It Started with a Trailer: The Story of Bert & Edna Lytle By Lisa Warffeli and Katherine O. Rizzo


It was a rainy Maryland day in the late 1940s when Bert Lytle pulled his homemade horse trailer along side Edna Griswold who was riding her horse to a nearby show. Bert had been offering Edna rides to horse shows on several occasions but she kept turning him down, stating she found him a tad arrogant. On that par- ticularly rainy day, she said yes. Te two had known each other


through Buddington Riding Stable in College Park and Edna had been im- pressed with Bert’s way with horses, having witnessed him wrangle a run- away at the barn. Te story goes that a particularly naughty horse got loose and was running out of the barn with just a halter and lead rope on. Bert snagged the lead rope as the horse ran past and swung up onto its back. He then leaned for- ward, placed his hand over the galloping horse’s nose and the horse stopped when it could not breathe properly. Edna was finally impressed. Tey were married in 1955 and over the


ment in the Division of Forest Pathology. With best friend Bernard Synovec, Bert worked in Beltsville, experimenting with chestnut tree


ton Riding Stable and competed their horses in hunters and jumpers. After being spotted by Colonel Rene Studler at a Washington Bridle and Trail Association show, Edna was invited to teach at Pegasus Stable. Bert and Edna did not cross paths until Edna’s


college years attending the University of Mary- land. Bert taught a farrier course at UMD be- fore being drafted into the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. By this point, Bert had expanded his hauling business and also built a bigger trailer to accommodate more horses, as more equestrians were hiring him to transport their horses to shows.


But the horse hauling business had to be put


Bert and Edna, pictured with Edna’s lifelong friend Betty Gillas, celebrated their 65th wedding anniver- sary this past February.


past 65 years have touched so many aspects of Maryland’s equine community, from build- ing horse trailers to supplying the jumps for the Washington International Horse Show to producing top quality show ponies. With head- strong personalities and Bert’s clever wit, the Lytles have become a Maryland institution of their own, passing on their skills and knowl- edge to their two daughters, Sandy and Cindy, as well as the countless horses and riders who have come under their guidance.


A Homemade Trailer Bert was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and moved to


the Takoma Park area early on in life where his mother ran a boarding house. Horses became an interest of his and when he was 15, he used the money he earned from selling newspapers and cutting lawns to buy his first horse. From that point on, horses became the focal point of Bert’s life although he worked for the U.S. Govern-


survival. It was Bert and Bernard who grafted the Chinese and American chestnut trees after discovering that Chinese chestnut trees had a resistance to blights. American chestnut trees survive today because of their discovery! During this time, Bert


discovered he had a talent for building things, spe- cifically horse trailers. In those days, very few people owned horse trailers and instead would ride their horses to shows and other activities. Tose who did have trailers built them or if they had the funds, pur- chased trailers from places like Hartman Trailer Com- pany in Pennsylvania. Bert looked at several home- made trailers as well as the ones Hartman produced and built his own. Tis be- came Bert’s first step into the horse industry as a ca- reer as he began hauling not just his own horse to local shows and fox hunts. Edna on the other hand was an


Bert behind the wheel of one of his shipping rigs. www.equiery.com | 800-244-9580


“Army brat” traveling around the country with her family. Her fa- ther was top marksman and army rifle expert Army Colonel Harland Griswold. After completing his military career, Colonel Griswold became the Assistant Dean at the University of Maryland, College Park campus. Edna saved the money her par- ents gave her for lunch to buy her first horse and quickly became a gifted rider. She rode at Budding-


on hold while he headed to Parris Island for boot camp. From there, Bert was stationed at Cherry Point, NC, and, still keen on Edna, would travel back to College Park on weekends to see her.


Training for the Marines While traveling back and forth from Cherry


Point to College Park, Bert found out that the Marine Corps had a stable at its base in Quan- tico, VA. Intrigued, Bert made a detour one trip and found the stables, along with a frustrated Warrant Officer. Te Warrant Officer con- fided in Bert,


telling


him that few of the Marines assigned to the stables knew much about horses. Bert of- fered to help and soon the two were commu- nicating on a regular basis, with Bert of- fering advice and tips whenever he could. Bert laughed telling


Bert served in the Marines during the Ko- ren War and trained horses at Quantico.


the story of riding out with the Command- ing General one day in civilian clothes and


the General having no idea what Bert’s rank was or even who he was in relation to the base. Te two quickly became friends. Te day came when Bert got orders that he was to ship out to Korea. He broke the news to Edna, who told her father, Colonel Griswold. Shortly after, Bert’s orders were changed and he was assigned to the Quantico stables. To this day, no one truly knows who changed the orders but thankfully, Bert remained stateside and was once again immersed into the horse world. Approximately 60 horses were stabled at


Quantico and were owned by various officers. Despite the fact that Bert was an enlisted man, he was allowed to stable his horse there as well. continued...


MAY 2020 | THE EQUIERY | 15


Barbara K. Magrogran


Barbara K. Magrogran


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