Liz Whitney
| Liz Whitney Tippett | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Mary Elizabeth Altemus June 18, 1906 Wynnewood, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 30, 1988 (aged 82) Llangollen estate, Virginia |
| Residence | Llangollen Estate, Virginia |
| Occupation | Socialite, horsewoman, racehorse owner, breeder, philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) |
John Hay Whitney (m. 1930; div. 1940) Dr. E. Cooper Person, Jr. (m. 1948; his death 1952) Richard D. Lunn (m. 1954; div. 1959) Col. Cloyce Joseph Tippett (m. 1960; her death 1988) |
| Relatives | Samuel D. Riddle (uncle) |
Mary Elizabeth Whitney Person Tippett (born Mary Elizabeth Altemus) (June 18, 1906 – October 30, 1988) was a wealthy American socialite and philanthropist who was a champion horsewoman and for more than fifty years, a prominent owner/breeder of Thoroughbred racehorses.
Liz was born Mary Elizabeth Atemus in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Elizabeth Dobson and Lemuel Coffin Altemus, a wealthy entrepreneur who made his success in the textile business. "Liz", as she would become known throughout her life, developed a love of horses and equestrian competitions at an early age. A 1939 TIME magazine article describes her as "a spirited, devil-may-care rider who has been winning blue ribbons on the horseshow circuit for 15 years" and whose "riding technique became the very pattern for aspiring horsewomen."
Following her first marriage to Jock Whitney, she immediately became involved in Thoroughbred racing. She set up her own operations and made her Llangollen home a major breeding and training center, constructing a variety of equine fittings, including a famous horseshoe-shaped barn, stud barn and broodmare sheds, tack rooms, paddocks, and a training track on the property.
In the 1930s, she owned a string of successful racehorses, winning the 1931 Adirondack Stakes with her filly Brocado and with Stepenfetchit, won the 1932 Latonia Derby and ran third in the Kentucky Derby. With her colt Singing Wood, Liz won the 1933 Belmont Futurity Stakes, the 1934 Withers Stakes and Queens County Handicap. In 1936, Singing Wood won the Toboggan Handicap at Belmont Park in Elmont and when her husband's business interest took the couple to Hollywood, the colt raced there and won the 1936 Santa Margarita Handicap.
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