Liz Whitney Tippett
| Liz Whitney Tippett | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 18, 1906 Wynnewood, Pennsylvania |
| Died | October 30, 1988 Llangollen estate, Virginia |
| Residence | Llangollen Estate, Virginia |
| Occupation | Socialite Horsewoman Racehorse owner/breeder Philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | 1) John Hay Whitney 2) Dr. E. Cooper Person, Jr. 3) Richard D. Lunn 4) Col. Cloyce J. Tippett |
| Parent(s) | Lemuel Coffin Altemus & Elizabeth Dobson |
| Awards | Virginia Thoroughbred Association Hall of Fame (2004) |
Mary Elizabeth Whitney Person Tippett (born Mary Elizabeth Altemus) (18 June 1906 – 30 October 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.
Born in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, she was the daughter of Elizabeth Dobson and her husband 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."
Through her social standing and involvement with horses, Liz Altemus met and married John Hay "Jock" Whitney, a member of the extremely wealthy Whitney family of New York. Jock Whitney's grandfather, father and uncle were all heavily involved in Thoroughbred horse racing. For their 1930 marriage, he bought his bride Llangollen estate, a large and historic property off Trappe Road west of Upperville, Virginia at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Eight miles from the village of Middleburg, the area had long been home to many horse farms and since the mid-19th century, a center for equestrian events. By the early part of the 20th century Thoroughbred breeding operations were gaining importance and in 1930, Liz Whitney would be one of the first of a number of prominent personalities in Thoroughbred horse racing who would develop substantial and important breeding operations. Others who came to the area include heiress Isabel Dodge Sloane, who built the highly successful Brookmeade Stud, the very prestigious Rokeby Farm of Paul Mellon, Jack Kent Cooke's Kent Farms, and the Newstead Farm of Diana M. Firestone and her husband Bertram. Since the early 1960s, for two days each year more than ten horse farms and centers in Upperville and Middleburg open their gates to visitors. The Hunt Country Stable Tour [1] raises money for the outreach programs of Trinity Episcopal Church in Upperville.
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