Dinner.
Note: The Nominating Dinner booking link went out to members by email January 11th. If you are a member in good standing and didn't get it, email me at goldsdragoons@gmail.com
May 4th, Gold's Dragoons spring sporting clays shoot, Sandanona, N.Y.S
May 5th, Historical Weapons day, axe throwing contest, Bridgeport, CT
June 3rd, The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Boston, parade and banquet.
September 7th (Saturday), Gold's Dragoons Annual polo dinner dance - Westport, Ct
September 8th (Sunday), Gold's Dragoons Polo Cup match versus Squadron A
September 20th-22nd, The Great British Invasion, Stowe, Vermont
October 24th-27th, Centennial Legion Annual Conference, Rhode Island
October tbc, Historical Court Martial, The Military Order of Foreign Wars, R.I.
October tbc, Gold's Dragoons fall sporting clays shoot, Sandanona, N.Y.S.
November 25th, Evacuation Day ceremony, Bowling Green, New York City, noon
December tbc, Squadron A Christmas party
Gold's Dragoons events for 2025 include:
February 7th, Victorian Military Society mess night, Newport, Rhode Island
The aim of the site is to perpetuate the memory of Gold's Dragoons and its members, past and present, who have joined together over the years to celebrate the spirit of military service in the United States and British Commonwealth. Gold's Dragoons 1660 is a fraternal military society and a 501(c)(7) corporation but is not itself a charity and contributions are not tax-deductible, although we do support The Equus Effect, a charity that supports military veterans and all those donations are tax-deductible. For more information on the charity click on "more" above, then on the "The Equus Effect" tab.
Members of Gold's Dragoons are authorized to wear the scarlet, blue and gold mess dress that continues the scarlet drill uniform worn by Gold's troopers in the 1930s. We are also re-introducing the scarlet parade uniform, as described in the following paragraph:
"Gold's Dragoons were well placed young men who loved horses, certainly as much as they loved their wives. They dressed in beige britches, scarlet jackets, chains of silver epaulets, wide-brimmed hats with chin straps, black leather boots and dazzling spurs."
"The Other Side of Loneliness" a biography of life in 1930s Westport © Ned O'Gorman, 2006.
The annual 2023 polo match between Fairfield’s own Gold’s Dragoons and New York City’s Squadron A was played at the Fairfield Hunt Club, 174 Long Lots Rd. on September 9, to continue a long tradition. Admission was free and the gates opened at noon. The game went off at 1.15 pm, instead of the planned 3 pm because of bad weather forecast for later in the day. Gold's Dragoons made it four victories in a row, against New York City's Squadron A, with the score of 8 to 5. Photos of the game are in the polo tab page.
The formal 2023 polo dinner dance gala, which is also our Annual Guest Night, was held on Friday, September 8th, as an event in support of our official charity, The Equus Effect of Sharon, Ct. Photographs from the evening are on the polo dinner dance tab.
Gold's holds a number of sporting clays shoots each year, of which two, in the spring and fall, under the guidance of our shooting captain, Jeffery Wacker, have formal lunches or dinners and trophy awards are contested. Squadron A has donated a cup to be contested by the top squads of Gold's Dragoons and Squadron A at the spring and fall shoots. For prior shoot photographs and trophy winners of past shoots, click on the Sporting Clays tab.
For members preferring a shoot with a more military bent we are planning a historical weapons contest at the General Greene Homestead in Coventry, R.I., when members and guests will be trained in weapons used by Gold's Dragoons in the 17th century. Check the Historical Weapons tab for details. The event is currently postponed into 2024. In the interim, the Master of Arms, Col. Ron Barnes, is holding our annual axe throwing contest in Bridgeport, Ct. on Sunday, September 10th. All members completing the course will be adjudged "tomahawk qualified". Photos can be seen by clicking on the "Historical Weapons" tab.
For members wishing to combine military history and the opportunity to condemn someone to be shot at dawn by firing squad, we continued our annual historical court martial series with the next event being planned for in October in Providence, R.I. In the interim we are presenting a historical court martial at the Victorian Military Society dinner on February 2nd, in Newport, R.I. For photographs from prior court martial events, click on the Historical Court Martial tab.
Having dispensed with quill pens and inkwells many years ago we are happy to announce that Golds Dragoons has entered the digital age for payments for all events. Members will be sent links to a Gold's Anedot account for each event, permitting payment by credit card. For members of the old guard, checks will still be possible.
Starting in 2020 we instituted a annual membership dues of $20 to cover our administrative costs. For 2023 and subsequent years it has become necessary to increase the fee to $25 to reflect cost increases. Dues are payable by the date of our annual Nominating Dinner in the month of May and are usually paid as part of the booking process for the dinner. Members failing to pay their annual dues may not attend any of our formal evening events. Email the address below with any questions.
John Woods Conlin
President
Gold's Dragoons
goldsdragoons@gmail.com
The formal 2023 polo dinner dance gala, which is also our Annual Guest Night, was held on Friday, September 8th, as an event in support of our official charity, The Equus Effect of Sharon, Ct. Photographs from the evening are on the polo dinner dance tab.
Gold's holds a number of sporting clays shoots each year, of which two, in the spring and fall, under the guidance of our shooting captain, Jeffery Wacker, have formal lunches or dinners and trophy awards are contested. Squadron A has donated a cup to be contested by the top squads of Gold's Dragoons and Squadron A at the spring and fall shoots. For prior shoot photographs and trophy winners of past shoots, click on the Sporting Clays tab.
For members preferring a shoot with a more military bent we are planning a historical weapons contest at the General Greene Homestead in Coventry, R.I., when members and guests will be trained in weapons used by Gold's Dragoons in the 17th century. Check the Historical Weapons tab for details. The event is currently postponed into 2024. In the interim, the Master of Arms, Col. Ron Barnes, is holding our annual axe throwing contest in Bridgeport, Ct. on Sunday, September 10th. All members completing the course will be adjudged "tomahawk qualified". Photos can be seen by clicking on the "Historical Weapons" tab.
For members wishing to combine military history and the opportunity to condemn someone to be shot at dawn by firing squad, we continued our annual historical court martial series with the next event being planned for in October in Providence, R.I. In the interim we are presenting a historical court martial at the Victorian Military Society dinner on February 2nd, in Newport, R.I. For photographs from prior court martial events, click on the Historical Court Martial tab.
Having dispensed with quill pens and inkwells many years ago we are happy to announce that Golds Dragoons has entered the digital age for payments for all events. Members will be sent links to a Gold's Anedot account for each event, permitting payment by credit card. For members of the old guard, checks will still be possible.
Starting in 2020 we instituted a annual membership dues of $20 to cover our administrative costs. For 2023 and subsequent years it has become necessary to increase the fee to $25 to reflect cost increases. Dues are payable by the date of our annual Nominating Dinner in the month of May and are usually paid as part of the booking process for the dinner. Members failing to pay their annual dues may not attend any of our formal evening events. Email the address below with any questions.
John Woods Conlin
President
Gold's Dragoons
goldsdragoons@gmail.com