Elizabeth Lampton Dies in a Carriage Accident
Monday, March 24, 2008
Elizabeth Whitcomb Brown Lampton, born Nov 27, 1933 in Vermont, died March 22, 2008, after a carriage driving accident at Elmendorf Farm. She and her husband, Dinwiddie Lampton, Jr., have lived at Elmendorf Farm in Lexington, KY since they were married. They enjoyed driving horses around the fields and on the paved roads through the neighboring farms. Competing together in many carriage driving events, they won awards at the Junior League Horse Show, the Shelbyville and Harrodsburg Fairs, and the Kentucky State Fair, as well as many events out of state.
Her love of horses came from her father who was a lifelong Standardbred horseman. Elizabeth and Dinwiddie met at Saratoga when Elizabeth was driving her horse "Saint", and he a coach and four. She asked him to hold her horse. He did, and thereafter was at her command.
She graduated from the University of Vermont. The State of Vermont crowned her "Miss Vermont," and she competed for the Miss Universe title. One of the first women to sell Mercedes-Benz, she was voted top salesperson in the country several times from the Park Avenue location. At The Dorchester, she was president of the Association. She began a robust career as a real-estate agent for luxury apartments in New York.
At 57th and Park, in front of the Dorchester, Dinwiddie parked his eighteen-wheeler full of carriage and four horses while she arranged for the Maitre d' of Chantilly Restaurant to watch the rig during the night before the carriage drive down Park Avenue the nest day. She won many awards for her horsemanship. At the age of 72 she won the Ladies' Phaeton Class at the Indiana State Fair with a pair of Hackneys she had trained herself. She served as a trustee of the American Hackney Horse Foundation, and the Carriage and Coaching Museum of America.
At the time of her death she was in process of restoring Whipton Place Farm for Mr. And Mrs. Lampton's retirement. Her brother Robert Whitcomb of Essex Junction, Vermont, and her niece, Meg Armstrong, also of Vermont, survive her. Her husband, Dinwiddie Lampton, Jr. deeply mourns her loss.
A memorial service will be held at Elmendorf Farm next to the columns at two o'clock on Tuesday, March 25. The family will gather for a private burial at Cave Hill Cemetery in Louisville, KY on Wed, March 26th, 2008, at one o'clock. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation, for the Carriage Museum. Kerr Brothers Funeral Home - 463 East Main St. Lexington, KY 40507 is in charge of Lexington arrangements.
Published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on 3/24/2008.
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