Mary Alice Dorrance Malone was more than the Campbell’s Soup heiress. She was an award-winning equestrian enthusiast and used to breed Olympic-grade stallions in Chester County, writes Jadon George for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Malone, who passed away on June 16, grew up primarily in Chester County, where her love of horses started. She became a member of Gladwyne’s Bridlewood Pony Club and later opened several pony and dressage clubs in southern Arizona.
She founded Iron Spring Farm in 1976, which still maintains two stables, one in Coatesville and the other in Wellington, Florida.
She achieved her greatest competitive success with Rampal, winning 14 Grand Prix equestrian events with the stallion and earning a spot on the U.S. national team shortlist.
Malone was directly involved with Iron Spring until her death. Descendants of horses bred or trained at the two facilities have earned awards across several levels of equestrian competition, including at the Olympics.
Malone’s lifelong work and influence in the equestrian world were recognized earlier this year. She won a lifetime achievement award from the North American arm of the Royal Warmblood Studbook of the Netherlands.
Read more about Mary Alice Dorrance Malone’s role in the strong equestrian presence in Chester County in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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