LIFE & TIMES of Dorothy Troutman
ing herself.” Glenn explained that Dorothy had been able to get the county leadership to agree to match whatever she was able to fundraise to build an equestrian center. “T ey really didn’t think she could do it but then she did and they had to give up the rest of the money!” Glenn added. “Dorothy had a way of pulling people to-
gether and brought more and more people into the horse world through these projects,” Estepp stated. As a thank you for her eff orts, Estepp had the water tower at PGEC painted with horses from Glennwood Farm. “Every time I pass the water tower on Route 301 with the mural of horses painted on it, I think of her,” Prince George’s county horse- woman and former Maryland Horse Council Secretary Valerie Ormond said. “I know she was instrumental in making the Prince George’s Equestrian Center become a reality. It goes to show how one person with a vision, dedication and an uncanny ability to make things happen, can make a diff erence in the lives of people for many years to come.” Ormond sat on the Prince George’s County Equine Industry Task Force with Dorothy in 2010 and 2011. T e cre- ation of this task force was another one of Dorothy’s ideas.
Rosaryville State Park Another one of Dorothy’s biggest
legacies is Rosaryville State Park, home of the Mount Airy Man- sion. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, “T e Mount Airy Mansion is one of the oldest Maryland mansions connected to the Calvert family, the Lords Proprietor of colonial Mary- land.” It was a hunting lodge for the Lords Bal- timore and dates back to the 1600s. “T e state was going to shut it down, but
Dorothy formed the [Rosaryville] Conservan- cy to run the property,” Estepp explained. “We were very worried we were going to lose that park,” Dorothy said, and so she organized the horse community to save it. Dorothy’s idea was to use the park for a va-
riety of horse activities such as horse trials, hunter paces, fox hunting and trail riding. She brought diff erent people from each discipline together to form the Conservancy, which sup- plied both funding and volunteers to keep the park open and maintained. T e fi rst Marlborough Horse Trials was held in 1992 and in a moment of weakness, friend Pam
Link agreed to organize it. “I used to event but had moved over to dressage and just couldn’t say no to Dorothy!” Pam said. Pam added that the Marlborough Hunt Club was also very involved in those early years of the horse trials. “T is was a way to get people organized to keep the place looking good,” Dorothy said. And it became a family aff air! Volunteers from all over the area came to clear trails and mow fi elds. “It was a lot of work for sure but you feel good doing it,” Pam explained. Dorothy never does anything in half measures and she attacked this new horse trial with the same passion as every project she works on. She went right to the top of the course design world meeting with Los Angeles Olympic course designer Roger Haller to ask him to be their course designer. Top jump builder Chris Milanesi was brought
cil and Maryland Horse Industry Board. “Dorothy was involved in every aspect of the horse industry,” said MHIB Executive Director Ross Peddicord. “She was one of our founding board members and sat on the board for nearly 20 years.” Peddicord said that Dorothy stepped down
just a few years ago when she was 94. “Her term was up for re-election but she remarked how she’d be 98 by the time the next term ended.” Peddicord added that Dorothy never missed a meeting saying, “her input was always valued.” Peddicord also commented on Dorothy’s po- litical skills saying, “she is very politically savvy and known as a community activist.” Crystal Brumme Pickett of the Maryland Horse Council agrees with Peddicord stating, “she quickly became a mentor to me, teaching me how to navigate the halls of Annapolis, how to build relationships with our elected leaders and their staff .” She added, “Dorothy perfected the art of grassroots lob- bying, always keeping in mind the greater community good yet remem- bering that political favors should be used wisely and not squandered.” Estepp also noted that Dorothy’s kind and quiet way of interacting with politicians is what makes her so successful. He said, “You could disagree with her but still be friends. She used kindness to get things done, and it worked!” “Dorothy is an amazing vault of
At 97 years old in January 2020, Dorothy Troutman stands in front of one of the hay barns at her Glennwood Farm with photos from the 1985 Prince George’s Equestrian Review and Melwood Presentation Ceremony.
in as well. “His jumps were just perfectly built,” Glenn remarked. “Some of them are still there and you can tell which ones Chris built versus the new builders.” “I remember driving into that park the morn- ing of that fi rst event and being worried no one would be there,” Pam said laughing. “We had full entries with a wait list but I was still shocked when I saw all the trailers all lined up.” T e Marlborough Horse Trials have had a few organizers over the years and is still one of the few non-profi t run events in the state.
One Common Voice Even though Dorothy had a full plate just in
Prince George’s County, she expanded her conser- vation eff orts through the Maryland Horse Coun-
information and knew all the major players in Maryland government,” said Burk. “She is absolutely ageless and has connected so many of us in the sport. She made sure local politi- cians knew the history and heritage of horses in Southern Maryland.”
Dorothy was also a founding member of MHC and received the organization’s Pum- phrey Memorial Award in 1998. “At the time there were so many people with horses around the state but no one was organized outside of their specifi c discipline or breed,” Sandra ex- plained. “Mom knew that the industry as a whole needed a voice.” Once again, Dorothy and a group of core ac- tivists came together and MHC was formed in 1985. “T at is what my mom does, she brings everyone together,” Sandra added. For bringing everyone together with one
common bond and one common voice, we thank you Dorothy Troutman!
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Katherine O. Rizzo
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